Cell Phones and Hearing

Abstract

Background: There have been several concerns raised about the potential health effects of exposure to radio frequency fields from mobile phones or their base stations. Materials and Methods: Over the course of three years, 120 mobile phone users and nonusers between the ages of 18 and 30 were evaluated for effects on hearing. Group 2 has no usage or uses their phones for less than an hour per day for less than a year, whereas Group 1 uses their phones for more than an hour per day for more than a year. Results: There was a loss of 5 dB in 10% of those using phones for 2–3 hours each day, 10 dB in 3.3%, and 15 dB in 1.6%. Also observed in individuals consuming 3–4 hours per day were losses of 5 dB in 6.6% and 10 dB in 3.3%. In the study group, 26.6% of the participants had sensorineural hearing loss, compared to 3.3% in the control group. Conclusion: Our research did not identify any appreciable hearing loss among mobile phone users.