One in eight adolescents shows signs of hearing damage by age 18

by Nina Berman, Blog Editor

Photo credit: Miriam Alonso

A Columbus, OH TV station reports on what an Ohio State University professor is calling “a little bit of a pandemic now” of noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) among young people. Dr. Oliver Odunka of the OSU Wexner Medical Center said hearing loss “sneaks up on people” and they are often unaware that have a problem until it’s too late. He attributed some of the causes to young people wearing earbuds and headphones at excessive volume levels for long periods of time. 

The news report also cited a study from the Netherlands published in 2025 in the American Academy of Otolaryngology (AAO) peer-reviewed journal which showed 6.2% experiencing sensorineural hearing loss and 12.9% showing signs of probable noise-induced hearing damage by age 18.   Common sources of unhealthy noise exposure along with personal listening devices are concerts and live music where sound levels often exceed 85 dB and fireworks, motorcycles and sirens which can range from 95 to 150 dB according to the AAO.  Noise induced hearing loss among adolescents can lead to social isolation, poor academic performance and accelerate additional hearing loss later in life according to the AAO.  The journal authors emphasize that hearing health should be seen through a life course perspective recognizing that behavior during childhood and adolescence can have a cumulative impact. 

With the summer concert season underway and giant sporting events like the World Cup in full swing, parents need to educate their children to protect their hearing now by wearing ear plugs and keeping the volume down. For more information, the AAO has an educational video explaining noise induced hearing loss in children and ways to prevent it.