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. 2025 Feb 13;17(2):e78929.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.78929. eCollection 2025 Feb.

Prolonged Use of Portable Listening Devices Among Medical Students in a Healthcare Institution in Puducherry: A Clinico-Audiological Study

Catherine Floria  1 , Prabu Velayutham  1 , Prem Davis  2
Affiliations

Prolonged Use of Portable Listening Devices Among Medical Students in a Healthcare Institution in Puducherry: A Clinico-Audiological Study

Catherine Floria et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Introduction Mobile phones are commonly used in daily life. Nowadays, many young adults listen to portable listening devices at high volumes for extended periods, resulting in prolonged exposure to loud noise. This can lead to hearing loss, which not only impacts the patient's quality of life but also interferes with their daily activities. Aim The aim of this study is to assess the clinical impact of portable listening devices by examining clinical symptoms and findings among medical students who use these devices and evaluating their hearing thresholds. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students at Sri Venkateshwaraa Medical College Hospital and Research Centre in Puducherry, India, between January 2020 and April 2020. Following the initial assessment, all participants underwent pure-tone audiometry (PTA) in a soundproof room to measure their hearing thresholds, and the results were analyzed. Results A total of 236 medical students participated in this study, with a mean age of 21.1 ± 0.86 years. Among them, 142 (60%) were female. The most common symptom reported was ear pain, experienced by 33 participants (14%). PTA (bone conduction) results showed that 227 (96%) participants had thresholds of ≥5 dB in the right ear, while 223 (94%) had the same in the left ear. Additionally, 139 (59%) of participants had hearing thresholds (air conduction) between 15 and 20 dB in the right ear, and 97 (41%) in the left ear. The study found a significant association between gender (p = 0.015) and hours of daily device usage (p < 0.01). Conclusions These results suggest that prolonged exposure to portable listening devices increases the risk of hearing impairment. To prevent gradually progressive noise-induced hearing loss, proactive measures must be taken to reduce extended exposure to these devices, safeguarding both the current younger generation and future generations.

Keywords: audiometry; hearing loss; mobile; noise; students.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Sri Venkateshwaraa Medical College Hospital and Research Centre issued approval 7/SVMCH/IEC/0820. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: This study was conducted under the Student Short-Term Research (STS) scheme of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under reference number 2020-04847. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Distribution of study participants based on presenting symptoms
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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