“Listen at the lowest level possible that allows you to hear the content that you want to listen to,” Fink said.

When you increase the volume of our earbuds to block out loud, external noise, you are likely exceeding the 80 for 90 recommendation, “and you’re giving yourself enough sound pressure, enough decibels to damage your hearing,” he says.įortunately, there’s a common sense approach to using your earbuds and headphones safely. Dr Daniel Fink, an internist and board chair of The Quiet Coalition, a non-profit dedicated to reducing the effects of noise on health, tells the Times: “There is no such thing as a safe headphone.” Other experts are slightly more cautious in their recommendations. “It’s called 80 for 90 - you can safely listen at 80 per cent of the max volume for a total of 90 minutes a day,” says Portnuff. Not sure if the volume in your earbuds is too loud? There’s a simple rule of thumb you can use to measure this, say hearing experts. READ MORE | Awareness about hearing loss raised as critical “What actually matters is the volume at your eardrum, not where it comes from,” says Portnuff. “The misconception stems from the thought that, because an earbud sits farther into your ear, it would do more damage than something that sits farther away,” Cory Portnuff, an audiologist at the University of Colorado Hospital, told the New York Times. READ MORE | Youth risk hearing loss due to loud musicĮxperts say, contrary to popular belief, earbuds don’t cause more damage to your hearing than headphones.

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