Children who listen to music through headphones may be at greater risk of noise-related hearing loss, a Dutch study suggests.
Researchers examined hearing test results for 3,316 children ages 9 to 11. They also asked parents about hearing complaints from their children, how often kids used portable music players and how high they typically set the volume.
Overall, 443 children, or 14 percent, had at least some difficulty hearing at high frequencies. High frequency hearing loss, especially in younger people, is often caused by noise exposure.
Regardless of how long they wore headphones or how high they set the volume, kids who used portable music players just one or two days a week were more than twice as likely to have hearing loss as children who didn’t use the devices at all.
"Although we cannot conclude from this study that music players caused these hearing losses, it shows that music exposure might influence hearing at a young age," said lead study author Dr. Carlijn le Clercq of Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam.
"This is important, because hearing loss is irreversible and thus has lifelong consequences," le Clercq said by email.
More than nine in 10 older children and teens use some type of portable music player - often a smartphone or tablet - for education and recreation, researchers note in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
With noise-related hearing loss, sounds can seem muffled or distant and people may hear ringing in their ears. This can sometimes be temporary, happening after a loud concert, but it can become permanent with repeated exposure to noise.
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