The World Health Organization, together with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), has adopted a new standard for personal audio devices. Based on recommendations, almost half of people aged 12-35 years around the world are at risk of hearing loss due to excessive exposure to loud noises. WHO speaks of approximately 1.1 billion “young people at risk” worldwide.
What standards have been adopted?
Many young people continue to harm their hearing when listening to music. According to experts, the new WHO ITU standard will do much to better protect young consumers.
The new standard provides for actions at different levels: automatic volume control and parental control. In addition, WHO relies on education - information and guidance to inform users about safe listening practices.
The audio device should create an individual volume profile based on the user's habits. The device will inform consumers about how safe or harmful the music is.
The standard was developed as part of the WHO initiative to make listening to music safe. Experts from WHO and ITU developed it over a two-year process involving experts from politics, industry, consumers and civil society. WHO recommends that governments and manufacturers voluntarily adopt the standard.
Why is noise dangerous?
Educational work should begin already in schools, because educational methods work. Good examples of this are the successful campaigns of the Federal Center for Alcohol and Smoking Health Education.
The number of people with hearing problems is growing every year. The current report of the doctors determined that only in 2015, almost 9.8% of all visitors to the doctor were diagnosed with ear diseases.
Deafness not only affects older people, but more and more it is also a problem for children and adolescents.
Scientists came to the conclusion that the rejection of headphones helps to improve hearing by 20-30%. Patients are advised to listen to doctors, since the health risk of listening to music is clearly not comparable with the benefits.
Do other studies support the findings?
In 2016, a working group at the University of Dresden reported that noise can cause stress reactions that affect the cardiovascular system. Specialists compared 19 632 patients with a diagnosis of myocardial infarction in the period from 2006 to 2010.
In this study, a significant portion of the population was exposed to headphone noise associated with a slight increase in the risk of heart attacks. This underlines the importance of effective noise prevention.
Not only audio devices make people deaf
According to one study, there is a link between noise pollution in cities and hearing loss in people. Rostov residents have the lowest hearing loss, and Moscow residents have the largest. Noise pollution is the lowest in Zurich and the highest in Guangzhou, China.
The data suggest, according to experts, that the noise level in homes directly or indirectly depends on hearing loss.
Of course, hearing loss can also be caused by infections, genetic disorders, premature birth or medication.
It is better to protect citizens, especially in cities. Any reduction in noise benefits personal well-being and health. About 1.4 million citizens in the states are exposed to harmful noise levels.
Therefore, the Ministry of the Environment is supporting cities and municipalities in creating noise maps and planning follow-up actions.
The earlier hearing loss is detected, the higher the chances of preventing further damage. If any signs of a disturbed hearing aid occur, it is recommended that you seek medical help.
Reducing the volume of the headphones also contributes significantly to preventing further hearing loss. Therefore, it is not recommended to listen to music at full volume, since the risk of complications increases significantly.
