The influence of amplified music on the auditory profile of high school students

Abstract

Objective: To verify the auditory profile of high school students, users of amplified music in personal listening devices. Methods: A questionnaire and information about hearing health was applied, and the audiological evaluation was performed composed of pure tone audiometry, immitanciometry and otoacoustic emissions evoked by distortion product. Results: The mean age of the 19 high school students participants was 16.36 years. Everyone makes use of headset. 31.6% use the headset for 1 to 3 years and 42.1% use it for 1 to 3 hours a day. 52.6% of them use 51 to 75% of the appliance’s power and 42,1% classify the sound they hear as loud. The averages of hearing thresholds of the airway presented themselves within normality, however there was a slight decrease in the frequency of 6000 Hz in relation to the frequency of 4000 Hz and 8000 Hz, in both ears. Subjects with tinnitus presented lower sign/noise averages of otoacoustic emission in pratically all frequencies, occurring statistically significant difference on the frequency of 5000 Hz on the right ear. Conclusions: Signals were observed indicating possible changes in high frequencies that are commonly affected by exposure to noise and amplified music. While acknowledging that they hear loud music, and knowing it harms hearing, most individuals in this study are not aware that the change caused by amplified music is irreversible.