Introduction and objective:
Headphones have become an integral part of daily life, especially among children and adolescents. The aim of the review is to present recent scientific reports on the use of headphones a potential source of excessive exposure to noise, and the methods of protecting the sense of hearing against negative effects of their use.

Abbreviated description of the state of knowledge:
Prolonged exposure to high-level sounds may lead to permanent sensory cells damage through various mechanisms, such as mechanical damage, increased production of free radicals and glutamate, or blood flow disturbance. Initially, temporary hearing threshold shift in the high frequency range is observed which, with prolonged exposure extends to higher and lower frequencies. Accompanying symptoms are also observed which may include tinnitus, sound fatigue and headaches. Considering constantly growing popularity of personal audio devices, it is important to educate users, especially children and their parents, about the proper use of headphones.

Summary:
Studies on the side effects of the use of headphones often lead to confusing conclusions, because initially presented temporary threshold shift is sub-clinical, and frequently the observation time is too short for the detection of noticeable changes in screening tests. Therefore, it is essential to continue scientific research to better understand this problem. Excessive exposure to noise is among the causes of hearing disorders most easy to prevent in all age groups, it is thereforeindispensable to develop standards and recommendations for safe listening.