Listening to music at a volume of 85 decibels (dB) or higher for more than eight hours a day has been shown to accelerate hearing loss. Most MP3 players can reach volumes upwards of 110 dB.
The damage caused by listening to loud music on headphones can be cumulative. This means that the damage caused by listening to loud music on headphones one day can add to the damage caused by listening to loud music on headphones the next day.
Additionally, using in-ear headphones can increase the chance of hearing loss. In-ear headphones place the sound source directly into the ear canal, which can increase the amount of sound pressure on the eardrum.
To protect your hearing, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that you listen to music on headphones for no more than one hour at a time and keep the volume at a comfortable level.
Here are some additional tips to protect your hearing when listening to music on headphones:
Use headphones that fit snugly in your ear canal. This will help to block out outside noise, so you don't have to turn up the volume as loud.
Use headphones with a built-in volume limiter. This will prevent you from turning the volume up too high.
Take breaks from listening to music. Give your ears a break every few hours to rest.
If you experience any hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), or pain in your ears, stop listening to music on headphones and see a doctor.