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Abstract
Hearing loss is a social and public health issue silently affecting the adolescent population. Though its affect is well known among the elderly, its impact on children and adolescents remains of growing concern due to the increased exposure of these age groups to loud noises and the little data available on this topic. In the United States, it has been reported that nearly 1 in every 5 teenagers has some form of hearing loss. Healthy People 2020 seeks to increase the use of hearing protection in adolescents when exposed to loud sounds or noise. This topic is especially important among individuals aged 12-19 years of age since they are frequently exposed to loud noise through various avenues, including personal music playing devices, earbuds, sporting events, band practice, and chores such as lawn mowing or leaf blowing. Healthy People 2020 estimates that over 410 adolescents per 1,000 aged 12-19 have never used hearing protection devices when exposed to loud noise or sounds. It is especially important to increase awareness on ways to protect hearing in these age groups by addressing the problem of noise induced hearing loss (NIHL), changing the attitude of adolescents about ear protection, and increasing the availability of patient education on this topic since NIHL is an irreversible yet preventable condition.