By Carol A. Cates, MSN, MBA, RN
Chief Nursing Officer
Odessa Regional Medical Center
My husband is a great testament to the dangers of loud music. There have been more days than I can count in our marriage where I could hear his car coming down the street before I saw it because he had the music playing so loudly. He is definitely hard of hearing after years of loud music. My kids, I think learned a bit about loud music and hearing loss from their dad and are better at keeping the volume to reasonable levels, except for one area, video games.
There were days when they were growing up, I worried about the house coming down because of all the loud booms, bangs, and crashes with their games. Now, with both my kids and the grandkids, I don’t worry about the house coming down so much, because they wear headphones. But a study released earlier this month by the World Health Organization (WHO) that links loud video games to hearing issues in kids and young people have made me re-think if I shouldn’t worry about their hearing as much as I worry about my husband’s.
The study that the WHO did in regard to hearing issues and video games was a meta-analysis. I like to think of meta-analysis studies as “ultimate” studies. Met-analysis studies don’t do the research, they weigh the research that is out there on a subject. They are a great way of looking at a body of research, especially when the conclusions aren’t the same, to come up with an overarching recommendation. The way they weigh research is by looking at the conclusions and quality of all the studies on a particular subject and use those weights to come up with the conclusions about the best recommendation. Quality is determined by several factors such as number and diversity of the study subjects, if the study had the proper controls in place to eliminate as many biases as possible, and if subjects and researchers kept separated (a process known as blinding).
In this meta-analysis study, the WHO researchers included 14 studies from across the globe which looked at a total of 54,000 adults and children on the subject of video games and hearing. They found that average sound levels in video games were near or over sound levels that can cause hearing damage over time. Intermittent sounds such as gunfire, crashes, or engines revving can be loud enough they cause temporary hearing loss or ringing in the ears. The study also found that those who regularly play video games are more likely to develop a hearing condition called tinnitus. Tinnitus is a condition where a person hears a ringing, buzzing or roaring sound in one or both ears. Tinnitus can be intermittent or continuous. About 10-25% of adults have some form of tinnitus currently.
Headphone use is also more common with gamers, making loud sounds closer to the ears. Headphone use is also more common in already loud environments, making gamers turn up the volume even louder to drown out other noises. Because of the prevalence of video games as entertainment across the globe, average and intermittent sound levels, and headphone use, the WHO estimates over 1 billion young people are currently at risk for hearing loss and/or tinnitus.
There is more to hearing loss than just having to keep the volume up and repeating things. Hearing loss can lead to frustration for both the person with hearing loss and for their families which can damage relationships and cause social isolation. There is an increasing body of research that has linked hearing loss to falls, walking problems, dementia, faster rates of brain atrophy (the shrinking that occurs in the brain as we age), and depression. Preventing hearing loss prevents some pretty significant health issues.
The researchers recommend several ways to keep gaming but prevent hearing issues. First, limit volume levels. Many devices now can track decibel levels and automatically lower volumes with the intermittently loud noises. The recommended maximum sound exposure to avoid hearing damage for adults is no more than 80 decibels over 40 hours. 80 decibels is about the volume of a gas-powered lawn mower or leaf blower. For every 3 decibels over 80, the time has to cut in half—so 83 decibels means no more than 20 hours of exposure/week. For kids than maximum is no more than 75 decibels over 40 hours. For most systems, 60% of max volume is close to that 40-hour exposure limit. Second, make sure headphones fit well so they block out external sounds or consider noise-cancelling options so it’s not tempting to crank up the volume. Finally, take frequent breaks when gaming so your ears can rest. If you do experience hearing changes or notice it in your loved ones, speak to your primary health care provider.
The worst part if hearing loss is that it is permanent. That is the biggest reason protecting hearing now is so very important. If you or your loved ones are gamers, please make sure you add hearing loss prevention into your game settings and routines.
