What are the Side Effects of Using Headphones On Brain?

Headphones are everyone’s need in the current era but do you know about the side effects of headphones on brain? It’s not only you who is obsessed with the headphones; you may encounter various people while crossing the street, morning walk, drinking coffee in a cafe, or just calling, even during the day using the headphones.

The research of the World Health Organization shows that billions of people are in danger of hearing loss due to unhealthy listening habits. But what type of damage does headphone cause to the brain? This guide will cover all the side effects of using headphones for long time. So let’s start!

Effects of Headphones on the Brain

When you listen to loud music on headphones, it can damage your nerve cells and also cause a progressive autoimmune disorder. A noise level above 110 decibels can harm the protective layer that carries the signals from your ear to the brain. If the protective layer gets affected, also known as myelin, it may lead to a disruptive signal from the electric nerve, which causes the incomplete or complete hearing disorder.

It is common to think that deafening noises can cause the hearing issues like tinnitus and temporary or permanent hearing loss. But recent research shows that these loud noises can also damage the nerve cells and have bad effects on the brain if you have excessive use of headphones or due to noise exposure.

It is good to know that the loss of a protective layer of myelin due to sound pollution is curable. The myelin sheath can re-grow with time, and hearing loss can recover. But it doesn’t mean that you do experiments and remain consistent in using headphones, so avoid the excessive use of everything that can cause health issues.

12 Dangers Sign of Headphones After Prolonged Listening

If you love listening to music and for this purpose, use headphones, then remember that using headphones at high volume for a long time can cause noises in your ear and damage the inner parts and cells of the ear. All of these issues affect the transfer of sound waves into nerve signals. And the brain cannot receive these sound signals, which causes tinnitus.

You may face the following issues due to the excessive use of hearing:

1) Hyperacusis

It is the state of increased sensitivity, even for normal environmental sounds. Most tinnitus patients also suffer from Hyperacusis. In this situation, you may feel a continuous buzzing in your ears.

2) Hearing Loss

If you have bad listening habits and listen to loud music with a high volume of 85 to 90 decibels regularly for extended periods, it will lead you toward Noise Induced Hearing Loss. The hearing damage may be permanent or temporary, so keep the volume low and don’t use the headphones carelessly.

3) Tinnitus

Tinnitus is due to the damage of hair cells in the cochlea. It will lead to roaring, ringing, or buzzing noises in the head and the ear. This consistent electric noise is known as tinnitus—the hair cells are damaged due to the loud noise.

4) Ear Infection

It is one of the regular and common issues you may face due to the excessive use of headphones. The headphone is a significant source of transferring bacteria directly to your ear canal and other parts. They can prevent entry into the air, and the risks of infection development increase. The risk will increase if you share your headphone with others.

5) Numbness in Ears

It is also a common problem due to exposure to loud music or sound in the ear. Due to this, you may face dull hearing, temporary and then permanent hearing disability.

6) Excessive Ear Wax

Using headphones will block the air passage and collect the ear wax, converting it into tinnitus, earache, hearing disability, and various ear infections.

7) Pain in the Ears

If your headset does not correctly fit your ears, it causes pain and may extend to the inner ear. It can also cause soreness in the vicinity that transfer from the jaws to the head. Another form of earache is Barotrauma. It occurs when you use potent speakers that deliver massive air pressure on the eardrum. When you use headphones with powerful speakers, the air creates pressure inside out, and due to the sealed design, it causes eardrum damage or ear pain.

8) Effect on the Brain

When you use headphones, it produces electromagnetic waves and creates problems for the brain. As we know, the internal ear is directly linked to your brain, so any harm in this part of the ear affects the brain.

9) Dizziness

The electromagnetic waves affect the brain, creating dizziness in your body. You may feel that your head becomes too heavy because the pressure in the ear canal will increase owing to the high-pitched or loud noise.

10) Loss of Connection with Reality

People are engrossed in their world when they use headphones in public, like jogging, walking, or on the roads. They mostly lose their connection with the world, cannot hear the sound of vehicles, and become victims. Due to this, users may face severe damage and endanger not only their lives but also the life of others. The rate of these accidents has increased worldwide.

11) Psychological Stress and Anxiety

You will notice the psychological and anxiety disorder in people who live in a noisy environment. It will affect a person’s social life and mental health, leading to low-performance ability.

12) Learning Disability

It is also a common problem of hearing loss. Noise exposure can affect academic performance, comprehension, memory, and reading ability. These issues may have long-term and short-term effects. Research shows that children who learn in a noisy environment have low assessment scores.

Bluetooth Headphones Side Effects

Bluetooth headphones work with non-ionizing radiations, which are harmful when someone comes into direct contact with these radiations. However, it is not a standard or essential concern for regular users.

Most researchers suggest that Bluetooth headphones are not dangerous, while some disagree with this statement. But it is good to avoid excessive use as it can also cause ear pain, excessive ear wax, headache, and many other issues.

How to Use Earphones Without Damaging Ears?

If you want to use earphones or headphones, follow the tips below to avoid serious health issues:

• Use headphones with limited volume 60% volume are good enough, and also remove headphones after every five minutes to give the rest to your ears.
• Always use headphones that don’t directly connect with the ear canal in any way. If your headphones come in contact with the ear canal, it may boost the intensity up to 7-8 decibels because they blow the volume straight into the ear. The bigger headphones are best in this scenario as they remain out of the ears.
• Make sure to sanitize the headphones regularly. It will keep away the bacteria and shed skin and sweat from the ears. If there are sponge covers on the headphones, change them once a month.
• Don’t share your headphones with others. It tends to promote infections.
• Avoid using earphones while traveling as you may need to increase the volume due to the noisy surroundings, which will add to the dB level. It will become blaring for the ears and damage the eardrum.
• Always buy high-end headphones because they will help block the environmental noise, and you can comfortably hear the music at low volume.
• The noise-canceling headphones are the best option as they block the surrounding noises so you can hear the audio.
• But it is essential to remember that don’t use these headphones on roads so that you will be aware of the surroundings and safe from accidents.
• The Super aural headphones are also suitable for use. They will not send vibrations to the eardrum and reduce the chances of hearing damage.
• Use earplugs in any concert and keep a distance from the speakers. Also, preventing others from shouting in the ear to prevent further harm.

I hope this guide will help give you information about the side effects of headphones on brain for prolonged use. Avoid using headphones excessively to save your ears from damage or infection. Technology has benefits and drawbacks. It is up to you in which way you use it.

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