Your Headphones Can Cause You Health Problems

#1

Earphones are very small gadgets, but there is a huge list of side effects using them and the list is increasing every day. We see many people walking around with earphones, including us. Earphones not only affect the user but also the surroundings. This is hard to believe, but it's true.

#2 Negative Effects of Earphones

Technology has become a very integral part of our daily lives. However, the excessive use of technology and techno gadgets has reach to an extent that it has started impacting our health negatively. Among the various gadgets that are creating health issues are the headphones and earphones.

No doubt, this innovation of earphones has brought the finest music closer to us, making listening music easy. But lately as people have started using this particular gadget almost 24/7 such as during exercise, while traveling and sometimes simply while they sit sipping a cup of coffee.

It sounds weird right? Read on further to know how your health is deteriorating with the excess use of earphones.

#3 Hearing loss/ Hearing complications

When you use headphones or earphones, the direct audio goes into your ears. Volume exceeding 90 decibels can result in hearing complication and even hearing loss. All those who wear earphones and headphones are at higher risk of hearing loss and even complications in hearing. If anyone listens to music at more than 100 decibels for even 15 minutes, he can face hearing loss. So if you have to use headphones or earphones, make sure to give your ears some rest and do not listen to music in high volume at any cost.

#4 Ear Infections

Since earphones are made for two ears, it is quite inevitable that people share them. According to the Manchester Evening News, regular use of earphones can enhance the growth of harmful bacteria, and sharing or borrowing earphones may just cause the transfer someone else's bacteria to your ears. Research leader, Dr. Chiranjay Mukhopadhyay, advises everyone to avoid sharing earphones. If it cannot be helped, sanitize them before using.

#5 No air passage

These days, the earphone and headphone companies make sure that you get some really nice audio experience. But with decent audio experience comes health risks. To get the best audio experience, we need to insert the earphones directly into ear canals which result in no air passage. Yes, the music sounds great but with no air passage, you are at higher risk of ear infections.

In most of cases, people who use regular earphones and headphones experience more ear wax which results in tinnitus, ear infection and even problems in hearing.

#6 Side effects on brain

Earphones and headphones produce electromagnetic waves, proven to be dangerous for the human brain. However, there are no studies or evidences that can prove this point. But those who use earphones, bluetooth and headphones on a daily basis are prone to problems related to brain.

#7 Numb Ears

Recent studies have shown that people who use earphones or headphones most of the time in the day to hear loud music has felt numb ears. Their hearing abilities get numb for a while and then comes back to normal. This numbness of hearing can be dangerous and lead to deafness.

#8 Severe pain in the ears

Those who use earphones and headphones regularly tend to visit the doctor with a complaint of severe ear pain. You will feel some strange and different sounds buzzing in your ears. You also feel numbness in your ears. There are studies which have proved that excess use of earphones result in numbness and pain in the ears

#9 The solution

A review of the research in 2010 found there wasn't enough direct audiometric evidence to say that hearing could be damaged solely by listening to music. So, the MRC has launched an online study to see if it can find evidence to link hearing loss with personal music players. Participants are asked how much loud music they have listened to (the survey also includes clubs and gigs) and then to do a short listening experiment.

The MRC says that we don't know how loudly people listen to music on their personal music players or how continuously they do so. What we do know is that personal music players can reach between 95 and 105 decibels (dB). Just over 105dB is equivalent to holding a chainsaw at arms length. The Dangerous Decibels campaign from the Oregon Health and Science University says that based on this evidence you'd expect to damage your hearing within 15 minutes if you used ordinary headphones with your iPod at maximum volume.

Loud noises cause hearing loss by damaging the stereocilia: tiny hairs that sit on the top of hair cells in the inner ear. Noise makes them vibrate changing the voltage in the hair cells which then sends chemical messages through nerves to the brain. Battering your stereocilia will damage your hearing.

If you're a parent what should you advise your children? Owen Brimijoin, an Investigator Scientist at the MRC Institute of Hearing Research in Glasgow, says you could ask them how much they are enjoying their music and suggest they'll find it harder to listen to it in the future if they don't turn it down. How soon that might be is unknown: a seminal study on female jute weavers in Scotland (exposed to loud noise) published in 1965 found hearing loss after 10 to 15 years.

Brimijoin also suggests getting good-quality headphones, as cheap ones don't transmit the bass well. When you increase the volume it increases the high-frequency sounds as well and it is this noise that is most dangerous to hearing. Take frequent breaks from your personal music player. There is some research showing that antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamin C, can prevent hearing loss, so eat an apple when listening to your music.