How Improper Use of Earphones Cause Permanent Hearing Damage

Wearing earphones or a headset is common practice among people of all ages. People wear it to listen to music, video, or any audio-equipped things. Using it at a normal rate, such as at a normal volume and frequency will not cause damage. However, according to Radio Kesehatan Kementerian Kesehatan RI, the use of headsets or earphones with sound exceeding 85 decibels or more than 15 minutes can cause deafness or hearing impairment.

Here’s how using a headset or earphone for too long or loud can affect you

1. Dizziness

According to the Only My Health page, using earphones for too long can cause you to have vertigo. Vertigo is a health condition where the patient feels dizzy and the surroundings seem to spin around. The increased pressure in the ear canal can cause this sensation.

Read also How To Reset Your Brain With Dopamine Detox

2. Ear Infection

The use of earphones that are directly inserted to the ear canal can block airflow. This blockage will be the common cause of ear infection. Not only that, as the airflow is blocked, the sound gets amplified inside causing disruption to the fine hair inside the ear. This will result in hearing impairment. 

3. Tinnitus

Tinnitus is an ear buzzing condition that can last for a while or a long time. The damaged hair cell in the cochlea causes the buzzing noise called tinnitus.This buzzing noise can happen only in only one of the ears or both. Those who got affected by tinnitus can develop Hiperakusis. Which is high sensitivity to even normal sounds.

4. Partial or Fully deafness

Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is a disorder where the ear doesn’t work normally because of high volume noise. However not only high volume, using it for too long can also cause this disorder. At first, the sufferer will have a difficult time concentrating. Then the condition will develop gradually to ear pain as the hearing gets reduced until hearing loss is induced.

Source: CNN Indonesia