Earlier this month, NBC News Today reported that according to a new study, 30% of teenagers are suffering from tinnitus, a condition associated with a buzzing or ringing noise in the ears. Larry Roberts, researcher at Ontario-based McMaster University, concluded that tinnitus is an ever-growing problem and is a “major public health challenge.” According to the World Health Organization, nearly 1.1 billion young people are threatened with hearing loss due to the abuse and misuse of portable music players and by the extremely high level of sound at music festivals and other venues.

Smartphones, Music Players, & Earbuds

Ear, nose and throat specialists note that today’s advanced technologies, particularly smartphones with long-lasting batteries and powerful computers, are the main reason behind the ever-increasing hearing problems. These devices are capable of producing sound levels well over 85 decibels. Constant exposure to “high volume–long duration listening,” can cause severe damage to hearing. Under certain circumstances, permanent damage can be caused in a matter of minutes. In addition, popular amongst teenagers are in-ear headphones called “earbuds.” These are placed deep inside the ears and can produce extremely loud levels of sound.

Listening Habits Are Behind All This

In his study, Roberts and his team performed hearing tests on 170 young people between ages 11 and 17. The study revealed that almost all students had “risky listening habits,” both when at clubs, and when using their personal music devices. The majority of responders said that they had experienced tinnitus at least once in their lifetime.

Tinnitus is a Clear Sign

The symptoms of tinnitus can last for a couple of days after being exposed to loud noise or music. During the study, Roberts found that nearly one-third of the participants continued to have a buzzing noise in their ears––a clear sign that the tinnitus condition has become persistent in their cases. Although they showed no significant hearing loss, all of them had increased sensitivity to noises, which suggested that their auditory nerves were already damaged. Additional studies reveal that this sensitivity often leads to hearing problems later in life.

How to Protect Your Hearing

According to specialists, protection is relatively simple. When using ear buds, keep the volume on your music player below 60% and limit listening to music in this way to no more than 60 minutes a day.