Mobile phones and hearing - A review

Mobile phones are being widely used throughout the world. Although there is no clear evidence of harmful effects of radiofrequency (RF) radiation at the levels used by these devices, there is widespread public concern that there may be potential for harm. Of all anatomical structures, the ear is closest to the mobile phone, which may lead to relatively high energy deposition in the ear compared to other parts of the body. Till the year 2000 only a few studies had addressed potential adverse effects of EMFs on the hearing system. The potential adverse effects of mobile phone exposure on the hearing system should be investigated, because mobile phones are usually held close to the ear. Until now, most studies have assessed the influence of RF radiation on the central or peripheral auditory system. However, clear conclusions cannot be drawn from these studies regarding the presence or absence of effects because of the limitations in the audiological and/or dosimetric approaches and limited sample sizes. results. Although the presence of possible effects on hearing threshold levels cannot be dismissed entirely, the evidence available is not sufficiently strong to conclude that there are adverse effects. A replication study with a shift in hearing threshold levels at high frequencies as the a priori hypothesis is desirable to resolve this issue.