“Do your ears ever ring after you take out your earphones?” I once asked a friend during a post-workout hangout. He chuckled and rubbed his ears. “Yeah, sometimes. It fades later, though.” That faint ringing? It’s called tinnitus. At first, it’s just a whisper. But lately, I’ve come to see it as a warning siren. 

Across Indian metros, ENT specialists are seeing a troubling rise in young patients, aged 18 to 35, reporting persistent ringing, hearing dullness, and sensitivity to sound. The culprit? Often, in personal listening devices. And not just from loud music, but from long hours, poor quality devices, and a general lack of awareness about safe listening. 

You might wonder: Can tiny earbuds really cause lasting hearing loss? Let’s dive into the facts.

When Volume Turns Violent

Earbuds may be small, but don’t let their size fool you. They can deliver noise levels up to 100-110 decibels directly into your ear canal, comparable to standing next to a chainsaw or front row at a rock concert. According to WHO guidelines (2022), exposure to 90 dB of sound is only considered safe for 4 hours per week. That’s a number most of us blow through in a single commute.

In fact, India’s Ministry of Health (2025) issued a warning: prolonged earphone use is now a significant contributor to irreversible hearing loss among young adults. ENT clinics in cities like Kolkata, Mumbai, and New Delhi now regularly report patients in their 20s presenting with symptoms once only seen in seniors. Tinnitus often results from damage to the tiny hair cells in the inner ear, which play a crucial role in sound transmission. Once these hair cells are damaged, they do not regenerate. Think of it like a broken microphone; no matter how much you tweak the settings, it won’t capture sound clearly again.

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Research That Rings Loud

Still skeptical? A 2024 study in Cureus examined 200 individuals aged 15-35 in Central India. Nearly 69 per cent of habitual earphone users showed hearing loss, compared to only 17 per cent of non-users. The study also linked in-ear use with a rise in infection, wax build-up, and otitis externa (ear canal inflammation).

Meanwhile, a 2022 meta-analysis in BMJ Global Health found that nearly 1 billion people worldwide aged 12-34 are at risk for noise-induced hearing loss, primarily from unsafe use of personal listening devices. The findings were sobering enough to prompt the WHO to launch a global safe-listening initiative. Even Indian medical students, who you’d expect to be aware, weren’t immune. A 2011 study in Noise & Health found that 83 per cent used in-ear devices regularly, and 12 per cent had already experienced hearing issues.

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A Cautionary Tale from a Cubicle

A 27-year-old IT worker from Pune shared this with an audiologist: “I’ve been wearing headphones nonstop for work calls, music, and games. Now there’s this constant buzz in my ears. It never leaves.” He had tinnitus. His hearing test showed early signs of high-frequency hearing loss. And he is not alone. Dr. Dwaipayan Mukherjee, National President of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India, observed during World Hearing Day 2025 that such cases are now routine. A decade ago, hearing complaints among youth was rare. Today, they are pouring in.

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When Alka Yagnik Speaks, We Listen

In 2024, Bollywood singer Alka Yagnik shocked fans by revealing a sudden hearing loss episode, later linked to viral illness and constant audio exposure. Her heartfelt message? Protect your ears. She backed the 60/60 rule: Keep volume under 60 per cent and take breaks every 60 minutes.

What You Can Do

The good news? Noise-induced hearing loss is 100 per cent preventable. Here’s how:

• Stick to the 60/60 rule: No more than 60 per cent volume, 60 minutes at a stretch.
• Use noise-cancelling headphones: This reduces the urge to increase volume in noisy areas.
• Avoid sleeping with earbuds: Your ears need rest, too.
• Clean your earbuds: Prevent infections from sweat, wax, and bacteria.
• Watch for early signs: Ringing, muffled sound, or increased sensitivity? See an ENT.

So next time you slip in those sleek little earbuds, pause for a second. Ask yourself: Is the volume safe? When was my last break? Because the cost of ignoring it isn’t just some ringing, it could be the quiet loss of something you can never get back. 

Let’s not take our ears for granted. They’ve been with us since birth, faithfully catching whispers, laughter, music, and memories. Let’s make sure they stay that way.

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