Hearing loss caused by overuse of headphones is a reality all over the world, including among young people. This statement comes from Dr. Gabriela Lean Stragliotto, otolaryngologist and specialist in cervicofacial surgery.

She described in detail no date+ some care and observations regarding hearing health, including ear hygiene, which many still neglect.

Listening to music, watching movies with very loud sound and not wearing PPE at work are some of the leading causes of hearing loss. Photo: Freepik/Reproduction/ND

How can headphones affect your hearing?

According to a WHO (World Health Organization) study, more than 1 billion people in the world between the ages of 12 and 35 are at risk of hearing loss due to prolonged and excessive exposure to loud music or other sounds.

In addition to listening to music and audio abuse, many young people spend hours in front of computers, playing electronic games, watching videos, streaming and other factors that can trigger more serious problems in the future.

“It depends on the volume you turn on your headphones and the amount of time you are exposed to that sound. There are restrictions that must be observed,” explains the doctor. The table below provides examples of restrictions:

The table shows the daily listening hours limit for each volume range. Photo: Ministry of Labor and Social Security/Reproduction/ND.

In practice, to know whether the volume is really high or not, try holding the phone with your arm fully extended. If you can still hear music clearly, the volume is higher than recommended and should be reduced.

Another measurement method is to use applications such as Decibel X: Sound Meter in dBfor iOS and decibel meterfor Android.

Gabriele emphasized that listening to music for several hours at high volumes may not cause pain or discomfort, and gradual hearing loss over time does not cause pain.

According to the expert, “the way to notice that your hearing is deteriorating is to no longer hear or understand what people around you are saying, and also, for example, increase the volume of the TV.”

However, these signs may take time to appear and are usually not noticeable initially. Over the years and with carelessness, a person may notice some differences in hearing.

The pain and discomfort we feel in the ear when we use headphones or other devices in the ear, according to Gabriele, is due to pressure on the area or even infection due to lack of proper hygiene or contamination of the device.

How to properly clean your ears?

In fact, poor hygiene of both audio devices and the ear can cause health problems, not to mention that headphones also push wax into the ear canal.

“The phone is sometimes picked up with a dirty hand or it falls on the floor and the person picks it up and doesn’t clean their hand when they put it back in the ear, which can carry bacteria and cause infections,” she adds.

So, the otorhinolaryngologist explained in detail how to properly clean the ear: first you need to wash it in the shower with soap, but carefully. Then simply wipe the outermost part of the ear canal with the edge of the towel.

She also warned: “Never use a Q-tip, it’s good for everything except your ear.” Laughing, she added that “to clean your phone, for example, you can use a Q-tip.”

The use of personal protective equipment is necessary to ensure the health of workers in the workplace. Photo: Freepik/Reproduction/ND.

In conclusion, Gabriela Stragliotto recalled that hearing loss can also be a consequence of working in environments with high noise levels, such as industrial plants, without wearing PPE (personal protective equipment).

Hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol and liver problems, among others, can also cause hearing loss over time.