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People should only listen to music for an hour a day to protect their hearing, global health chiefs have warned, the Daily Mail reports.

The World Health Organisation has revealed a billion young people are at risk of hearing loss from listening to loud music.

The United Nations agency said almost half of all 12 to 35-year-olds listen to unsafe levels of music on their personal audio devices or mobile phones.

And around 40 per cent of teenagers and young adults are exposed to damaging levels of sound at nightclubs, bars and sporting events.

The WHO said volumes above 85 decibels for eight hours or 100 decibels for 15 minutes are unsafe.

The average personal audio device allows a volume of between 75 and 136 decibels, while people typically opt to set their volume at between 75 and 105 decibels.

At nightclubs and bars, the average sound levels can range from 104 to 112 decibels.

Meanwhile at live concerts that number is generally much higher.

The agency said: 'Concern is growing about the rising exposure to loud sounds in recreational settings such as nightclubs, discotheques, pubs, bars, cinemas, concerts, sporting events and even fitness classes.

'With the popularisation of technology, devices such as music players are often listened to at unsafe volumes and for prolonged periods of time.

'Regular participation in such activities poses a serious threat of irreversible hearing loss.'

Exposure to loud sounds causes damage to the ear's sensory cells.

While short-term exposure can cause temporary hearing loss or tinnitus, prolonged exposure to particularly loud sounds can cause permanent damage resulting in irreversible hearing loss.

The chronic conditions including diabetes and exposure to cigarette smoke are known to increase the risk of hearing loss from loud noise.

Meanwhile, other people are genetically predisposed to the condition.

The impact can be far-reaching, hindering speech development in children, and leaving young people more at risk of learning disabilities, anxiety and attention-seeking behaviour.

In its 11-page pamphlet, the WHO warns as well as the direct, damaging impact on a person's hearing, listening to devices with earphones can also prove unsafe in other ways.

'For example, use during walking or cycling decreases auditory perception and increases the listener’s chances of being involved in a collision,' the guidance notes.

Experts determine the risk of hearing loss by measuring three factors to determine safe listening levels.

They are intensity, or loudness, the duration of listening and how often a person listen's to loud music.

The WHO notes: 'These three factors are interrelated and contribute to the overall sound energy level that a person's ears are exposed to.'