Object

To describe the variables related to auditory status, risk behaviors and sociodemographic aspects in adolescents and adults exposed to leisure noise according to the literature.

Materials and methods

A literature search was performed on the EBSCO®, SCOPUS®, PubMed® and ScienceDirect® platforms, using MeSH terms using the following common search strategy: (((hearing loss [MeSH Terms] AND (Humans [Mesh] AND (adolescent [MeSH] OR young adult [MeSH])))) AND (noise induced hearing loss [MeSH Terms] AND (Humans [Mesh] AND (adolescent [MeSH] OR young adult [MeSH])))) AND (leisure activities [MeSH Terms] AND (Humans [Mesh] AND (adolescent [MeSH] OR young adult [MeSH]))) Filters: Humans. Only 14 original articles were included.

Results

The prevalence of sensorineural hearing loss due to exposure to recreational noise ranged between 21% and 30.3%, with greater alteration in hearing thresholds in men. The altered frequencies were centered at 4 and 8 kHz in conventional audiometry, with audiometric thresholds that reached up to 30 dB. High frequency audiometry showed greater alterations between frequencies 9 and 16 kHz. The most frequent recreational activities were the use of personal listening devices and assistance to discotheques, reaching noise levels that oscillated between 80 and 110 dB; while the weekly exposure varied between 2.9 and 6.2 hours. Studies show that intense noise in leisure activities is not perceived as annoying by the exposed subjects.

Conclusion

Hearing loss due to exposure to recreational noise generates a progressive increase in the threshold, and mild sensorineural hearing loss may occur, generally unnoticed by the exposed subjects.