Are ringing ears really “surging” in 2025? Here’s the short answer: reports show that the problem is common and getting worse, but there isn’t a single global chart that shows a “spike” in 2025 from earphones alone.
In March 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) updated its advice on safe listening. It still says that more than a billion young people are at risk of permanent hearing damage from loud leisure listening, which includes earbuds and headphones. That risk profile helps explain why a lot of doctors and advocacy groups feel tinnitus is putting a burden on services in 2025.
Large groups of people also show that tinnitus is frequent and that it has gotten worse since the pandemic. The 2024 Hearing Study that Apple did with the University of Michigan found that almost 78% of the people who took part had tinnitus. Older folks were more likely to suffer tinnitus every day. Other studies show that the burden of tinnitus increased over the COVID-19 years and has stayed high, which is what clinicians are witnessing in real life.
Health and advocacy groups are using 2025 to raise the alarm about getting care. Tinnitus UK and RNID say that millions of people in the UK are affected and that there is a “tinnitus care crisis” because of delays and rising demand for help. This shows that the condition is having a bigger effect, even though the exact incidence curves differ by location.
Are earphones to blame, or is it how we use them?
The devices themselves aren’t dangerous; the biggest danger is how loud and how long you listen. Earbuds are closer to the eardrum, thus the same volume level can make them sound louder than some over-ear devices. This can lead to dangerous listening habits. Health systems like the Cleveland Clinic and the Mayo Clinic put more weight on the behavior—high volume and lengthy duration—than on the brand or style of headphones.
The WHO’s 2025 safe-listening criteria make the dose-response obvious. At 80 dB, it might be safe to be around for around 40 hours a week. At 90 dB, it might only be safe to be around for about 4 hours a week, which is a limit that many people go over while commuting, studying, gaming, or working out. In other words, a “surge” in tinnitus complaints can be linked to cultural changes that lead to longer personal audio use, not just earphones.
Playing video games is another way to get a lot of exposure. A global review showed that gamers regularly go above the recommended levels for long periods of time, which raises the risk of both hearing loss and tinnitus. This is similar to how long listening to music and podcasts on earbuds can cause hearing loss.
What else is making tinnitus worse in 2025?
Numerous studies link increased tinnitus burden to the pandemic period, identifying both audiological and psychological factors. Reviews and primary investigations indicate that neuroinflammation and stress interactions may sensitize auditory circuits. Some research investigates the relationship between tinnitus severity and COVID-19 infection or immunization, while emphasizing that causality remains unresolved. The main point is that there are many things that might cause tinnitus, and the stressors from 2020 to 2024 didn’t help.
Knowledge, access, and reporting
As more individuals become aware of the ringing, more people ask for aid. This is another reason why the 2025 figures look greater. UK groups say that demand is rising and wait times are getting longer. At the same time, media attention and new therapies are bringing more people forward, which makes the number of reported cases go up even if the actual number of cases stays the same. That being said, a global estimate of roughly 14% of adults having tinnitus is a good starting point for how common it really is.
Exposure of youth through intimate listening
Younger listeners are a big worry. Previous WHO-backed studies have shown that almost 50% of 12–35-year-olds are exposed to dangerous levels through personal listening devices or loud places. As more and more people use earbuds for school, work, and pleasure, the total “dose” goes up, which is exactly what happens when people have more ear problems connected to noise over time.
Foundation for Hearing Health
How using earbuds too much might cause tinnitus: the mechanics
When noise damages microscopic hair cells and synapses in the inner ear, it sends “deafferentation” signals to the brain that it may think are phantom sound. The central auditory system can “turn up the gain” over time, which makes the ringing last longer. When people turn up the volume to drown out surrounding noise, especially in transit or gyms, close-coupled earbuds can help.
Overexposure can also cause hyperacusis, which is painful sensitivity to everyday sounds. Audiology clinics say that using headphones for a long time at high volumes might impair your ability to handle sound, which can make typical places feel overly loud and make the stress-tinnitus loop worse. This neuronal sensitization is another reason why duration is just as important as loudness.
