Family Health
<p><b>Can constant earphone use affect your health?</b></p>
<p>Earphones, headphones, and earbuds are all necessary accessories that come with great convenience. These come in handy for trips, exercising, studying, listening to music and to simply zone out and cancel noise around you.</p>
<p>But is it safe to have these earphones plugged into your ears 24/7?</p>
<p>Despite the convenience they may bring, unfortunately, you run the risk of ear damage in the long run. Here's why.</p>
<p>According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, sound is measured in decibels, and one of the important things to note when considering headphone use is that personal listening devices are tuned to a maximum volume of around 105 to 110 dB.</p>
<p>Exposure to sound levels above 85 dB (equal to a lawnmower) can cause possible ear damage with exposure of more than two hours, while exposure to the sound of 105 to 110 dB can cause damage in five minutes.</p>
<p><b>Sound and hearing loss</b></p>
<p>There are thousands of cells in the ears, some of which have little hair-like structures called hair cells that are responsible for transmitting sound from the ears back to the brain, where it is further processed.</p>
<p>Excess sound can cause permanent damage to these cells, which interrupts the mechanism of sound transmission. Damage may also happen via the connection between the hair cells and nerve cells, which can be interrupted by an excess sound, even if the hair cells remain normal, reports the Harvard Medical School.</p>
<p>Together with these, here are other problems you may face with long-wear of earphones:</p>
<p><b>Dizziness</b></p>
<p>Loud noise can lead to increased pressure in the ear canal, and this can cause dizziness.</p>
<p><b>Hearing loss</b></p>
<p>Hair cells tend to lose their sensitivity to vibration, and they bend down too much. This causes temporary or permanent hearing loss.</p>
<p><b>Ear infections</b></p>
<p>Earphones can block the air passage, and this could lead to bacteria growth over time. This growth can also stay on the earphones. To be extra safe, avoid sharing earphones as the same bacteria will be transferred from your ear to the person you share the earphones with. This could lead to a serious ear infection.</p>
<p><b>Ear pain</b></p>
<p>Using poorly fitted earphones for long periods can cause pain and soreness in the inner ear.</p>
<p><b>Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)</b></p>
<p>NIHL may develop from loud noise and using earphones for a long time.</p>
<p><b>Tinnitus</b></p>
<p>Loud noise can damage the hair cells in your cochlea causing a roaring or ringing noise in the ear or even head. This noise is called tinnitus.</p>
<p><b>Hyperacusis</b></p>
<p>Those who suffer from tinnitus are susceptible to develop high sensitivity even to normal environmental sounds. This sound intolerance is called hyperacusis.</p>
