New research into the “ringing in the ears” condition known as tinnitus points to an alarming level of early hearing damage in young people who are exposed to loud music, prompting a warning from leading researchers in the field. It’s a growing problem and I think it’s going to get worse,” says Larry Roberts, PhD, of McMaster University’s Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour. “My personal view is that there is a major public health challenge coming down the road in terms of difficulties with hearing.”

The researchers interviewed and performed extensive hearing testing on a group of 170 students between 11 and 17 years old, learning that almost all of them engage in “risky listening habits,” favoring loud music at parties, clubs and on personal listening devices. The results showed that more than a quarter of them are already experiencing persistent tinnitus that more typically affects people over 50.

The researchers report that further testing of the same subjects, showed that even though they could still hear as well as their peers, those experiencing tinnitus were more likely to have a significantly reduced tolerance for loud noise, which is considered a sign of hidden damage to the nerves that are used in processing sound.

Roberts explained that when the auditory nerves are damaged, brain cells increase their sensitivity to their remaining inputs, which can make ordinary sounds seem louder. Increased loudness perception is an indication of nerve injury that cannot necessarily be detected by an audiogram, the standard clinical test for hearing ability. Neuroscience research indicates that such “hidden hearing loss” caused by exposure to loud sounds in the early years deepens over the life span, worsening one’s hearing ability later in life.

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