People who play video games can be putting themselves at risk of irreversible hearing loss or tinnitus because of high volume levels, a study has warned.
The research paper, published in the journal BMJ Public Health, reviewed 14 studies involving more than 50,000 people.
Across the studies, the prevalence of gaming ranged from 20% to 78%. In general, the average measured sound levels of video games nearly exceeded, or exceeded, permissible sound exposure limits, the researchers concluded.
On average, individuals played video games for approximately three hours per week. “Among the five peer-reviewed studies that evaluated associations or correlations of gaming with hearing loss or tinnitus, four reported significant associations or correlations with gaming and hearing loss or tinnitus,” the research team added.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults can safely be exposed to 80 decibels (dB) for 40 hours a week. Anything above this and safe exposure time drops markedly, with the risk of hearing loss also rising.
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Adults, for example, should only listen to 90dB for four hours a week, the WHO argues, and 95dB for one hour and 15 minutes a week, according to the WHO guidance. The thresholds for children are even lower.
By comparison, one of the studies evaluated found average headphone noise levels in four shooting games to be between 88.5 and 91.2dB. Another found that so-called “impulse sounds”, or short bursts of noise such as shooting sounds, sometimes reached as much as 119dB.
The research team, led by Dr Lauren K Dillard of the Medical University of South Carolina, concluded that: “The limited available evidence suggests that gaming may be a common source of unsafe listening, which could place many individuals worldwide at risk of permanent hearing loss and/or tinnitus.
“Additional research on these relationships is needed along with steps to promote safe listening among gamers,” Dr Dillard and her team added.
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