Doctors have a 60-60 rule for safe headphone usage, which means 60% volume for every 60 minutes of listening is harmless. When we break this rule, we may experience the feeling of spinning, nausea, and may even suffer from sleep disorders. These are just a few effects that headphones may have on our bodies if we use them for too long and too often.
Here at Bright Side, we believe that any device can turn into a weapon if not used wisely. We decided to look for an expert opinion on what may happen to us if we overuse our headphones, and here’s what we found out.
You might get a compression headache.
People who wear headphones for too long expose their head to pressure that’s not meant to happen by nature. As a result, our scalp and inner ear get compressed and we can get a headache. Wearing headphones may also worsen migraines if you’re prone to them.
You may develop impaired hearing.
According to science, most 30-year-olds should be able to hear a 17-kilohertz sound, which means they could hear an approaching mosquito. But the truth is, more and more young people can’t hear at this level at their age. What’s more, is we all have 15,000 hearing cells at birth, but once we lose one, it cannot be restored. Scientists tie this cell loss problem to the frequent use of headphones.
You may have a wax blockage in your ears.
A buildup of ear wax occurs because earphones stop the wax from coming out of the ear canals naturally. In turn, your ears may become blocked, which can lead to an ear infection. Moreover, earphones act like cotton swabs and can push the wax deeper into the ear canal, which may result in earaches and dizziness.
You may develop a special condition called vertigo.
Vertigo is a spinning sensation of losing balance, an illusion of movement that is not there. It is often accompanied by nausea and dizziness. It happens when our ears are clogged by the noise-isolating earbuds. The additional factor that may cause the feeling of spinning is listening to music at the highest volume. While putting these small objects into our ears, we stimulate the inner ear nerve and create unnatural pressure inside it.
You may start hearing non-existant sounds, even in full silence.
If you overdose on earphone-wearing, you may develop an annoying sensation of tinnitus. You may start hearing ringing, clicking, buzzing, hissing, or roaring in your ears, even when you’re in full silence and resting. This sensation has no cure, but it can easily be prevented by reducing headphone time and lowering the volume in your earplugs, scientists claim.
You may get skin problems and acne.
What Happens to Your Body When You Wear Headphones for Too Long
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According to medical experts, those who frequently wear big, over-ear headphones, especially when they work out and sweat, are allowing thousands of unpleasant bacteria to multiply. This may lead to acne and skin infections. Additionally, if you use earplugs, the excessive oil from inside of your ear may start accumulating, creating a wonderful soil for bacteria that may cause ear pimples.
Do you know someone who spends too much time with their ears covered? Tag them in the comments below.