Loud Noise Exposure and Tinnitus
Too much exposure to any loud noise can cause hearing loss, and it’s becoming increasingly common among young people.
Tinnitus itself is more common in people older than 60, 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 hearing loss in general is becoming more common in younger individuals, and research suggests that exposure to loud noises during leisure time is likely to blame. One study of general practice data from the Netherlands noted a 33 percent increase in tinnitus, with adults between ages 20 and 44 experiencing the largest increase.
Noise exposure is a common element of modern life, and many of those noises are loud. And for younger individuals in particular, many popular activities are loud, including hobbies such as taking workout classes with music blasting, gaming with headphones on, or attending noisy sports games and concerts.
It’s also getting more and more common to spend more of the day with headphones on — whether you’re listening to music while exercising, commuting, getting work done, or even sleeping.
All this constant noise exposure — coming through headphones and other sources — can contribute to hearing damage and, possibly, damage to the structure of the inner ear.
The American Osteopathic Association reports that 1 in 5 teenagers experience some form of hearing loss, which is roughly 30 percent higher than rates in the 1980s and 1990s. According to a 2022 review, between 0.67 and 1.35 billion people ages 12 to 34 are at risk of hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices.
Kit Frank, an audiologist and the founder of The Hearing Hub in Las Vegas, reports seeing more hearing loss among her young patients. And she suspects that headphones are partially to blame. “It’s just a more common thing to have something in your ear, and we’re putting more stress on the ears than ever.”
The authors of a 2025 study suggest that rapid increases in smartphone and portable listening device use, which often includes headphones or earphones, has enabled prolonged listening at unsafe volumes.
And in another study from the same year, people who preferred to listen to headphones at a higher level (above 70 decibels) had more than double the risk of high-level hearing loss, compared with others.
Tinnitus (hissing, ringing, or buzzing in the ear) typically develops as people begin to lose the ability to hear environmental sounds.
In some cases, tinnitus can be temporary, occurring briefly after attending a loud concert or listening to music at high volume. The buzzing or hissing may subside after a short time, but it may have caused permanent damage to the hair cells in the ear. These hair cells control your ability to hear. When damaged, it can cause hearing loss. But these hair cells sustain damage over time, so hearing loss progresses gradually.
Researchers are currently studying how to promote the regrowth of these hair cells. However, until there’s a solution, it’s essential to focus on protecting the hair cells you already have, which you can do by listening at safe levels.
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