Archive · 11 Sep 2026
India’s Earbud Boom Raises Fears of a Hearing Crisis
Many people in India use earbuds for music, calls, games and videos.
A doctor says that using them for too long or at too high a volume may tire and damage the ears.
Younger people are increasingly reporting ringing in their ears, reduced hearing and discomfort.
Ringing in the ears is called tinnitus.
Ear damage can begin as temporary hearing loss but may become permanent over many years.
People should not use earbuds to clean their ears because they can push wax farther inside or cause injury.
Keeping the volume low and taking breaks can help protect hearing.
Anyone who has trouble hearing people in a familiar place should see an ear specialist and get a hearing test.
ENT specialist Dr P Harihara Murthy says younger patients are increasingly reporting tinnitus, reduced hearing and ear discomfort.
He links prolonged earbud and headphone use to ear fatigue, temporary hearing loss and, over time, potentially permanent damage.
Using earbuds to clean the ears can push wax deeper and may injure the eardrum or tiny middle-ear bones.
People should keep volume low, use personal audio devices in short bursts and allow their ears time to recover.
Difficulty hearing people clearly in a familiar place should prompt an ENT examination and audiology evaluation.
- Who
- Teenagers, Gen-Z users and other regular personal-audio-device users; Dr P Harihara Murthy, an ENT specialist, provided the medical comments.
- What
- An ear-health warning about prolonged earbud and headphone use, including risks of tinnitus, reduced hearing and permanent hearing damage.
- When
- The article does not provide a specific date; it describes a current rise in earbud use and hearing complaints among younger people.
- Where
- India, with Dr Murthy’s clinical experience cited from Apollo Spectra Hospitals in Bengaluru.
- Why
- Long, frequent or loud exposure to personal audio devices may cause cumulative ear fatigue and damage; unsafe ear-cleaning practices can also contribute to problems.
- Main concern
- Increasing personal audio-device use may contribute to hearing problems among younger people.
- Reported symptoms
- Tinnitus, reduced hearing and persistent ear discomfort.
- Doctor cited
- Dr P Harihara Murthy, Consultant ENT, Head & Neck & Endoscopic Surgeon.
- Hospital
- Apollo Spectra Hospitals, Bengaluru.
- Potential progression
- Ear fatigue and temporary hearing loss may progress to tinnitus and permanent hearing loss.
- Warning sign
- Difficulty hearing people clearly in a familiar place.
- Recommended response
- Use low volume, take breaks, avoid using earbuds to clean the ears, and seek ENT and audiology evaluations when needed.