Prolonged Mobile Phone Usage and Hearing Status in Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: With the rapid proliferation of mobile phones, their impact on health, particularly auditory function, has garnered increasing attention. Prolonged exposure to electromagnetic radiation, acoustic overload, and thermal effects from mobile phone use may pose risks to hearing, especially among young adults who are frequent users. Previous studies have reported mixed findings on the association between mobile phone usage and hearing loss, with some highlighting high-frequency hearing impairments in the dominant ear. This study investigates the impact of prolonged mobile phone usage on hearing thresholds in medical students, emphasizing differences in air and bone conduction across frequencies. Objective: To evaluate the effect of prolonged mobile phone usage on hearing status and to determine the correlation between the duration of mobile phone use and auditory function. Methodology: A total of 146 medical students were included for a prospective observational study was conducted at ENT Department, PMCH, Udaipur, over a period of 1 year between March 2024 and Feb 2025 to explore the relationship between mobile phone usage and hearing status in medical students. Result: The study revealed that prolonged mobile phone usage (>60 minutes daily) was significantly associated with mild hearing loss in the right ear, commonly used for calls. Among prolonged users, 40% exhibited mild hearing loss in the right ear compared to only 1% among short-duration users (