Possible Link Found Between Video Gaming, Hearing Loss/Tinnitus

FRIDAY, Jan. 19, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Video gaming may be associated or correlated with hearing loss and/or tinnitus, according to a review published online Jan. 16 in BMJ Public Health.

Lauren K. Dillard, Ph.D., Au.D., from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, and colleagues reviewed data from 14 peer-reviewed studies to examine the link between gaming and the potential risk for hearing loss and/or tinnitus. Eleven of the studies were cohort studies, and three were noncohort observational studies.

The prevalence of gaming varied from 20 to 78 percent across studies. The researchers found that the average measured sound levels of video games exceeded or nearly exceeded permissible sound exposure limits. Video games were played for approximately three hours per week. Four of five peer-reviewed studies that evaluated associations or correlations of gaming with hearing loss or tinnitus reported significant associations or correlations.

"The limited available evidence suggests that gaming may be a common source of unsafe listening, which could place many individuals worldwide at risk of hearing loss and/or tinnitus," the authors write. "An important intervention could be the development and implementation of policy to promote safe listening among gamers."

Abstract/Full Text