Can You Hear Me Now? Cell Phone Use Causes Hearing Loss

By Reporter Wireless and Mobile News on September 27, 2007 3:57 PM

A new study suggests the more you talk on your cell phone, the less you may actually be able to hear.

According to research presented at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation's Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in Washington, DC, 100 people who had used mobile phones for over a year suffered increases in the degree of hearing loss over the span of 12 months.

Researchers found that people who used cell phones frequently, at least once a day, have a harder time hearing high frequency sounds, especially in their right ear and the sound of consonants, in particular.

Furthermore, the study also discovered that people who used their phones for more than 60 minutes a day had a worse hearing threshold than those with less use.

High frequency hearing loss is characterized by the loss of ability to hear consonants such as s, f, t, and z, even though vowels can be heard normally. Consequently, people hear sounds but cannot make out what is being said.

The authors warn users of cell phones to look out for ear symptoms such as ear warmth, ear fullness, and ringing in the ears (tinnitus) as early warning signs that you may have an auditory abnormality. They also suggest the use of earphones, which they found to be safer than holding a mobile phone up to the ears.

For more information read:

Title: Audiological Disturbances in Long-Term Mobile Phone Users

Authors: Naresh K. Panda, MBBS, MS, DNB, FRCSEd; Sanjay Munjal, PhD; Jaimanti Bakshi, MS (ORL), DNB

Presented Wednesday, September 19, 2007