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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MORE than 70 per cent of young Australians show early signs of hearing loss, with loud music played through headphones believed to be a major cause, a survey released on Tuesday showed.
It was found that tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, was more prevalent among 18 to 34-year-olds than elderly people, even though it is seen as one of the first signs of hearing loss.
The figures, based on a survey of 1,000 people, showed Australians who reported using headphones to listen to loud music or going to loud bars at least once a week were risking hearing loss.
It was revealed that listening to loud music through headphones is more detrimental to hearing than other sources of leisure noise.
Despite this, more than two thirds of respondents said they listen to music through headphones regularly and 60 per cent of these people often have the volume above safe levels.
While the elderly were the most likely to experience hearing loss, the next most vulnerable group was teenagers.
There are, however, responsible steps people could take to minimise the risk of going deaf from loud music, like setting the volume of MP3 players at a level that allows one to hear someone else at arm's length without them having to shout. -- AFP
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