Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026
Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses
Published on: January 23, 2017
Risk of damage to hearing from personal listening devices in young adults
Jian-Hua Peng1, Ze-Zhang Tao, Zhi-Wu Huang
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
Objective:
To investigate the effects of personal listening device use on hearing in young listeners.
Methods:
Conventional frequency audiometry (0.5-8 kHz) and extended high-frequency audiometry (10-20 kHz) were performed on 120 personal listening device users and 30 normal-hearing young adults.
Results:
The hearing thresholds in the 3 to 8 kHz frequency range were significantly increased in the personal listening device listeners. The frequency range of the increased thresholds became broad as the exposure duration was increased. Impaired hearing was detected in 14.1% (34 of 240 ears) of ears (> 25 dB HL in one or more frequencies in 0.5-8 kHz). The hearing thresholds of extended high-frequency audiometry in personal listening device users could also be increased even if their hearing thresholds in conventional frequency audiometry were normal.
Conclusion:
Our results suggest that long-term use of personal listening devices can impair hearing function The data also indicate that extended high-frequency audiometry is a sensitive method for early detection of noise-induced hearing loss.
Related Concept Videos
01:31Hearing
00:53Sound Intensity Level
The human ear can perceive an extensive range of sound intensity, necessitating the use of the logarithmic scale to define a physical quantity—the intensity level. It is a ratio of two intensities and hence a...
00:50Unrenewable Cells
Photoreceptors
The retina is composed of several layers and contains specialized cells called photoreceptors. The photoreceptors (rods and cones) change their membrane potential when stimulated by light energy. There are two types of photoreceptors—rods and cones—which differ in the shape of their outer...