There is a risk that not keeping this setting under control may have long-term consequences for your brain
A doctor has warned that people may be increasing their risk of dementia if they regularly use headphones in a certain way. But, adjusting one common setting could help to cut this risk down.
Dr Baibing Chen, who goes by @doctor.bing online, shared some advice with his 136,000 TikTok followers about something millions of people may be doing daily that is gradually ruining their health. The neuologist admitted: “I used to be guilty of this, but I don’t do it anymore.”
He added: “I don’t blast music in my ears. Loud music isn’t just bad for your ears – it’s actually bad for your brain.
“Even mild hearing loss doubles your risk of dementia, while severe hearing loss increases it by fivefold. This is because, when the brain struggles to process sound, it reallocates resources away from thinking and memory, increasing cognitive decline.”
According to the Alzheimer’s Society, people who develop hearing problems may have an increased risk of developing dementia. It may also be one of the early symptoms which could detect dementia.
They add that it’s important to get your hearing tested, especially if you notice signs of hearing loss. There is some evidence that using hearing aids may reduce the risk of some aspects of cognitive decline.
The neurologist added: “Sounds above 85 decibels (dB), similar to city traffic, can cause damage over time. Exposure to 100+ dB, like loud concerts or many earbuds at max volume, can cause permanent hearing loss in as little as 15 minutes.”
One study has shown that the parts of our brain that process sounds are particularly vulnerable to damage. Reducing the volume of headphones and taking breaks from your earbuds when listening can help protect your hearing.
Some modern devices may trigger headphone warnings when audio is played at a volume that could potentially damage hearing over time. The thresholds for these warnings vary, but they often fall around 85dB, especially when listening for extended periods.
iPhone users can check out a detailed breakdown of their headphone usage, as well as the decibels they were exposed to. Headphone Notifications let you know if your audio exposure has been loud enough for a long enough period to affect your hearing – for example, over 80 decibels (dB) for a total of 40 hours within the last seven days.
Experts at Harvard Health claim that: “Sound less than 70 dB is unlikely to cause any significant damage to the ears.” And, this is backed up by the World Health Organisation who state it is best to “keep the volume below 60% of maximum on your device” and use “well-fitted and noise-cancelling headphones” to reduce the need to raise volume, especially when you are in an already noisy setting.
People can test their hearing online quickly and for free using the RNID’s online hearing test. It is shared on the NHS website alongside what to do if you experience hearing loss.