The 60/60 rule, the technique that can help you avoid becoming prematurely deaf

Like every March 3, today we celebrate world hearing dayA day promoted by the World Health Organization (Who) With the aim of raising awareness about the importance of taking care of our ears.

around the world, more than 80% Ear and hearing care needs remain neglected. A reality that we better understand has been translated into the global economy. In particular, untreated hearing loss costs the world approximately one trillion dollars annually.

The main reason for this is stigmatizing mentality and misconceptions prevalent in society, which have become the two main factors hindering efforts to prevent and treat hearing loss. It should be remembered that what is the acceptable noise limit for the human ear 65 decibels, Equivalent to a vacuum cleaner; And it becomes painful above 125 dB, for example, that produced by a drill.

60/60 rule

From Spanish Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (SEORL-CCC) warns that half of Spanish teenagers and young people may suffer from hearing loss or tinnitus due to exposure to noise. The main reason for this is using headphones to listen to music and attending concerts and entertainment venues with loud music.

Once the problem is diagnosed, what measures can we take? doctor Luis Lasaleta, The expert in otorhinolaryngology and president of SEORL-CCC recommends following the 60-60 rule. «With headphones we recommend the 60-60 rule. That is, do not use them more than 60% of the system capacity and for more than 60 minutes a day,” explains the doctor.

Similarly, SEORL-CCC has already warned that 7 out of 10 residents Big cities suffer from some degree of deafness or hearing loss due to exposure to high intensity sounds.

This problem, which is already serious today, may become even more serious in the coming years. encounter 2050 It is estimated that 25% of people have hearing problems. Furthermore, moreover, close to 700 million people According to WHO’s own data, otological care will be required to improve their hearing.

Therefore, now more than ever this is an essential truth mindset change Regarding ear and hearing care, with the goal of improving access and reducing the cost of untreated hearing loss.