Using earphones for a long time (but not necessarily with loud volume)...?

Question

Would it cause permanent damage to our ears? Can listening to normal-volume music for a long time be as detrimental as listening to loud music in a short time?

Has anyone had had any relevant experiences?

Thank you.

Answer 1

I developed persistant and permanent ringing in my right ear after using headphones while at work for about a year.  The music was not played very loud either - I never listened to loud music.  Now, years after the fact, I still have the persistant ringing in my ear.

I can't say for sure if the music in the headphones was for sure the cause, but it did start to become a problem while I was using headphones on a daily basis.