Are noise-cancelling headphones a cause for concern?
- Area of Work: Scottish Sensory Hub
- Type: News Item
- Published: 13th April 2025
Audiologists call for more research into the impact of noise-cancelling headphones, particularly among children
Five NHS audiology departments reported an increase in the number of young people referred to them from GPs with hearing issues, only to find no issues with hearing when assessed but it is their ability to process sound that is struggling.
The Edinburgh-based company Hearing Diagnostics is currently developing a new hearing screening tool which uses spatial processing. A pilot study revealed the surprise results that the over 50s performed better than the under 30s, contradicting almost all existing research into binaural processing.
This suggest that younger adults may be experiencing unexpected difficulties with central auditory processing—potentially linked to modern listening habits such as near constant usage of headphones and personal listening devices.
Read the full article on the ENT and Audiology News website.
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