WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., July 28 (UPI) -- Parents giving children cell phones or portable digital music device may not realize those devices are putting old ears on many young bodies.
Purdue University Audiologist Robert Novak says health professionals are starting to see an increasing number of cases involving hearing loss in young adults -- a level previously expected among middle-aged adults.
"This loss is often self-induced and may be related to young people's exposure to amplified sound and use of personal listening systems, such as cell phones and portable music devices," said Novak, director of clinical education in audiology and associate department head.
"The damage can be temporary or permanent," he said.
In addition to hearing loss, too much noise exposure can result in hearing constant ringing, called tinnitus.
"People, especially young adults on a college campus, have something in their ears almost all the time," Novak said. "Their ears have very little quiet time to recover from noise exposure."
