Were children’s ear problems mostly caused by earphones of smart phones?

Recently the NHK News On-line reported the following

子どもの耳疾患最多 スマホのイヤホンが影響か

12月23日 4時43分

中耳炎や外耳炎など耳の病気にかかる子どもの割合が、文部科学省の調査で過去最多となったことがわかりました。文部科学省は「スマートフォンの普及でイヤホンを使用する頻度が増えていることが影響した可能性がある」と分析しています。

この調査は子どもの健康状態を把握するため、文部科学省が毎年実施し、今年度は全国の幼稚園から高校生までの３４０万人余りが対象となりました。

このうち、中耳炎や外耳炎など耳の病気にかかった子どもの割合は小学生が６．２４％、中学生が４．４８％、高校生が２．５９％で、いずれも調査を始めた平成７年度以降最も多くなりました。

東京・中央区の診療所では、このところ耳の病気にかかる子どもの患者が１割から２割ほど増えていると言います。

院長の大場俊彦さんによりますと、こうした子どもの患者の中にはスマートフォンなどで音楽などを聴く際などに使用するイヤホンが原因で病気にかかるケースもあるということです。

文部科学省も、子どもの耳の病気が増えている背景に、スマートフォンなどの普及でイヤホンを使用する頻度が増えたことが影響している可能性があると分析しています。

大場院長は「他人とイヤホンを共有したり音楽などを長時間にわたって大きな音で聞いたりしないようしっかりと注意してほしい」と話しています。

My translation

In an investigation by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology it was found out that the percentage of the children who had ear problems due to Otitis media and external Otitis were at the highest compared with the past. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology analyzed that "there is a possibility that it is the impact of the increased use of earphones due to the wide-spread use of smart phones".

In order to get hold of children’s health conditions, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology put into effect an investigation every year, and in the whole country about 3,400,000 people from kindergarten to high school students were the target this fiscal year.

Among these, the percentage of the children who had ear problems due to Otitis media and external Otitis were 6.24% for primary school students, 4.48% for high school students and 2.59% for junior high school students, all were at the highest since 1995 when the investigation began.

At a medical office in Chuo-ku of Tokyo it was said that children patients who had ear problems recently increased from 10 percent to 20 percent.

According to Mr. Toshihiko Oba the director it was said that there were cases that children taken ill because earphones were used when they listen to music using smart phones.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology also did an analyzes with the background that children’s ear sickness was increasing and held that there was a possibility that it was the influence of the frequency use of earphones caused by the wide-spread us of smart phones.

Director Oba said that "I want people to pay close attention regarding sharing earphones with others and to avoid listening to music etc. in high volume over long hours."

   So, be careful not to use the earphone in high volume over a long period of time.