Ask An Expert
Question: Is there any danger in listening to music through earbuds?
Answer: Listening to music at unsafe volumes for a prolonged period of time puts hearing at risk. In order to hear music over background noise, people will often turn up the volume in their earbuds. Noise is an underestimated threat to the health of children and adults. Excessive sound levels for music can cause a range of health problems, such as sleep disturbances, cardiovascular effects, poor performance at school, hearing loss, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). A 2010 report in JAMA documented that hearing loss among adolescents ages 12–19 had increased by a third over the last 12 years. The study estimated that one in five teens has hearing loss. Call our office to schedule a baseline test to monitor your hearing.