In an increasingly noisy world, many people choose noise-canceling headphones to escape the chaos of ambient sounds.
Regular use of noise-canceling headphones can negatively affect the brain's ability to process sound - Photo: FREEPIK
However, some audiologists are concerned that frequent use of noise-canceling headphones to block out environmental sounds could negatively affect the brain's ability to process sound, according to TechSpot .
Harmful effects of noise-canceling headphones
This problem is related to auditory processing disorder (APD), where the brain has difficulty interpreting sounds and speech, even when the person's physical hearing is normal.
People with APD often have difficulty orienting themselves to the direction of sounds or focusing on a particular voice in a noisy environment. APD is often associated with brain injury, ear infections, or other neurological disorders.
However, UK audiologists speaking to the BBC said the number of APD cases in young people is increasing, despite not having the usual risk factors.
They hypothesize that excessive use of noise-canceling headphones may delay normal hearing development.
A typical case is Sophie, 25, an administrative worker, who was diagnosed with APD last year after having difficulty understanding speech.
Her audiologist suggested that her habit of wearing noise-canceling headphones for up to five hours a day could be a contributing factor. Without captions, Sophie found lectures and speeches to be just “meaningless strings of noise.”
Claire Benton , vice-president of the British Academy of Audiology, shares that during the crucial years of brain development, isolation in a noise-free environment can hinder the development of complex listening skills.
Benton explains that complex, higher-level listening skills in the brain only mature by the late teens. In other words, if you only listen to music or podcasts, your brain may gradually forget how to filter out unimportant background noise.
Balance and moderation are needed.
According to the BBC, a number of audiology units in the UK's National Health Service ( NHS ) have recorded an increasing number of teenagers coming to see an ophthalmologist for hearing problems.
However, tests showed that their ears were functioning normally. So the problem was that their brains were having difficulty processing sound effectively.
Unfortunately, services for assessing and treating APD in the UK public health system are very limited. Currently, only one NHS unit provides a full diagnostic procedure, with waiting times of up to nine months. This is partly due to the time-consuming process of assessing APD, which can involve more than two hours of testing, not to mention additional cognitive assessments.
So should we give up on noise-canceling headphones? Probably not. Noise cancellation still plays an important role in preventing hearing loss from prolonged exposure to loud sounds .
The report specifically highlights the risks of excessive use of noise-canceling headphones by adolescents , as this is a critical period for developing advanced audio processing skills.
For this group, audiologists emphasize that balance is important . Regular exposure of the ears to natural sound environments is essential to maintain effective noise filtering.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tai-nghe-chong-on-co-the-lam-thay-doi-nao-bo-nguoi-tre-20250221120752243.htm
Comment (0)