Hearing loss can affect anyone at any age. In fact, younger generations—such as millennials, Gen Z, and Generation Alpha—appear to be experiencing hearing loss at higher rates than the generations that came before them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that about 12% of adults aged 18 to 39 report difficulty following a conversation in a noisy setting, and about 6% suffer from tinnitus. Let’s discuss why that is and what you can do to protect your hearing health, especially if you’re below the age of fifty.
Age-Related Hearing Loss
Before we delve into the cultural influences on hearing health for younger generations, let’s discuss natural age-related hearing loss. The millennial age group consists of anyone born between 1981 and 1996. A study in 2011 found that more than 20% of adults aged 48 to 59 exhibited signs of age-related hearing loss. The oldest members of this generation are now in their mid-forties, so age-related hearing loss is beginning to affect them.
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Exposure to loud noise is a significant concern among millennials and Gen Z, and our increasingly industrialized world is getting noisier every year. Cities are louder, speakers grow more advanced, recreational activities get louder (like dirt biking, ATVs and other motorsports) and concerts are reaching unprecedented sound levels.
More significantly, younger adults are more likely to wear headphones for extended periods of time. It’s common to wear them while running errands, commuting, working or studying, talking on the phone, watching movies and playing video games. Due to the prevalence of smartphones in our culture, there’s always something to listen to. It can be difficult to monitor sound levels with headphones, and variations in volume levels—sometimes even within the same piece of media—may mean that the wearer has the sound adjusted properly for one scene, only to get an earful in another.
How Can I Protect My Hearing?
While noise-induced hearing loss is permanent, it can be prevented by taking precautions to maintain your hearing health, such as:
- Turn the volume down. When using headphones, listen at a maximum of 60 decibels, or 60% of the volume capacity.
- Wear hearing protection. Earplugs and earmuffs are very effective at decreasing volume levels and protecting your ears. Wear them whenever you’re at a concert or engaging in a loud activity, like shooting or motorsports.
- Take breaks. If you’re in a noisy environment, take a step back every hour to give your ears a rest.
- Make healthy lifestyle choices. Eat well, exercise regularly, limit alcohol and don’t smoke. All of these can have an adverse effect on hearing health.
If you’re concerned about hearing loss, regardless of your age, visit Hampton Roads ENT ~ Allergy for a hearing test. Call today to find out more.