Yasmina Kattou
Health professionals warn about the use of earphones and headsets among the youngest, while 14% of children under 10 have already consulted an ENT doctor for tinnitus. This is revealed by a survey conducted by Ifop for the National Hearing Day association, which wishes to prevent risks.
For World Hearing Day, this Thursday, March 3, professionals draw up an alarming observation. Today, young children are increasingly affected by tinnitus. 14% of children under 10 have already consulted an ENT doctor for tinnitus, ie 1.3 million children according to a survey conducted by Ifop for the National Hearing Day association. It is an unprecedented barometer which constitutes a reference base for doctors who are concerned about the prolonged use of earphones and headsets.
Because among children with tinnitus problems, a third use headphones every day. When the volume of the music or cartoon is too high, the sound can go up to the equivalent of a truck on the road. This causes microlesions in the ear. But the effects will only be visible later, warns Cécile Parietti-Winkler, president of the French ORL college.
Hearing loss felt years later
“It is the sound exposure to noises which seem acceptable but which are repeated, which can be very detrimental because it will start hearing capital in the youngest. And hearing loss will only appear decades later”, she explains.
The ENT therefore recommends to do prevention from an early age. “Children are able to understand that too much noise for too long can damage their ears. So we can limit the duration of wearing headphones to so many hours”, advises the specialist. The National Hearing Day association is campaigning for screenings in schools, as is already done for vision.