Frequently Saying 'Hah?' During Conversations Could Signal Hearing Problems

Have you ever said “hah?” or asked someone to repeat what they said during a conversation? Although often considered normal, this could be a sign of hearing impairment, especially if the sounds received seem unclear or distorted.

Ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist Dr Animesh Banerjee said he encounters this condition quite frequently in young patients. According to Banerjee, these patients generally feel their hearing is perfectly fine. In fact, the tone tests they undergo often show normal results.

“Every week, I meet young patients who are convinced their hearing is fine. But they struggle to follow conversations in busy cafés, mishear colleagues on the phone, or experience ringing in their ears after long journeys,” Banerjee said, as reported by the Hindustan Times on Tuesday (1/9/2026).

According to Banerjee, this phenomenon occurs because of the habit of using earphones at maximum volume for hours on end. Unfortunately, many young people consider this habit harmless, when in fact it can have a serious impact on hearing.

He explained that the human ear can comfortably receive sounds up to around 80 decibels. That figure is the safe limit for exposure over eight hours a day. However, earphones used at maximum volume can produce sounds of around 120 to 140 decibels that enter the ear canal directly.

“120–140 decibels is equivalent to the sound of an ambulance siren or a jet engine. Yet with earphones, that sound is delivered directly into the ear canal and the sensitive hearing structures,” he said.

So what happens when the ears are continuously exposed to excessively loud sounds? According to Banerjee, this can cause damage to the cochlea, the structure in the inner ear lined with microscopic hair cells.

These hair cells function to convert sound into electrical signals that the brain then interprets. “Continuous loud noise causes these cells to bend and sustain damage, reducing blood flow to them and triggering chemical stress until the cells eventually die,” Banerjee said.

The problem is that these hair cells cannot grow back. “These cells do not regenerate. Once they are gone, they are gone forever,” he said.

The use of earphones with noise-cancelling features is also a concern for Banerjee. The feature can indeed reduce ambient sound from the surrounding environment. However, according to him, this can actually pose a hidden danger.

“When someone feels isolated from the sounds around them, they may be encouraged to turn up the volume and use earphones for longer periods,” Banerjee said.