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Beware! Wearing headphones all the time have shocking side effects on the brain and heart

Prolonged and chronic usage of headphones or earbuds can cost you dearly. Wearing headphones all the time may be a fashion statement for some but can be detrimental to your physical and mental well-being as doctors believe it can lead to loss of hearing, ear damage, headaches, heart disease, infections, and even learning disabilities. Read on to know more.

Ashima Sharda Mahindra

Updated Feb 5, 2023, 09:00 IST

Prolonged use of headphones or earphones can cause a lot of ear and heart-related issues

New Delhi: Most of us wear headphones to either get rid of unwanted sounds or listen to music in privacy or just look fashionable. However, many times, in the hours of use of headphones, you forget that it can harm your ears as well as the body.

Health experts believe that apart from causing damage, earphones can also make you addicted. The sound coming from earphones has a big impact on your eardrums, leading to permanent damage.

In the past decade or so, the damaging effects of excessive exposure to loud music from portable earphones have gained attention. There is also an increasing concern as headphones are often listened to at unsafe volumes.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about a billion young people worldwide could be at risk of hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices.

Here are a few side effects of using headphones or earphones for prolonged hours daily:

Hearing loss

Continuously listening to music in a high voice from earphones or headphones affects hearing. The hearing capacity of the ears is only 90 decibels, which reduces to 40-50 decibels by continuous listening, and thus you will not be able to hear distant voices.

Risk of heart disease

Listening to music, according to health experts is not good for the ears as well as the heart. Not only does it make the heartbeat faster, but also causes considerable damage to the heart.

Headache

The electromagnetic waves emitted from headphones and earphones have a bad effect on the brain, causing throbbing headaches and migraines. Many people also suffer from interrupted sleep, sleeplessness or insomnia, or even sleep apnea.

Ear infection

Earphones are plugged directly into the ear canal, which can become a barrier to air passage. The blockage can then become a common cause of different kinds of ear infections including the growth of bacteria.

Experts recommend one should avoid sharing earphones with anyone as the harmful bacteria may transfer from one ear to another.

Lack of focus

Earbuds are very small in size but can form a huge impact on your eardrum. The sound travels from the ears to your brain and affects your nervous system, causing a lack of focus. Focusing and concentration powers can get weak because of the excessive usage of earphones for prolonged periods.

Increased stress and anxiety

Prolonged usage of headphones can affect a person’s social life, mental health, and ability to perform at optimum levels.

Learning disabilities

Learning disabilities are common outcomes of hearing loss, as chronic and continuous noise exposure in classrooms can affect a child’s academic performance in reading, ability, comprehension, and memory.

Studies indicate that children who are exposed to noisy learning environments have lower assessment scores on standardized tests.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

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