Wireless earbuds could lead you on the road to deafness due to damaging levels of noise they transmit directly to the ear canal, scientists have warned.
Over-the-ear listening devices are said to be safer as they more effectively block out background noise, meaning wearers are less likely to crank up the volume on music or podcasts.
Legislation from the EU and guidance from the World Health Organisation states the safe level of noise from headphones is 100 decibels (dB), which is the same as an ambulance siren reaching your eardrum.
However, Dr Sam Couth, lecturer in audiology at the University of Manchester, warned that some earbuds on the market reach 120dBs, which is roughly equivalent to a chainsaw or a jet plane taking off.
Experts have warned that in-ear headphones could cause damage to the fragile cells inside of the ear, increasing the risk of long-term hearing loss.
Kim Kardashian was pictured out in LA in 2021 sporting lilac earbuds said to be the £199 wireless Beats Fit Pro.
‘It’s not just the level of exposure that is important, but also the length of exposure,’ he told The Telegraph.
‘For an environment that is 85dB, the maximum safe exposure time is eight hours.
‘For every 3dB increase, exposure time is halved, so four hours for 88dB, two hours for 91dB, and so on.
‘So at 120dBA, the maximum safe exposure time is about 30 seconds.’
Dr Harvey Dillon, professor of auditory science at the University of Manchester, added: ‘If over-the-ear headphones completely surround the ear then they will likely block background noise, which means that people will likely not turn up the music to the same level, which makes them safer.’
Writing in the journal BMJ Global Health last year, a team of international scientists warned that 1billion 12-34 year-olds worldwide are at risk of hearing loss due to use of headphones and ultra-loud music venues.
They explained that the damage lies with the effect of loud noise on the thousands of tiny hairs in the inner-ear that are responsible for translating vibrations into sound.
Over-stimulation of these fragile hairs can cause them to break and fail to regenerate, resulting in hearing loss.
Experts say noise cancellation features on many devices, as well as noise cancelling headphones, can help reduce the total noise level and as a result, prevent any damage to hearing.
However it’s not a ‘magic bullet’.
Dr Couth says noise cancellation can be a ‘good thing’ because ‘the music you are trying to listen to isn’t competing much with the backgrond noise, so there’s less need to turn up the volume’.
But not all devices have decent noise cancellation, he says. ‘It is still possible to achieve potentially harmful sound levels with noise cancellation turned on.’
Over-the-ear headphones are thought to block out more background noise than earbuds, reducing the need to turn up the volume on your device.
Professor Michael Stone, a senior research fellow at the University of Manchester, adds that the ‘squeal’ of tube trains is unlikely to be ‘knocked down’ by noise cancelling features as it is ‘so high pitched’.
However over-the-ear headphones may prove to be an effective solution, he says.
A poll conducted earlier this year revealed that 40 per cent of 18-44 year-olds who’ve received loud noise alerts on their phone said they ignored the warning.
Around half of those polled in the survey, by sight and hearing specialists Specsavers, said they’d received such a warning.
Gordon Harrison, chief audiologist at Specsavers recommends a ’60/60 rule’ when using earbuds or any other type of headphones.
‘The general rule of thumb is to only use headphones for up to 60 minutes a day, while at a volume of up to 60 per cent,’ he said.
