Prevalence and Patternof using Personal Auditory Devices and Assessment of the Health Problems Related with it among Medical Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37506/7j6e4b74Keywords:
Audio devices, Bluetooth, Noise-induced-hearing loss, 60:60 rule, TinnitusAbstract
Introduction: Personal Audio Devices (PAD) are almost essential to access smartphones and tablets anywhere. Regular and prolonged noise exposure can cause gradual, irreversible damage to the sensory cells and other structures, leading to a permanent threshold shift (permanent hearing loss). The present study was conducted to estimate the prevalence and pattern of using Personal Audio Devices (PAD) and health problems related to them among medical undergraduates of a medical college in Maharashtra. Methodology: The present cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 413 respondentsfrom June to July 2022. Data was collected using a pre-structured self-administered questionnaire presented in the format of Google Form(Online). Results:Most of the participants i.e. 176 (42.5%) were using Bluetooth devices for listening. The majority of the participants 148 (35.9%) had been using audio devices for the last 2-4 years. We found that 228 (55.3%) never used AD while driving. The study revealed that 132 (32%) students had started to have some difficulty in hearing, while 36 (8.7%) had pain, 34 (8.3%) had an itchy ear and 21 (5.1%) had mild deafness. Conclusion: Most of the participants were unaware of the safe use of audio devices and students had already started experiencing ear-related problems.
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