摘要：Exposure to loud music using personal listening accessories is hazardous to human auditory system and may results in auditory threshold shift leading to an early hearing impairment. The objectives of our study were to investigate an association between prolonged use of personal listening devices for music listening exposure and auditory threshold shift. Retrospective data was collected from 459 university students. A self- reported questionnaire was administered to get information about habitual use of personal Listening devices and leisure-noise exposure followed by Pure-Tone Audiometry for air conduction in both ears through conventional octave frequencies from 250- 8000 Hz. Auditory threshold shift of 5dB or more was seen in 46.7 percent students of cohort group (n=302) and 49.7 percent students of control group (n=157) in one or both ears. Results revealed that prolonged use of personal Listening devices may contribute in auditory threshold shift, if used continuously for years (P value of 0.000). Habitual use of these devices for eight years or more make its users at risk to develop high frequency hearing loss (p value of 0.005).
