EARPHONES AND YOUR EARS

According to American Osteopathic Association , 1 in 5 youths has some form of hearing loss - a rate about 30% higher than it was in the 1980s and 1990s - which many experts believe is due, in part, to the increased use of headphones.

Virtually 80% of the world youth population winds up on earphones; in the room, on the road, in the bus, even in classrooms.

We all want to feel the vibes of that hit song, don't we? But what I so much doubt is if we'll also be so much interested in getting a piece of the 'aches' this cake brings us.

Here are some of the harmful effects/hazards using earphones can cause us:

#1: HEARING LOSS:

Listening through head/earphones at high volumes and high decibels for long periods can result in lifelong hearing loss.

Decibels are the measurement of loudness.

If you listen to music at a restrained volume, then you don't have to worry. However, if you listen to music at the highest volume possible, you might want to consider the following warnings:

If you listen to your music using earphones at

• 85 decibels, you can get permanent hearing loss if you listen up to eight hours a day.

• 88 decibels, you can get the same result at just four hours of listening time.

Now for the painful truth, you can lose your hearing in just 15 minutes if you listen at 100-105 decibels.

Stony Brook School of Medicine  also gives a confirmation to this.

People who are exposed to excessive use of earphones also usually complain of pain in the ears.

#2: BRAIN DAMAGE:

The Electromagnetic waves produced by head/earphones can cause serious dangers for your brain

According to this article  by Elyn Jacobs, EMFs emitted by earphones can be very dangerous threats to the life of the user.

Also people who are regular users of Bluetooth, headphones and earphones have been found more prone to brain related problems.

#3: EAR INFECTIONS:

This goes especially to those who share earphones with other people. Sharing earphones can easily result in ear infections.

The regular use of earphones can enhance the growth of harmful bacteria, and sharing or borrowing earphones may just cause the transfer of someone else's bacteria to your ears. Medical experts advise everyone to avoid sharing earphones. If it cannot be helped, sanitize them before using.

#4: BLOKAGE OF AIR PASSAGE:

It is advisable to avoid inserting earphones directly into the ear canals or using earphones that need to be deeply inserted into the ear.

Inserting earphones deep into the ear hampers air passage, and also causes ear infections. Regular use of earphones this way increases production of ear wax, which can in turn result in improper hearing, and also result in tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears).

#5: FATAL ACCIDENTS:

There has been a general increase in the world's mortality rate due to accidents caused by people using earphones or headphones.

Most people listen to songs using earphones with increased volumes, even on the road. This disable their ears from sounds from external sources. Victims of this accident failed to hear the horns of the vehicles that hit them down, and in some cases, they've posed dangers to the lives of unintending victims/commuters too.

You ask, should I now stop using earphones? I say NO. But if you must really use them, I'd advice you read EARPHONES - PREVNTION IS KEY first, to find out the safety precautions to maintain. Thanks.

REFERENCES:
eHow.com
Trends & Health