1 in 5 US teenagers has slight hearing loss

The only thing "stunning" about this to me is that it's a lower percentage, and less damage than I would have guessed.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100817/ap_on_he_me/us_med_hearing_loss_teens;_ylt=AgiEVeFI5967tRNxio1ej66s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFldGQ3cTl2BHBvcwM2NQRzZWMDYWNjb3JkaW9uX3Vfc19uZXdzBHNsawNzdHVkeTFpbjV1c3Q-

By CARLA K. JOHNSON, AP Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson, Ap Medical Writer – Tue Aug 17, 6:35 pm ET

CHICAGO – A stunning one in five teens has lost a little bit of hearing, and the problem has increased substantially in recent years, a new national study has found.

Some experts are urging teenagers to turn down the volume on their digital music players, suggesting loud music through earbuds may be to blame — although hard evidence is lacking. They warn that slight hearing loss can cause problems in school and set the stage for hearing aids in later life.

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Those with slight hearing loss "will hear all of the vowel sounds clearly, but might miss some of the consonant sounds" such as t, k and s, Curhan said.

"Although speech will be detectable, it might not be fully intelligible," he said.

While the researchers didn't single out iPods or any other device for blame, they found a significant increase in high-frequency hearing loss, which they said may indicate that noise caused the problems. And they cited a 2010 Australian study that linked use of personal listening devices with a 70 percent increased risk of hearing loss in children.

"I think the evidence is out there that prolonged exposure to loud noise is likely to be harmful to hearing, but that doesn't mean kids can't listen to MP3 players," Curhan said.

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