Are in-ear headphones harmful? Clearly explained

In-ear headphones are directly in the ears and thus provide direct, but also supposedly harmful, sound to the ears. We'll tell you how dangerous in-ear headphones really are and what to look out for when using the special headphones.

In-ear headphones: it can be so loud

• Every sound sounds at a certain volume. This is generally measured in decibels. A volume above 85 decibels is harmful to human hearing. Exposing your body regularly and at long volumes of over 85 decibels can lead to permanent hearing loss.
• As a rule, a single exposure of around 120 decibels is not harmful. However, you should avoid such situations. In individual cases, regardless of age and health, one-off events can also impair hearing.
• In the EU, smartphones and MP3 players are therefore limited to 85 decibels and cannot be set too loud. Electronics from other countries are sometimes only throttled at 110 decibels. There is also no limit on a music system, so it is particularly dangerous to use headphones here.

In-ear headphones: harmful or not?

• Since the in-ear headphones are located directly in the ear, there is a particularly high risk of listening to loud music. Almost every device can be set so loud that it can cause hearing damage. Unfortunately, only common sense serves as protection here. A buzzing, beeping or strange feelings in the ear are already signs of much too loud music.
• If after a while you feel that the music has generally become quieter, you should be careful. If your brain has already got used to a very high volume and you increase this volume further, permanent damage can result.
• In this case, you should take a short break and remove the headphones from your ears. After a few minutes, your ear has calmed down again and also feels the previous setting as quite loud.
• When in doubt: Especially with in-ear headphones, you should rather reduce the volume somewhat.
• The production of earwax can increase by wearing the headphones. In the worst case, a plug forms over time that closes the ear. However, if you clean your ears from time to time with a shower of water, the headphones pose no danger.

In the next practical tip, we will show you how to properly clean in-ear headphones.