When needing listening to something, earphones are everybody’s best friends. They provide privacy, avoid disturbances and create good accessories, all packaged in a mild and functional wire. But, wearing earphones comes with a risk. The World Health Organization also found that 43 million people aged 12–35 experience hearing loss, and at least 50% of those cases are because of using earphones in a high quantity.
Here are 3 tips on wearing earphones without the chance of hearing loss, as compiled by kompas.com: Reduce the quantity
According to the MRC Institute of Hearing Research, the United Kingdom, the average volume of music while wearing earphones is between 95–105 decibels. For comparison, normal chatting voice is 60 decibels, while thunder can reach 120 decibels, which can damage hearing in just 9 minutes.
Constant loud noise may exhaust the sound-capturing sensory cells in the ear. Among the exhaustion symptoms is a buzzing feeling. However, resting the ear occasionally eliminates it.
Read also: Secondhand smoke causes hearing loss in children.
- Limit sporting length to 1.5 hours at a time
Oregon Health and Science University, the USA, reported that listening to music through earphones for 15 minutes with maximum volume will damage hearing. Loud noises may permanently damage stereocilia cells, the fine hairs responsible for delivering sound vibrations to the brain.
The custom of protracted listening to loud music may sharply decrease somebody’s hearing. The decrease is signaled by a constant ringing in the ears and needing to increase sound volume in order to listen clearly. - Routinely wash the earphones
Based on study by Indian clinical microbiologist Chiranjay Mukhopadhyay and his group, 68 percent of earphones are home to germs. Furthermore, the habit of lending earphones to other people may also increase the risk of bacterial growth.
The presence of the bacteria can boost the risk of external ear canal inflammation called otitis externa. It causes the ear to feel pressure and pain, also produces pus-like stinky sparks. (iru/kes)
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