Keep saying ‘huh' to everyone around? ENT specialist warns what may be damaging your hearing

Dr Animesh Banerjee warns that listening to music at high volumes can cause irreversible damage to the inner ear. Here's what else you should know.

Has it ever happened that someone is speaking to you, but you keep saying ‘Huh?’ Their voice may not sound clear and might seem muffled or distorted instead. Is this a warning sign? A specialist weighed in on why this happens, a subtle hearing difficulty he frequently encounters among patients at his clinic, and what could be causing it.

Dr Animesh Banerjee, ENT at Even Healthcare, Bengaluru, revealed, "Every week, I see young patients who are convinced their hearing is fine. Their tone tests often agree. And yet they struggle to follow a conversation in a crowded café, mishear colleagues on calls, or feel their ears ringing after a long commute. What they share is a habit that feels harmless: earphones, turned up, for hours at a time."

He then answered some relevant questions:

Why should you avoid listening to music at full volume?

Prolonged exposure to music at high volume may hurt your hearing. (Picture credit: Unsplash)

The expert attributed the main reason to listening to music at full volume. “The human ear handles sound comfortably up to about 80 decibels, and legislation treats that as a safe ceiling for eight hours a day. Earphones at full volume can push 120 to 140 decibels straight into the ear canal, the range of an ambulance siren or a jet engine, delivered directly to the most delicate structure we have,” Dr Banerjee added.

Now, when such high decibel volume goes into the ear canal, how does the inner ear structure respond? The ENT doctor believed it causes irreparable damage.

Dr Banerjee added what goes on in the inner ear: “That structure is the cochlea, lined with microscopic hair cells that convert sound into the electrical signals your brain understands. Sustained loud sound bends and shears these cells, starves them of blood flow, and floods them with chemical stress until they die. The cruelty of the inner ear is simple: these cells do not grow back. Once they are gone, they are gone for good.”

Are noise-cancelling earphones better?

Noise-cancelling earphones reduce outside sounds, but as per the expert, they add a ‘subtle danger.’ It affects brain senses too. How? He described, “By sealing you off from the world, they invite higher volumes and longer sessions, and they mask the everyday sounds your brain needs to stay sharp.”

The specialist is now seeing the effect of cancelling earphones. “Young adults who hear pure tones perfectly but can no longer pick out speech from background noise, a processing problem that a standard test will miss entirely.”

What is the healthy music listening rule?

This does not mean a blanket ban on listening to music.

The specialist recommended the 60:60:

• No more than 60 percent of maximum volume
• No more than 60 minutes rule

Is there any warning sign?

For warning signs, the doctor cautioned that ringing or muffled hearing should be treated as a warning, not a nuisance, and should be checked early.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.