Don’t Wear The Headphones For Too Long, They Will Hurt Your Ears: Can You Hear Me?

Technology has made our life easier and more convenient. But it is also a trap in a way, as it makes us its slave and we get too addicted to comfort.

As human beings are by nature comfort-loving, any product which enhances our level of enjoyment becomes a trusted friend for us in no time. But, just as technology is a sword which cuts both ways, over-reliance on it can do us more harm than help.

Also Read: Unknown Facts About Ears

One such piece of technology which we should deal with carefully is the headphone/earphone. As listening to music has become a high-class experience nowadays, thanks to the progress of technology, the chances of the same technology causing harm to our health have also increased by far.

Using headphones at high volumes or wearing them for long period can have adverse effects on our health.

Here are some harmful effects of overusing headphones, take a look.

1. Loss of hearing: When you put on the headphones to enjoy the beats better, it exposes your ears to direct audio. Putting it at a volume of over 90 decibels that can cause serious hearing complications and even loss. So, always use headphones with breaks in between and also listen to music at a moderate volume. Or else, the Katy Perrys or Justin Biebers could remain out of your bounds.

2. Congesting air passage: High-quality music-hearing experience requires placing of the headphones directly into the ear canals. That could help you have a rocking experience, but at a cost. Blocking the air passage makes your ears vulnerable to infection. You can also have Tinnitus (buzzing in the ear when there is actually no sound) caused by excessive ear wax which is in turn formed through unlimited use of headphones.

3. Infection in the ear: Using of headphones also demands privacy. It's better not to share your headphones with anybody else, as it could cause bacterial infection. Either don't share at all or ensure that you sanitise your headphones after using them.

4. Numbness in ears: Exposing your ears to loud music continuously can leave your ears numb. The hearing abilities can be temporarily lost and this, if continued over a long period, can lead to permanent hearing impairment.

5. Ear pain: Too much listening to loud music through a headphone can cause pain in the ears.

6. Even brains are vulnerable: The electromagnetic waves that headphones generate can cause problems for the brain in the long run. Since the inner ear has a connection with the brain, any damage or infection in that part can affect the brain.

7. External threat: Overusing earphones also makes us lose connection with the reality and face adverse consequences like accidents. You may not be able to hear vehicles honking or an approaching train if you put the headphones on while walking or jogging outside. It can cause not just danger to your own life, but to others' as well.

How To Use Headphones In A Better Way:

The following tips can help you using headphones in a way that doesn't affect your health.

• Follow the 60:60 rule. It means setting up the volume at 60 percent of the maximum volume and playing it for not more than 60 minutes at one go. In this way, you can give your ears a much-needed respite in between your music-hearing experience.

• Don't use headphones that come in direct touch with your ear canals. The big ones, though are heavy, but yet are preferable because they remain outside your ears.

• Sanitise your headphones regularly. The accumulation of skins, sweat and bacteria can cause infection to your ears. As said earlier, don't exchange your headphones with anybody else, not even your best buddy.

• If you are a regular user of headphones, make sure to change its rubber cover every month.

• Be very careful while using headphones outside. Ensure that it doesn't become the last time you are going outside.