Man claims he suffered eardrum damage after using noise-cancelling earbuds regularly for two years

A user on X (formerly Twitter) posted a stark warning after around two years of using a pair of noise-cancelling earbuds rated at 50 dB cancellation. He said he used them regularly, in some later months logging 3 to 4 hours a day, and then one day felt sudden ear pain.

A medical check-up revealed a perforated (hole in) his eardrum. He added a caution: “These things may look fancy, but they carry serious health risks.” “Using earbuds can be dangerous, using noise cancellation earbuds is even more. Was using a 50db noise cancellation buds for two years, felt pain in the ears few days ago, today went to a doctor and he told me that there is a hole in my ear drum. Gave some eardrop and asked to come again after 5 days.

Be cautious! These things may look fancy but there are high health risk associated with them,” writes @_kumbhkaran on X (formerly Twitter).

Guess what, I was also using earphones continuously, Now seeing this ,scares the shit out of me, writes one user. "This is genuinely scary to read. We use earbuds daily without thinking kitna damage ho sakta hai internally. Noise cancellation feels cool / premium… but agar ear health hi compromise ho jaye then it’s not worth it.

I think logon ko seriously volume control + usage duration pe dhyaan dena chahiye. Ear health kabhi lightly mat lo. Thanks for sharing this experience… others can learn before it’s too late. Wishing you a fast recovery," writes another.

Why this matters (and how earbuds could go bad)

Noise-cancelling tech misuse adds riskActive noise-cancelling (ANC) works by injecting anti-noise to cancel ambient sound. That means you might turn down your volume because you’re not fighting traffic or airplane hum.

But the tech also creates a near-silent sound-environment that your ears and brain didn’t evolve for. While ANC can reduce the need for high volume (which is good), it can also bring unexpected side-effects if failure or misuse happens.The ear drum doesn’t like being stressedAny loud sound (especially over long time) or sudden change in ear pressure can damage the eardrum or inner ear. While the earbuds in question weren’t necessarily blasting loud volume, the long-term strain (and maybe other factors like volume spikes or ear canal pressure) seem to have led to a perforation.Wearing time + volume + ambient noise = danger zoneThe social-media user said he used the buds for years. That’s the key. Even moderate volumes for extended hours increase risk. For ANC users, there's also a chance of under-estimating actual volume or feeling “safe” and letting things slide.

Signs you should be watching

If you notice any of these, stop using the earbuds and see an ENT specialist. The example above ended up with eardrum damage, something nobody wants.

How to use noise-cancelling earbuds safely

Here are best-practice tips to protect your hearing and ear health:

If you love your noise-cancelling earbuds, great. They can be fantastic tools for focus, commutes, flights, or just chilling. But love means care too. Use them responsibly. Limit your listening time. Keep volumes modest. Clean your gear. And above all, listen to your ears, not just your music.