In today’s world, we’re all frequently exposed to a lot of noises (and a lot of loud noises at that). But hearing loss is becoming more common in younger individuals, and research suggests exposure to loud noises is likely to blame. Tinnitus is more common in people older than 55 because it’s natural to experience hearing loss as you get older (and hearing loss is one of the most common causes of tinnitus). But if you do use headphones, here are a few facts to know and precautions you can take to avoid listening for too long or at a dangerous volume. That means you don’t need to swear off headphones altogether to avoid developing tinnitus. “It is how loudly you listen that causes damage over time.” “How you listen, whether through earphones or some other means, doesn’t cause hearing loss,” says Lori Zitelli, an audiologist with the UPMC Center for Audiology and Hearing Aids in Pittsburgh. It’s definitely possible that listening to loud music through headphones can cause hearing loss that results in tinnitus - but it’s more the volume at which you’re listening to music (or other audio) through your headphones that you need to be concerned about than the headphones themselves. ( 1) Does that mean the headphones you wear every day could be to blame for the ringing in your ear? Tinnitus, a symptom characterized by hearing a phantom ringing in the ear even though it has no external source, is most commonly caused by exposure to loud noises and hearing loss.

Headset making high pitched noise