Dr. Rohit Udaya Prasad, Head of Otolaryngology and Cochlear Implants at KIMS Hospital, Electronic City, Bengaluru ( India ), stated that both the duration and volume of headphone use affect ear health.
Headphones are located close to the eardrum, so sound enters the ear at a high intensity. If exposed to loud sounds frequently, this can damage the tiny hair cells in the inner ear. These cells cannot regenerate after damage, according to the Indian health website OnlyMyHealth .
Users should give their ears frequent breaks and avoid wearing headphones continuously for many hours.
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How can headphones harm your ears?
Wearing headphones continuously for hours exposes the ears to prolonged sound without a break. If the headphones don't fit properly or provide poor sound insulation, users may also increase the volume to drown out external noise, thereby increasing the risk of hearing damage.
In addition, prolonged use of headphones can cause earwax buildup, leading to a feeling of blockage, discomfort, and temporary hearing loss.
A 2022 review published in Cureus analyzed 23 studies on headphone use and the risk of noise-induced hearing loss. The results showed that personal music players can emit sounds ranging from 78 to 136 decibels, a level of intensity high enough to cause hearing damage with prolonged exposure.
How long should you wear headphones each day?
Dr. Prasad said that the appropriate usage time also depends on the volume. Hearing health experts often recommend the 60/60 rule.
Therefore, users should keep the volume at around 60% of maximum and listen continuously for about 60 minutes. After each listening session, users should give their ears a rest.
The total usage time each day should also be within a few hours. Users should take regular breaks instead of wearing headphones continuously all day.
A 2025 study published in the Journal of Audiology and Otology showed that ear infections occur more frequently in people who wear headphones continuously for more than one hour.
How to use headphones more safely
Users should give their ears frequent breaks and avoid wearing headphones continuously for hours. In noisy environments, noise-canceling headphones can help reduce the need to increase the volume.
Choosing properly fitting headphones also helps reduce the need to turn up the volume too high to hear clearly. Avoid wearing headphones while sleeping, as this can expose your ears to sound for extended periods.
Additionally, users should take advantage of the volume alert feature on their phones to regularly check and adjust the sound level accordingly.
Who needs to pay special attention when using headphones?
People with hearing loss or frequent tinnitus should be more cautious when using headphones. Children and teenagers also need to control the volume because their ears can be sensitive to loud sounds for extended periods.
People with a family history of hearing loss should also be cautious when using headphones. Those who work in noisy environments should further limit their exposure to loud sounds.
Regularly increasing the volume to drown out surrounding noise also increases the risk of hearing damage over time.