The headphone market is booming. No wonder then we find most people with headphones plugged in their ears, listening to loud music for longer periods of time. It is incidental that the same device that many use to block out outside sounds is making you vulnerable to hearing issues.
According to Dr. Girish Anand, Consultant, ENT Surgery, Aster CMI Hospital, the downside of headphones are plenty. “Listening to loud music and loud sounds through earphones can lead to hearing loss and tinnitus. It has more to do with the volume you are listening at rather than the earphone itself. It depends on how long you listen, how loudly you listen and how often you listen.” There have been global studies that reinforce the ill effects of headphones on hearing capabilities of people, especially youngsters.
Dr. Santosh.S, Senior Consultant ENT, Columbia Asia Hospital Hebbal added, “Tinnitus is a symptom of nerve damage in the ear. When earphones are plugged in, the sound reaches the ear and hits the ear-drum with pressure due to closure of the ear compartment. With earphone the chances of this happening are high and hence it is better to use headphones instead. Even though it is still a closure of ear compartment, the difference is that the sound won’t hit the eardrum under pressure. Ideally people should avoid using both headphones and earphones. Once this develops it becomes a permanent problem if untreated immediately and might permanently damage the nerve. This can be treated if the issue is identified in the early stages itself. ”
Tinnitus once set in and not treated early can lead to a permanent sound in the ears which is disturbing. In severe cases, some people also consider suicide as the sound can be very frustrating. Early help can reduce the sound or even cause tinnitus to disappear.
What is safer to use?
Over the ear phones are better than the earphones that go directly into the ear
Use noise cancellation headphones which cancel out the background noise
Use loose fitting earphones in the ear which expose the ear to lower sound pressure than the snugly fitting ones
Symptoms of tinnitus
Sounds such as ringing, buzzing, hissing, whistling constantly or intermittently is tinnitus. Severe symptoms can lead to anxiety, depression, irritability, sleep disturbances, stress, sometimes needing psychiatric consult. Tinnitus is linked to high blood pressure, head and neck tumours, blockages in the neck vessels, acoustic neuroma (a tumour in the brain area with hearing and balance issues), thyroid disorders, otosclerosis involving the ear bones , Ménière’s disease (an inner ear disorder affecting balance and hearing)
Prevention of tinnitus
To steer clear of tinnitus, experts recommend employing ways to avoid stress, avoid exposure to loud sounds, avoid caffeine and nicotine and treat underlying conditions of blood pressure, thyroid and other diseases.
