Medical experts in the UK have raised concerns about the potential risks of noise-canceling headphones, linking their use to an increase in cases of Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), a condition that affects the brain’s ability to process sound.
Recent findings from five NHS audiology departments suggest that more young people are experiencing hearing difficulties.
While many of these individuals can pass standard hearing tests, they struggle to distinguish sounds clearly, especially in noisy environments.
This issue is attributed to APD, a neurological disorder that disrupts how the brain interprets sound signals.
Claire Benton, vice president of the British Academy of Audiology, explained that prolonged use of noise-canceling headphones creates an artificial listening environment.
“By constantly filtering out background noise, the brain isn’t being trained to process sounds naturally, which could impact its ability to distinguish speech and noise over time,” she said.
David McAlpine, an expert in hearing science, warned that altering how we hear could have long-term consequences. “Even if you change what you’re hearing, you may not regain the brain’s original processing ability. It’s not reversible,” he told Quartz.
Experts stated that while noise-canceling technology is useful in certain situations, relying on it too much—especially during adolescence, when the brain is still developing—may interfere with the ability to process complex sounds effectively.
