Noise-induced hearing loss is no longer an ailment of older adults, and is becoming a significant concern for our youth — which is why it is vital to safeguard our ear health from young.

Young people in Singapore navigate through layers of the city’s urban sounds every day: morning commutes on rumbling MRT trains, where high earphone volumes compete with ambient noise; gaming sessions, which involve live discussions about strategy take place atop sound effects and background music; and music blaring from speakers at energetic spin classes, karaoke and concerts.

This constant exposure to elevated sound levels is progressively damaging their hearing, often without them realising it. Based on the 2010 Singapore National Health Survey, nearly 13 per cent of 18 to 29-year-olds have mild hearing loss in at least three of four tested frequencies in at least one ear. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that worldwide, over 1 billion people aged 12 to 35 years risk losing their hearing due to prolonged and excessive exposure to loud music and other recreational sounds.

Dr Shahrul Izham, Senior Staff Physician, Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, Changi General Hospital (CGH), addresses misconceptions about listening practices, and shares on the early warning signs of hearing damage.

Could the prolonged use of earphones cause hearing loss?

In noisy environments, standard earphones allow ambient sound to interfere with users’ listening experience. This often leads users to gradually increase the volume of the music or video playing on their device to compensate for background noise — perpetuating a cycle where users continuously turn up the sound to overcome their surroundings. To overcome the average outdoor sound levels in Singapore, one might need to play their devices at over 70 decibels (dB), which might then encroach into harmful volumes of over 80dB. Over time, one may become desensitised to dangerously high volumes, continuing to play their devices at these levels without realising it.

Tips

• Keep the volume of your headphones or earphones to below 60 per cent, at no louder than 80dB. To track the volume of your device, consider downloading apps or choosing devices that can monitor and maintain safe listening volumes.
• Noise-cancelling headphones and earphones block external noise, reducing the need to raise the volume in loud surroundings. While such devices are effective, users must be mindful of their surroundings as they may miss environmental sounds such as emergency alarms, or approaching vehicles, which could pose a danger to personal safety.

Will my hearing suffer damage after a concert?

Even short-term exposure to very loud sounds can damage your hearing. At typical concert volumes of 110–120dB, sensory cells in the inner ear (cochlea) sustain damage. These hair-like cells convert sound waves into signals that the brain interprets as sound and cannot regenerate when damaged. Hence, the WHO sets 80dB as the safe listening threshold – a level far below typical concert volumes.

Tip

• Wearing earplugs at concerts reduces exposure to loud sounds and helps protect hearing. However, it is still advisable to limit repeated exposure to loud noise, particularly over extended periods.

HOW LOUD ARE MY SURROUNDINGS?

How do I know if my hearing is damaged?

If you struggle to understand speech — particularly in noisy spaces like restaurants, markets, or social gatherings — it could be an indicator of hearing loss.

Another significant indicator is tinnitus — a persistent ringing or buzzing sound in the ears that occurs without any external sound source. While occurrence of the ringing is often temporary, tinnitus is often associated with noise-induced hearing loss, and individuals who experience persistent symptoms should see a doctor for an ear examination.

Tip

• To protect your hearing, limit repeated exposure to loud noise, particularly over extended periods.

What are some of the treatments?

Treatment for tinnitus caused by damage to the cochlea focuses on managing symptoms and improving the patient’s quality of life. These include relaxation exercises to manage muscle tension, sound-masking techniques using white noise or soothing sounds, medication and hearing aids where appropriate. Tinnitus retraining therapy — which combines counselling, education and sound-masking — has also shown some promising results in managing symptoms. In rare cases where tinnitus stems from underlying conditions like tumours or aneurysms, treatment focuses on addressing these primary causes.