Over the years, headphones and earphones have started to gradually lose their popularity to wireless earbuds and this is not surprising when you factor in the evolution of phones. Currently, more and more smartphone companies are getting rid of headphone jacks so customers have steadily made a shift towards in-ear buds. But although wireless earbuds may offer benefits such as being discreet and, depending on the manufacturer, excellent sound quality with noise-cancelling features, you should know that these may not be the healthiest option for your ears. If you are heavily reliant on your in-ear buds and, consequently, utilise them for hours on end, you could be putting your ear health in jeopardy in various ways. This article illuminates a couple of the reasons why your wireless earbuds could send you to an audiologist's office.
In-ear buds could gradually lead to hearing loss
The last thing that anyone would want to think about is that their wireless earbuds could be putting them at risk of losing their hearing but this is a real threat depending on your usage. Typically, individuals that tend to listen to music or podcasts at the maximum volume will develop damage to the hair cells that are located in their cochlea. These hair cells play the primary role of transferring auditory signals to the neurons in your brain. When the hair cells are continuously exposed to loud decibels of sound, they gradually acquire damage. If you do not stop this habit, more and more hair cells will succumb to damage and this will have an adverse effect on how sound is transported to your brain. You should also know that once the hair cells acquire damage, they become permanently destroyed, so reversing the damage will be impossible. When this occurs, you will need to see an audiologist for hearing aids.
In-ear buds can lead to recurring infections
Not many people take into account the environment in the ears, yet it is a prime breeding ground for bacteria. A normal ear canal is not only dark but is moist too. If you do not clean your wireless earbuds regularly, the higher the likelihood that they will accumulate dirt that contains microbes. The moment you stick the contaminated wireless earbuds in your ears, you are at increased threat of developing an ear infection, as the bacteria will make their way into the ear canal and breed inside it. Another risk posed by wireless earbuds is that the longer you have them on, the less air that circulating inside your ear canal so this tube-like canal becomes increasingly moist. Subsequently, you will pay routine visits to an audiologist for recurring ear infections.
Contact an audiologist to learn more.
