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The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded the alarm. About 1.1 billion people worldwide are at risk of hearing loss because of unsafe use of audio devices, including smartphones, or exposure to high noise levels in nightclubs, bars and sporting events.
Bledi Nini, an otorhinolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist, or ENT) at the Mother Teresa University Hospital Center (QSUT), spoke to Shekulli about this health issue.
For Dr. Bledi Nini, “once hearing has been lost, it does not return, so everyone needs to be careful.”
Describing the causes and signs of hearing loss, Dr. Nini says the most problematic cases are seen after evenings in nightclubs, where, according to him, there have even been cases of total hearing loss. It all begins with a noise in the ear.
A kind of whistling that sometimes lasts for a shorter or longer time.
A person may watch television at high volume or ask others to repeat what they said, especially during telephone conversations.
Meanwhile, in open, somewhat noisy spaces, they have difficulty understanding conversations. Their understanding is fragmented, and without realizing it they begin to speak louder. These are some signs that should not be neglected, because they generally indicate reduced hearing, which, as ENT specialist Dr. Bledi Nini says, “is a problem, because once hearing is damaged, it does not return.”
Reduced hearing is considered common in old age, when the cause is physiological damage to the nerve resulting from age itself. But reduced hearing can also occur in younger people.
In these cases, “the main causes are exposure to loud or sudden noises, as well as inflammatory factors, such as various viral or bacterial infections, which can cause temporary or permanent hearing damage.”
The impact of noise pollution in urban areas and of audio devices on hearing loss
According to the WHO report, constant exposure to noise creates a risk of hearing loss. The WHO estimates that continuous exposure for more than eight hours to noise above 85 decibels (road traffic noise) can cause hearing damage. Although the impact is widely acknowledged, Dr. Nini says there is still no empirical evidence showing how much urban noise pollution or audio devices themselves actually contribute to hearing loss.
“Noise is the main cause of hearing loss, as the World Health Organization has also pointed out,” the doctor says.
“But it must be said that, so far, there are no rigorous, specific studies taken into consideration by international ENT organizations that show the actual impact of these risk factors. For example, much is said about the impact of mobile phones or various audio devices, such as headphones, but there are still no rigorous studies showing their actual impact. At the same time, it is widely known that hearing damage results from loud noise or prolonged exposure to constant noise.”
As for noise exposure, the doctor says those most at risk work in professions such as aviation, mechanics or music, but reduced hearing appears after a certain age. “Reduced hearing appears when the ear has been subjected to a particular noise for years, and normally after the age of 60. In these cases, hearing loss reaches 20-30 decibels in both ears or in one, depending on exposure, on which ear has been more exposed to noise.
“The problem is that there are no medicines to correct this condition.
“Once the auditory nerve is damaged, there is no medication that can restore hearing to what it was. In these cases, hearing aids help by amplifying sounds so that they can be perceived again.” It must be said that reduced hearing, or hearing loss itself, can shape many aspects of life.
As one of the senses through which we perceive reality, hearing can affect social and educational activity, as well as the ability to work.
WHO: Alarm over lifestyle. The World Health Organization has also called for efforts to be doubled to prevent diseases caused by unhealthy lifestyles, especially in developing and less developed countries, where preventable deaths are estimated to be more numerous. According to the WHO, tobacco kills about 6 million people every year, alcohol 3.3 million, and a sedentary lifestyle itself 3.2 million.
Childhood obesity is seen as a concern: at present, at least 42 million children under the age of 5 are estimated to be obese.
“I could not hear my phone ringing; it turned out I had damage in one ear”
Elton M., 24, tells Shekulli that he has had difficulty hearing with his left ear for about a year. He says his hearing was damaged by listening to loud music.
“I had this habit of often wearing headphones and listening to music when I went to bed. But I generally lay on my right side, so I wore an earphone only on the left.
“I would fall asleep listening to music, and sometimes wake up still listening to music (laughs),” Elton says, describing his habit. “I also walked around with headphones, especially on the way to school. And when I worked on the computer, I was always the sort of person who kept music playing in the background.
“I cannot really say about the volume, because to me it was fine (laughs). After a while, I do not remember exactly when, my left ear started whistling when I woke up or during a quiet moment. From then on, I stopped wearing headphones.”
But Elton’s response proved to be too late, because prolonged exposure to the constant sound from the earphone had already had its effect.
“At first, I noticed that I often did not wake up even though I set my phone alarm. It was as if I were a heavy sleeper, or that is what I thought at first.
But later, I seemed to notice that I could not hear properly on one side. All this may have happened over three or four weeks.
“Then it started to hurt. With that usual carelessness, I remember using boric alcohol (laughs).” After seeing an ENT specialist, Elton was found to have sensorineural hearing damage in his left ear.
He now needs periodic irrigation of his left ear canal to make it easier for him to hear. “It is very troubling, especially with my friends, because when I tell them I did not hear this or that conversation properly, I feel I am becoming annoying. At first, they took it as a joke, as if I were teasing them, but I think they have got used to me now,” says Elton, who is an architecture student.
Beware of nightclub speakers: they can damage your hearing
Beyond advice such as “turn down the volume” or avoid noisy places, Dr. Bledi Nini advises everyone whose work requires exposure to various noises to use professional hearing protection. “Professional earmuffs should be used, which insulate the ears to some extent. These earmuffs, which are freely available for purchase, can protect them from the constant noise they are exposed to, even noise at a level that is not particularly high, because frequent exposure to noise is among the main causes of hearing damage.”
For young people, the doctor advises caution with volume and, especially, avoiding standing near speakers in nightclubs.
“I must say that we have had cases in which just one exposure, just one night, with loud noise from a speaker, has caused patients to lose their hearing permanently, in one ear or even both at once. With the idea that all that matters is being inside a nightclub, young people agree to stand even beneath the speakers, where the concentration of noise is highest. This must absolutely be avoided, especially during a long stay.”
Hygiene should not be forgotten: carefully removing wax from the ears.
Dr. Nini also stressed that the doctor should not be bypassed. “Frequent visits and checkups are among the most important things, because some hearing problems can be solved with very minor interventions, avoiding deterioration that may follow.” Meanwhile, the WHO advises limiting daily use of personal audio devices to less than one hour, listening to music safely without excessive volume, and taking periodic breaks in quieter places when spending time in noisy environments.
WHO: 1.1 billion people risk losing their hearing
The World Health Organization claims that about 1.1 billion adolescents and adults aged 12-35 are at risk of hearing loss. Separately, the WHO estimates that more than 43 million people aged 12-35 live with disabling hearing loss from various causes. According to the WHO, about 50 percent of people in this age group in middle- and high-income countries are exposed to unsafe sound levels through unsafe use of audio devices.
The WHO says that using headphones or smartphones at high volume damages the hearing system. Meanwhile, approximately 40 percent of adolescents and young adults (12-35) in middle- and high-income countries are exposed to potentially damaging sound levels in clubs, nightclubs or bars. According to the WHO, this category has a greater potential risk of hearing loss.
Published in “Shekulli” on 20/03/2015
* This article was reviewed and corrected on 8 October 2026.