Some people may also find that earbuds make earwax buildup worse, which can make hearing less clear and modify how sounds are heard inside the ear. Earwax alone doesn’t “cause” tinnitus, but blockages might make you more aware of internal noise. This is another thing you can change in a schedule that includes a lot of earbuds.
How earbud overuse leads to tinnitus
The louder you get, the less time is safe. Use this trade-off. The WHO’s 2025 guidelines give a useful guideline: 80 dB is about 40 hours a week, and 90 dB is around 4 hours a week. So try to remain well below those limits. If you often have trouble hearing others when wearing earphones or your ears ring after using them, your dose is too high.
One useful self-check is to notice a “temporary threshold shift” after listening to loud music. If sounds sound muffled or your ears ring for minutes to hours, that means your last session went too far. Repeated experiences can alter short-term changes into long-term changes that cause chronic tinnitus.
Lastly, think about how much noise you can afford to make all day. Even while each part seems innocent, loud commutes, workouts, gaming, and venues add up. Gamers in particular should check the time and volume of their sessions because research shows that many go above safe limits without recognizing it.
Ways to keep your ears safe from earbuds (yes, you can still use them)
- The “50/50” rule is to keep the volume on your gadget at 50% or less and take a break every 50 minutes for 5 to 10 minutes. Audiologists often say this is a good rule of thumb.
- Use ANC wisely: it can help you not have to turn up the volume too high in loud settings, but it will still keep the levels low. Clinical recommendations focus on behavior, not simply hardware.
- For long sessions, over-ear is better: over-ear designs can make safe listening easier by providing more passive isolation where possible. Health experts say that comfort and privacy are important to minimize “volume creep.”
- Cap daily dose: if you have to be loud for a short time, make up for it by being silent for a longer time later that day. As dB goes up, WHO’s hour limits go down quickly.
- Be careful with earwax; don’t try to clean it yourself with cotton swabs. If you use earbuds a lot, you might want to see a specialist every now and again. Impaction can make you more aware of tinnitus.
When to see a doctor right away or soon
Get immediate care If your tinnitus is pulsatile (beats with your pulse), comes on suddenly with hearing loss in one ear, or comes after head or ear trauma. These warning signs may mean that there are problems with the blood vessels or the nervous system that need to be looked at right away. Tinnitus that doesn’t go away and isn’t an emergency still needs audiologic testing and therapy, especially if it affects sleep or mood.
An audiogram and a history of noise exposure, medicines, and stress are usually part of a full work-up. A lot of cases of hearing loss happen at the same time—some estimates say that about 90% of them do. This is why hearing aids and sound therapy typically help. Find clinics that offer CBT-informed care, since there is good evidence that it can help with tinnitus distress.
What will be new in 2025: therapies and self-care
The main story for 2025 is access and integration, which means bringing together audiology, psychology, and technology. CBT is still one of the best ways to reduce stress, and internet-based CBT is becoming more popular. Bimodal neuromodulation devices like Lenire are showing good results in clinics this year, and research is looking into neuroinflammation targets and brain-based mechanisms.
The best “treatment” for everyday life may be to avoid problems and manage stress. That means turning down the level, making time for silence, putting sleep first, and dealing with stress, all of which have been linked to tinnitus increases. Coaching programs and hearing-health apps can help you keep track of your exposure and symptoms over time.
Is there really a “tinnitus surge” from using earbuds too frequently?
The most accurate interpretation of 2025 evidence is that tinnitus continues to be widespread, with an increasing burden, particularly exacerbated by prolonged and excessive usage of earphones. Clinical research and public health data show that personal listening habits can increase the risk, especially for younger users and gamers. We lack a singular global dataset demonstrating a distinct 2025 surge only attributable to earphones; yet, we possess compelling mechanistic and epidemiological justifications to mitigate prolonged loud listening at present.
A quick list of things to do to stay safe:
- Keep the volume low to medium and the listening time limited; take a break every hour.
- Don’t turn up the volume; instead, use ANC or better-isolating headphones.
- Set aside time every day for quiet and protect your hearing at events.
- Get a baseline audiology test and do it again if your symptoms change.
- Take care of your stress and sleep as part of your tinnitus care.
