New York - Sweet news for baby boomers: Despite all those warnings that loud rock music would damage their ears, their generation appears to have better hearing than their parents did. A new study suggests that the rate of hearing problems at ages ranging from 45 to 75 has been dropping, at least among white Americans. The new work implies that what people do and experience may help them prevent or delay hearing loss as they get older. Experts theorize there may be several reasons for the finding, like fewer very noisy jobs and better ear protection at worksites, immunizations and antibiotics that prevented certain diseases, and maybe even a decline in smoking.The work is reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology.Now the question is whether the decline will continue with today's young people, who often play loud music in their earbuds for hours at a time.

The work is reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology.Now the question is whether the decline will continue with today's young people, who often play loud music in their earbuds for hours at a time.-Associated Press

-Associated Press