Ear buds fueling surge in hearing loss

Once seen as harmless accessories, earbuds, including earphones, earpods and headphones, are now under scrutiny from ear specialists who say unsafe listening habits are quietly driving a rise in tinnitus and early hearing loss among people aged 12 to 35.

“When you use earbuds, the speaker sits directly in the ear canal, very close to the eardrum. If the volume is high, you are exposing the inner ear to intense sound waves without any buffer,” Nakasagga said.