Srinagar: On world hearing day, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Friday warned against excessive use of earphones.
“Overuse of earphones at higher volumes over prolonged period of time can result in hearing loss,” said DAK President Dr Nisar ul Hassan.
Dr Hassan said the younger generation is particularly vulnerable because they are glued to their personal listening devices like earphones, headphones and earbuds.
They plug these devices into their smartphones and listen to many hours at volumes exceeding the safe limit, he said.
“Young people often choose volumes as high as 105 decibels,” he said. “The safe sound levels are around 85 decibels for adults and 75 decibels for children.”
The DAK President said more people are coming with hearing issues due to the overuse of earphones and headphones. “Today’s earphone users are going to be tomorrow’s hearing aid users,” he said.
“According to a study published in the Journal BMJ Global Health, one billion young people are potentially at risk of hearing loss due to their excessive use of headphones and earbuds.”
Dr Nisar said hearing is the sense that connects us to the people, adding that taking care of our hearing is key to maintaining healthy relationship(s) and general health and well-being.
He said there is an urgent need to prioritize safe listening practices to safeguard aural health. “It is always preferable to avoid earphones, but those who need them should take precautions.”
“Limit the usage time, keep the volume low and take breaks,” he said
“Every year on March 3, world hearing day is observed to raise awareness on ways of preventing deafness and promoting aural care through safe listening,” he added.