WHO: Turn volume down, 1.1 billion people at risk of hearing loss

More than 1 billion people are at risk of hearing-related problems due to loud volume from smartphones and audio devices, WHO says.

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An estimated 1.1 billion people across the world are at risk of hearing loss because of increased listening volume from smartphones, other personal audio devices, and speaker systems at entertainment venues.

WHO: Turn volume down, 1.1 billion people at risk of hearing loss | TweakTown.com

Almost half of teenagers and young adults between 12 and 35 years old are "exposed to unsafe levels of sound," with 40 percent exposed to "potentially damaging" levels, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

"As they go about their daily lives doing what they enjoy, more and more young people are placing themselves at risk of hearing loss," said Dr. Etienne Krug, director for the department for management of noncommunicable diseases, violence and injury prevention at WHO. "They should be aware that once you lose your hearing, it won't come back. Taking simple preventive actions will allow people to continue to enjoy themselves without putting their hearing at risk."

Exposure of 100dB for more than 15 minutes is considered unsafe - and many bars have audio ranges from 104dB up to 112dB, for example. The WHO recommends lowering sound volume, using noise-cancelling headphones, and taking breaks during extended use.

NEWS SOURCES:who.int, etegadgets.com

An experienced tech journalist and marketing specialist, Michael joins TweakTown to cover everything from cars & electric vehicles to solar and green energy topics. A former Staff Writer at DailyTech, Michael is now the Cars & Electric Vehicles News Reporter and will contribute news stories on a daily basis. In addition to contributing here, Michael also runs his own tech blog, AlamedaTech.com, while he looks to remain busy in the tech world.

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