Loud music is fun! Right? Teenagers, in particular, like to crank up the volume on their favorite music—and aren’t aware of the potential health consequences. A recent DAK study shows that, overall, many students don’t exactly lead healthy lives.

Stress and poor nutrition—many students in grades 5 through 10 lead rather unhealthy lifestyles. This is the finding of the DAK Prevention Radar, which surveyed nearly 7,000 lower secondary school students in six different German states. Lack of exercise and poor nutrition have a major impact on health and lead to physical and mental health issues. That’s why the health insurance provider is calling for a partnership with doctors and schools to provide comprehensive education on health and nutrition in the classroom. This is right and important, and if you ask us, there’s one more thing that belongs on this list: taking good care of our hearing.

It’s not just when it comes to exercise and nutrition that teens all too often take their health for granted. Even when it comes to their ears, many don’t realize how quickly hearing damage can occur. Both on the street and at home, many teens listen to music through headphones—and often at volumes that are too loud. Surveys show that the average volume is 89 decibels. However, if our ears are constantly exposed to 80 to 85 decibels without being given a chance to recover, the delicate sensory cells in the inner ear are irreparably damaged. As a result, over time our hearing gradually deteriorates, and we perceive ambient sounds and speech as quieter. Many young people, however, are completely unaware of the potential effects of listening to music.

That’s why giving up music entirely is, of course, not an option. We just have to handle it properly—for example, by using the right headphones. In-ear models, in particular, can cause hearing damage—even at low volumes. That’s why over-ear headphones are a better choice. The so-called 60/60 rule is also a simple and very helpful guideline: no more than 60 percent of the volume for no more than 60 minutes. If you’re listening on your smartphone, for example, it will even alert you if your favorite music is too loud.

Are you a musician or a passionate hobby gardener? Here you can find out what solutions are available to protect your ears during any activity, no matter how loud.