Twenty-somethings with the hearing of 75-year-olds?

Young people, especially hunters who are around gunfire, need to protect their hearing. That's the message from an MUSC Health ear, nose and throat specialist following the release of a study that found 1 in 5 people in their 20s has hearing loss.

"There is an increasing rate of hearing loss in younger people," otolaryngologist Paul Lambert said. "There are more coming into our clinic today as a result not only of increased noise in our environment, and particularly listening to music very loudly, but also hunting. South Carolina tends to be a state where hunting and target practicing are enjoyed, and occasionally the noise from a shotgun or high-powered rifle can cause immediate, partial loss of hearing."

The study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed the results of hearing tests and questionnaires. It concluded that "particular attention" is needed for noise exposure at younger ages.

Lambert said hearing loss at any age can be sudden or insidious. "I've compared it to the damage from a hurricane versus the slow damage that occurs over many years from weaker storms."

Sudden damage, in his experience, is often linked to a particular pastime. "The most common person in that setting is usually a young man who hunts and target practices. Short exposures to those very loud sounds can do the damage. I see that a number of times a year."

Lambert, who serves as chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology, is not anti-hunting. He's pro-ear protection. He encourages hunters to wear earmuffs — not the wooly kind for cold weather, but higher-tech earmuffs that can amplify soft sounds and shut off amplification when there's a high-decibel sound such as a gunshot. 

It's worth the effort, he said. "If one had a habit of hunting over 5 to 10 years, they could easily have the hearing loss of a 75-year-old if they didn't take proper precautions."

Less extreme sounds can take a toll, too. A noisy workplace such a construction site or factory can harm hearing if employees don't protect their ears. "As a general rule, if your environmental noise is so loud that you have to raise your voice to be heard at a normal conversational distance, that background noise is too loud and you need protection." 

Power tools can be a problem as well. Lambert advised people to check decibel level ratings on tools. "If they're over 85 decibels, wear ear protection." 

And yes, loud music through headphones over an extended period of time can do permanent damage. Lambert said parents have a simple way of telling if kids using headphones or ear buds are putting their hearing at risk. "If you can hear the music standing a few feet from your child, that sound is almost definitely too loud. Their child may not be expressing the fact that they have loss of hearing, but we can document it."

The damage adds up over time. "The hearing loss that happens as result of noise is permanent. It cannot be reversed," Lambert said. "It gets a head start on the aging process. It takes years to develop, and it affects higher frequencies before middle and lower frequencies. You'll have more difficulty hearing a woman's voice or a child's voice than man's voice and more difficulty hearing in background noise, such as a restaurant."

Hearing aids are a solution, but they can be a tough sell to young people. "Children and young adults are somewhat resistant to hearing aids from the connotations that go with hearing aids. But if the hearing loss is significant enough, they'll use the hearing aids in those difficult listening situations where it's critical for them."

Lambert hopes the CDC study will make a difference. "The need to protect our hearing is a message has been around for decades, but it doesn't resonate for young people who have a sense of invulnerability. The more that it's in the news and the more parents discuss this with their children, learning it at an earlier age, the better the hearing health will be over the lifespan of the person."