White noise is dangerous for hearing, doctors warn
University of California: white noise at 60–70 dB may cause tinnitus — prolonged exposure disrupts the central auditory nervous system.
University of California: white noise at 60–70 dB may cause tinnitus — prolonged exposure disrupts the central auditory nervous system.
Muna Attarha, a neuroscientist at Posit Science, together with researchers from the University of California, has found that white noise — frequently used to treat tinnitus (ringing in the ears), reduce anxiety, and improve sleep quality — can impair the functioning of the auditory organs.
Tinnitus is a ringing or noise in the ears that is not linked to an external source and can be caused by various factors, including earwax build-up or even neurodegenerative brain diseases. Many people cannot fall asleep at night because of ringing in their ears and use various methods to mask the sound. White noise and natural sounds (waterfalls, rain, rustling leaves) often come to their aid.
The scientists questioned the safety of white noise, and animal experiments confirmed their concerns. They demonstrated that prolonged exposure to noise at the supposedly safe level of 60–70 decibels causes pathological changes in the central auditory nervous system resembling those underlying tinnitus. Overall, white noise contributes to reduced neuronal inhibition, which impairs the ability to filter out unnecessary information.
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