We sat down Dr. Benjamin McGrew, a neurotologist with the Department of Otolaryngology at UAB, to discuss the how earbuds can cause hearing loss and how to use them safely.

1. Is noise from headphones more dangerous because it's closer to our eardrums?
   It’s really all about volume and duration of noise exposure. No headphones or earbuds are inherently good or bad for your hearing; however, sound intensity is likely increased because of the close proximity of earbuds to your ear drums.
   
   
2. Are people experiencing hearing loss at younger ages because of the prevalence for wandering around with our headphones and earbuds in?
   I have seen children with noise-induced hearing loss because of earbud/headphone use for long periods of time at loud levels; however, exposure to harmful noise can happen at any age.
   
   
3. What's the highest decibel we should ever go to when listening on our headphones and earbuds? And the maximum length of time?
   Whether or not you’re using earbuds, attending a concert or participating in certain recreational activities, sounds at 85 decibels can lead to hearing loss if you listen to them for more than eight hours at a time. Anything above 91 decibels, your safe listening time is cut down to two hours. You can listen to sounds below 85 decibels for as long as you want without causing any nerve damage.
   
   Some smartphones are able to reach 120 decibels. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), decibels at this level are capable of causing noise-induced hearing loss in less than 15 minutes.
   
   
4. What should we look for in headphones/earbuds to protect our hearing?
   Competing sounds may cause earbud users to increase the volume on their devices to dangerous levels. Noise-isolating over ear headphones or squishy earbuds can limit the ambient noise you hear from the world around you, thus helping you resist the need to turn up the music.
   
   
5. How do we know if we've already damaged our hearing?
   Because the damage from noise exposure is usually gradual, you may not notice you’ve damaged your hearing until the symptoms become more pronounced. Sounds may become distorted or muffled and you might find yourself turning up the volume on the television or have difficulty understanding people.
   
   If you’ve ever experienced ringing in your ears after loud noise exposure, you have damaged your ears. Tinnitus from loud noise exposure often results in temporary hearing loss and resides in less than 72 hours.