The risks of using earphones are numerous. They can lead to hearing loss and also affect the brain and its cells. Doctors always advise against wearing earphones for extended periods.
Do Headphones Cause Hearing Loss?
Earphones and headphones have become essential components of our electronic devices in today’s world.
Doctors warn about what might happen to your ears if you wear headphones or earphones for long periods.
Headphones can be comfortable and help you relax—there’s no doubt about that.
They’re also great and very convenient for use while exercising, relaxing, or even sleeping. Wearing them might even serve as a signal to those around you that you're busy and unavailable at the moment.
But headphones can also be unhealthy, or even dangerous.
One should ask: Do headphones actually cause hearing damage or loss?
From a cosmetic standpoint, if you wear headphones too often, they could cause skin conditions like acne or certain skin inflammations in the ear.
But what’s more dangerous is the potential harmful effect headphones may have on your sense of hearing.
Studies indicate that frequently listening to loud sounds through headphones can lead to permanent hearing loss.
In other cases, it can result in reduced hearing ability or tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the negative effects of using earphones for very long periods, and we’ll end the article with what can be done to prevent these risks.
The Risks of Using Earphones
The risks of using earphones are numerous. Among the most prominent are: they can cause hearing loss or ear infections. Using earphones can also be dangerous due to lack of awareness of your surroundings. Other risks include dizziness and a lack of balance.
Here are some of the dangers of using earphones:
1. Earphones May Cause Hearing Loss
If you wear headphones or earphones for a long time or listen to very loud sounds, it can damage your hearing.
How do headphones harm hearing?
By directing sound straight into the ear. Earphones enhance sound quality and allow a person to listen to sounds privately, being the only one hearing them.
They let you hear sounds in more detail, with very deep effects directly inside the ear—and that’s where the danger lies.
Most earphone users tend to raise the volume to dangerous levels to block out other noises.
To get an idea of just how loud this can be, here’s a simple comparison:
Loud motorcycle engines or chainsaws generate around 100 decibels (a unit for measuring sound intensity). These are extremely loud sounds that can hurt our ears and cause ringing for hours afterward—and can damage hearing in less than 30 minutes.
If someone listens to very loud sounds through earphones, they reach 85 decibels at 70% volume, which is very close to 100—making it extremely dangerous.
Hearing loss caused by noise is known as NIHL (Noise-Induced Hearing Loss).
Hearing loss through the use of headphones and earphones is actually quite common.
However, NIHL can be prevented when protective measures are taken consistently.
A good rule to follow is the 60/60 rule:
Listen to sounds through headphones at no more than 60% of the maximum volume, and for no longer than 60 minutes at a time.
2. Risks of Using Earphones: They May Cause Ear Infections
Rule number two: Never share your headphones with anyone, because this is one of the easiest ways to transmit bacteria that cause infections and inflammation.
Although sharing headphones is not the only way to develop an ear infection, earplugs and headphones also raise the temperature of the ear canal,
which may lead to skin erosion and the introduction of harmful bacteria.
If you are buying headphones from someone, make sure to disinfect them before wearing them.
Headphones should also be cleaned regularly, even if no one else has used them.
This will help keep the headphones clean at all times—and more importantly, keep your ears clean and protected.
3. Headphones Can Be Dangerous Due to Lack of Awareness
Headphones may be necessary for work, using the computer, or doing tasks that require concentration and listening.
However, there’s a downside to doing this regularly and consistently, as it may cause you to lose awareness of your surroundings.
A person listening through headphones may not notice what’s going on around them—some of which could be dangerous—or hear any warnings being directed toward them.
So if you’re wearing headphones while cycling, driving, or walking down the street,
you must stop listening to loud sounds through your headphones—or at least lower the volume to a level that allows you to hear those around you if they speak to you.
4. Risks of Using Earphones: They Cause Dizziness and Imbalance
Dizziness is a "feeling of unsteadiness" and is often accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and light-headedness.
Vertigo is described as the "illusion of motion that doesn’t exist."
In this context, dizziness occurs due to an issue in the inner ear, often caused by infections or diseases that clearly manifest as dizziness or imbalance.
Since excessive use of headphones is linked to infections, it can lead to dizziness.
And constant misuse of headphones may lead to chronic vertigo.
5. Risks of Using Earphones: Exposure to Radiation
If you’re using wireless headphones—Bluetooth headphones—you are exposing your body to radiation.
Although research is inconclusive regarding the impact of these low-frequency radiations on physical health,
the mere idea that we may be exposing our bodies to potentially harmful radiation is enough to raise concern.
In a 2018 study, the World Health Organization (WHO) found that radiofrequency (RF) radiation produced biological effects resembling carcinogenic agents in male rats.
These findings led to further studies investigating the effects of RF radiation on humans.
How Can You Protect Yourself from the Risks of Earphones?
There is a general consensus in the health community that headphones and earphones can be safe—but only if proper precautions are followed.
Here are some ideas to make your listening experience as safe as possible:
Always purchase and use new headphones, and avoid extended use.
Listen at less than 80% of the maximum volume, and for no more than 90 minutes at a time.
When using earphones, make sure the plastic components fit properly and are comfortable for your ears.
Do not push the earphones deeply into your ear canal.
Use noise-cancelling headphones to block out loud or noisy environments.
Don’t listen to anything loudly while walking or driving.
Seek medical attention if you experience dizziness or difficulty maintaining balance.
If your work requires you to wear earphones for long periods, try to take a break every hour to protect your ears from the effects of continuous use.
Clean your earphones regularly to protect yourself from bacteria, fungi, pimples, and infections.
In Conclusion... Moderation in everything is essential.
Excessive use of electronics and technology leads to long-term cumulative effects that can seriously harm your health.
