Love your headphones? You might want to lower the volume.

Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, are sounding an alarm: too much loud music through headphones is quietly damaging hearing — and people are feeling the effects earlier than ever before.

Dr Kapil Sikka from the ENT department says hearing problems that were once common after the age of 50 are now being seen in people in their 40s. The reason? Long hours of loud music, often through earphones and headphones.

“The real problem is the dose of sound,” Dr Sikka explains in simple terms. Using headphones for short calls is usually fine. But listening to loud music for long periods can slowly harm your ears. The worrying part is that early hearing damage often goes unnoticed. Many people ignore the first signs — like ringing in the ears or difficulty hearing soft sounds.

He points out that hearing cells inside our ears are extremely delicate. Once they are damaged, they do not grow back. “Only very limited damage can recover. After that, it’s permanent,” he says. That’s why protecting your ears now is far better than trying to fix the damage later.

Dr Poonam Sagar from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at AIIMS suggests a simple rule that everyone can remember — the “60-60 rule.” Keep your volume below 60 percent and do not use headphones for more than 60 minutes at a stretch.

She also explains that louder sound can cause more damage in less time. For example, listening at 100 decibels for just five minutes can harm your ears. The louder the sound, the shorter the safe listening time. Taking small breaks between listening sessions can make a big difference.

In a world where music, reels, gaming and online meetings are part of daily life, headphones have become almost inseparable from us. But doctors say a small change in habits today can save your hearing tomorrow.

So the next time you plug in, ask yourself — is it worth risking your hearing? Turning the volume down might be the smartest move you make.