When you’re travelling somewhere or walking down the streets, you will find many people wearing earphones or headphones. Besides that, you will also find people using headphones with the passive noise cancellation feature to isolate themselves from the outside world.
Due to technological advancement, earphones or headphones have become a crucial product for people. You can use them to travel, work out, or just listen to good music.
People normally use headphones for music, audiobooks, etc. But the main question here is, “how long should you wear headphones a day?” Let’s find out.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU ALWAYS WEAR HEADPHONES?
People wear headphones not just for music, but also for listening to the audio, for movies, and so on. But when you wear them for longer hours. It can cause some serious problems.
1. Dizziness: When you talk through the headphones and listen to music, you should try limiting their usage. This is because loud sounds/noises can increase the pressure in your ear canals. In return, you will start to feel dizzy.
2. Will Cause Hearing Loss: When you wear the headphones for a long time, you might end up hurting yourself. Unsafe listening habits can lead to permanent or temporary hearing loss. The hair cells present inside your ears will also lose their sensitivity because of vibration and they will also bend down way too much, which can cause a temporary or permanent loss of hearing.
3. Wax Blockage: Wearing headphones for longer periods can lead to the growth of ear wax. The headphones prevent the ear wax from coming out of the ear canals inherently. Ear waxbuild up can cause ear infections, Tinnitus, hearing issues, etc.
4. It Can Cause Acne: Experts say that people who wear headphones, especially when they work out, are allowing bacteria to procreate. This can lead to pimples and acne. If you use earbuds, sweat will start accumulating thus leading to the development of bacteria that can cause ear pimples.
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF HEARING LOSS?
There are several signs or symptoms of hearing loss and they are:
• Muffling of various sounds and speech.
• Trouble hearing the consonants.
• Issues in understanding words, especially in a crowded area.
• Turning up the volume of the radio or television higher.
• Retreating from conversations.
If you suddenly experience a loss of hearing in one ear, you must contact a physician without any delay. You must speak with your doctor when difficulty in hearing is affecting your regular activities. Taking the help of the doctor will help you receive immediate help for your hearing problems.
HOW TO WEAR YOUR HEADPHONES HEALTHILY?
Your ears will get damaged easily when you wear your headphones for too long. But how to wear the headphones in a healthy manner? Here are some of the ways to do so:
1. Keep Them Clean: Ears produce a waxy oil, which goes right into your headphones when you wear them. After drying up, it will transform into a greasy crust that will clog your headphones. Due to such reasons, your hearing will be impaired and you have to increase the volume of the recording or audio, which can harm your ears greatly. But the headphones are also home to bacteria, which can cause severe ear infections. You can easily get rid of the greasy crust by simply cleaning your headphones with a cotton swab or a cloth.
2. Lessen the Volume: The best way to protect your hearing while listening to music is by turning down the volume. You should keep the volume at 60% and not more than that. Increasing the volume over 60% can damage your ears greatly and might lead to hearing loss. So, it’s better to keep the volume below or till 60%.
3. Opt for Passive Noise Cancelling Headphones: There are many headphones out there are designed to block all the background noises and help the wearer concentrate fully on their work. Using these types of headphones will help you listen to music at a lower volume without impeding your hearing capabilities.
HOW TO FIGHT THE COMPLICATIONS?
If you wish to deal with hearing complications, you must use the headphones or earphones for 60 minutes each day. You should keep the volume at a medium level and avoid loud noises. Loud noises are not good for your ears as they can lead to severe ear pain. In case of isolating yourself from the outside world, you can opt for passive noise-cancelling headphones.
WRAPPING UP
Using your earphones or headphones for way too long can lead to hearing losses, especially when the volume is too high. But you can prevent unwanted hearing problems from occurring when you keep the volume at 60% and use the headphones only for one hour. That way, you will have a smooth and healthy listening experience.
