For anyone who has been observing the ‘plugged-in generation’ in recent years, it should come as no surprise that hearing loss is increasing among teenagers in the United States. In a recent article appearing in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, J. Shargorodsky and colleagues reported that 20% of U.S. teens surveyed between 2005 and 2006 had some evidence of hearing loss, up from 15% in a group of teens surveyed between 1988 and 1994. In both groups surveyed, it was more common for teens to have hearing loss in just one ear, rather than both and it was also more common to have high frequency, rather than low frequency hearing loss.
While the authors felt that the cause of this increase in hearing loss was unclear, it is known that high frequency hearing loss can be caused by exposure to noise. Since hearing loss can affect many aspects of life, including learning and social skill development, it is important to moderate exposure to loud noise. This should include monitoring the level of noise delivered to the ears through an ear piece as well as through ambient noise, such as that which would be experienced at a rock concert or noise from radios, stereos and televisions. There is a natural trend towards waning hearing acuity with age. With many of today’s teens expected to live to 100 years of age, it is all the more important for them to preserve this precious sensory organ for use in the years to come.