Headphones have become an integral part of our daily lives, whether we use them to listen to music, watch videos, or take phone calls. While headphones provide a convenient and immersive listening experience, they can also have a significant impact on our ears if used improperly. In this blog, we'll explore how headphones can affect our ears and what steps we can take to minimize their impact.
Hearing Loss
Our ear is made up of a three part: outer ear, middle ear, inner ear. Part of inner ear called the cochlea contains tiny hair cells. These hair cells senses the sound waves and transmit it to the brain. But loud noise can damage this hair cells. And most of the headphones have sound of 110 db at its maximum voice, which can damage our cochlea and can produce hearing loss. When we listen to music or other audio content through headphones at high volumes, we subject our ears to prolonged exposure to loud sounds. Over time, this can damage our hearing and lead to permanent hearing loss. This type of hearing loss is considered as a noise-induced hearing loss. The World Health Organization recommends that we limit our exposure to sound levels above 85 decibels (dB) to no more than 8 hours a day.
Tinnitus
Tinnitus is a condition where an individual experiences ringing, buzzing, or other phantom sounds in their ears. Using headphones at high volumes can lead to tinnitus, which can be temporary or permanent. This condition can be incredibly distressing and can impact an individual's quality of life.
Ear Infections
Wearing headphones or ear buds will increase the pressure and heat inside the ear canal, which will lead to increase the production of ear wax and sweat inside the ear canal. And make humid and moist environment inside the canal which increases the risk of infection inside the cavity. And usage of someone's ear buds will also increase the risk of a infection. Due to long time use of ear buds ear wax becomes hardened and may obstruct the ear canal.
Dizziness
Using headphones for extended periods can also lead to dizziness or vertigo, especially if the headphones have noise-canceling features. This occurs because the noise-canceling technology blocks out ambient sounds, which can disrupt the body's sense of balance and orientation.
So, this are all the effects of headphones on our ear. Now, we will see how to use the headphones in the right way ?
• Use headphones with volume limiters to prevent exposure to high sound levels.
• Take regular breaks when listening to headphones to give your ears time to rest.
• Clean your headphones regularly to prevent the buildup of bacteria and fungi.
• Use over-ear headphones instead of earbuds as they don't go as deep into the ear canal.
• Keep the volume at a safe level, and if you're in a noisy environment, use noise-canceling headphones instead of turning up the volume.
In conclusion, while headphones provide an excellent listening experience, they can have a significant impact on our ears if used improperly. To minimize their impact, we must use them safely and responsibly. By taking the necessary precautions, we can continue to enjoy our headphones without compromising our hearing health.
0 Comments