Effects of intensive and moderate cellular phone use on hearing function.
Oktay MF, Dasdag S · 2006
View Original AbstractHeavy cell phone users (2+ hours daily) showed measurable hearing loss compared to moderate users and non-users after four years of exposure.
Plain English Summary
Researchers compared hearing function in three groups of men: heavy cell phone users (2 hours daily for 4 years), moderate users (10-20 minutes daily), and non-users. Heavy users showed measurably worse hearing thresholds at specific frequencies, particularly at 4000 Hz, while moderate users showed no difference from non-users. This suggests that intensive cell phone use may contribute to hearing loss over time.
Why This Matters
This research adds important evidence to concerns about long-term cell phone exposure effects. The dose-response relationship here is particularly striking - moderate users showed no hearing changes, while heavy users experienced measurable hearing loss at frequencies critical for speech understanding. Two hours of daily cell phone use represents the upper range of typical usage patterns, making these findings relevant for many people today. What makes this study significant is its focus on a specific, measurable health outcome rather than subjective symptoms. The researchers used standard audiometric testing to document actual hearing threshold changes, providing objective evidence of biological effects from chronic RF exposure. While the study is relatively small, it aligns with growing evidence that cumulative EMF exposure can produce detectable health changes over time.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of radiation emitted by mobile phones on the hearing of users
The study was carried out on three groups: 1) 20 men who have used a cellular phone frequently and ...
The BERA results showed no differences among the groups (p > 0.05). In PTA measurements, detection t...
This study shows that a higher degree of hearing loss is associated with long-term exposure to electromagnetic (EM) field generated by cellular phones.
Show BibTeX
@article{mf_2006_effects_of_intensive_and_2483,
author = {Oktay MF and Dasdag S},
title = {Effects of intensive and moderate cellular phone use on hearing function.},
year = {2006},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16595330/},
}