Hearing loss trend continues

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, young kids are not hearing as well as they used to. The August report found the number of adolescents with some form of loss has jumped 31%.

One audiologist said kids and parents still are not hearing the message.

Doctor of Audiology Kelly Todd said she sees it all too often: hearing loss in adolescents, brought on by headphones that are way too loud.

"We will see what is called a frequency sensory nerve hearing loss,” said Todd. “Noise induced hearing loss has a very specific pattern. We can tell by the pattern that we know it is noise based."

Todd said what people still are not realizing is the fact that hearing loss does not get better over time.

"Hearing loss is permanent,” Todd added. “Somebody can have a temporary hearing loss from going to a rock concert or being around a lawnmower, that sort of thing. That temporarily comes back, but once you add multiple temporary hearing loses together, they become permanent."

Todd said if young people and their parents do not the message now it may be too late.

Todd says there is a kind of headphone that limits how loud the audio level can go. They are called Kidzsafe Earbuds.  You can find out more at:  www.konoaudio.com/