Do headphones or earbuds increase your risk of hearing loss?

Reviewed by:
Published on:
January 7, 2026

Yes. Listening with headphones or earbuds at a moderate volume can damage your hearing over time. Ears can be damaged by the loudness of a noise, but also by the length of exposure. Louder noises cause hearing damage much faster than quieter ones, but quieter ones can still cause damage over time. For example, some earbuds at 100% volume on an iPhone can hit noise levels of 112dB for the wearer, leading to hearing damage in minutes. At 60% volume, the same earbuds measure approximately 80 dB, which is safe for several hours of listening.

Up Next
Do I have to wear hearing aids every day?
Written by:
The T.V. is up loud at my parent's place. What can I do?
Read article
What is Hyperacusis?
Read article
Perforated Eardrum: Causes, Symptoms & Healing Time
Read article
Aural Fullness and Ear Blockage: When Your Ear Feels “Plugged Up
Read article
What is Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL)?
Read article
Is there such a thing as being too old to start hearing treatment?
Read article
Barotrauma: Ear Pain from Pressure Changes
Read article
My family member can't hear well. What should I do?
Read article
I can hear people when it's quiet but not when it's noisy. Why?
Read article
What should I expect during my Ear360 appointment?
Read article
What is Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL)?
Read article
What should I do if I wake up and my hearing is different?
Read article
My family member can't hear well. What should I do?
Read article
My father-in-law can’t hear very well and won’t have a hearing test or wear hearing aids. What can we as a family do?
Read article
What is a "free" hearing test vs an Ear360?
Read article
The T.V. is up loud at my parent's place. What can I do?
Read article
Why can I hear some quiet environmental sounds, but speech is hard to understand?
Read article

Do headphones or earbuds increase your risk of hearing loss?

Written by:
Reviewed by:
Blog length:
 min read
Published:
April 17, 2023
Updated:
January 7, 2026
Summary
No items found.
Summary
No items found.

Resonate. The Podcast

New Zealand’s home for honest conversations about hearing and healthy ageing.
Share this post