Influence of individual listening devices (headphones) on the development of hearing loss

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is an increase in the prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The highest growth rate of NIHL is noted among children and adolescents. According to the results of previous studies, 40% of students aged 16 to 25 were diagnosed with NIHL in 1996. 12.5% of students aged 6 to 19 were found to have shifts in sound perception thresholds that may be associated with noise exposure. The growing prevalence of the use of individual listening devices (headphones) is considered one of the most significant causes of the growth of noise-induced hearing loss in all age groups. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A search of literary sources was conducted on the study of the effect of individual listening devices on the development of sensorineural (neurosensory) hearing loss. The search was conducted in the international PubMed database; the search query was formulated as (noise-induced hearing loss) AND (headphones). RESULTS: The review includes the results of the search and analysis of literature sources that reflect the effect of individual listening devices on the state of the auditory organ. The analysis revealed that long-term exposure to high-intensity sounds can cause NIHL in people of different ages. Despite the existing WHO recommendations on the intensity/duration of safe use of headphones, further study of this issue is necessary taking into account modern capabilities of processing and delivering sound information.