Sema
Noise-canceling headphones are among the most popular types of headphones because they block out surrounding noise on the street and at work.
However, these headphones have come under scrutiny after hearing experts raised concerns that excessive use could weaken people’s listening skills. According to The Guardian, experts suggest that continuously filtering background noise may have unintended consequences for our ears.
Renée Almeida, head of adult audiology at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, has observed an increase in the number of adults visiting her clinic with hearing difficulties, only to find that their hearing tests show normal results.
Over time, Almeida discovered that “the problem lies in their brains, not their ears.” She explained that these individuals may struggle to identify the source of a sound or follow conversations in noisy environments like trains, bars, or restaurants. This condition is known as Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)—a condition typically diagnosed in children—which made the rise in adult cases surprising to her. “I realized that the widespread use of noise-canceling headphones might be the cause,” she said.
Almeida elaborated, “The brain is accustomed to handling thousands of different sounds simultaneously and has always been capable of distinguishing what is worth listening to and what is not. With noise cancellation, you give your brain a single source of sound—whether it’s a podcast or music—and nothing else to engage with.”
She warned that excessive use of noise-canceling headphones could hinder children’s ability to pay attention to sounds and make adult brains “lazy,” much like muscles weaken without exercise. In both cases, people may struggle to interpret speech in noisy environments when needed.
Currently, there is no scientific evidence proving that noise-canceling headphones cause APD, but Almeida stressed the importance of conducting more research on the issue.
APD affects approximately 3% to 5% of school-aged children and has been linked to low birth weight and chronic middle ear infections. In older adults, the condition may result from a stroke or head trauma, although the exact cause remains unknown in many cases.
Dr. Cheryl Edwards, a hearing specialist at Boston Children’s Hospital, noted that children with APD may find it difficult to hear in classrooms, locate the source of sounds, and interpret non-verbal cues, such as tone changes that indicate sarcasm. These children may also struggle with reading and spelling.
Meanwhile, Harvey Dillon, a professor of audiology at the University of Manchester, suggests that hearing issues associated with noise-canceling headphones might stem from loud music damaging auditory nerve cells rather than the noise-canceling feature itself.
Professor Dani Tomlin, head of audiology and speech pathology at the University of Melbourne, pointed out that people who frequently use noise-canceling headphones may find it challenging to hear when they remove them. However, she emphasized the need for detailed studies to identify the scientific cause behind this phenomenon.