Do you wear ear pads for prolonged duration of time, please be very careful!!
These days, there are many who use ear pads frequently in the trains, buses etc. By means of ear pads, we could listen to the music without disturbing others etc. Not many of us know that prolonged wearing of ear pads could be dangerous for ear health.
What happens when we wear ear pads for a long time?
Bitter fact is that whether we wear ear pads accidently for longer duration or out of habit, it can impact our ears to a huge extent. This was revealed by a famous ENT specialist belonging to Bangalore based hospital. He spoke about how by wearing ear pads continuously moisture as well as heat would get trapped inside our ear canal resulting in irritations or higher chances of ear infections etc. Moreover, the pressure of ear pads can also result in pain, soreness etc in the outer ear. By hearing loud music sound regularly using ear pads, there are high possibilities of noise induced hearing loss. This is especially in the teenaged persons and kids etc.
It must be taken into account that listening to loud music for a long time could damage the small hearing cells present inside the inner ear. This might lead to tinnitus etc also. There are also more chances of building up ear wax inside as the natural cleaning process of ears gets blocked. In such a scenario, it is necessary to take breaks and keep the volume low for the sake of ears.
How long is it safe to wear ear pads?
It is worthy to note here that using ear pads safely would depend on both volume as well as time. According to some experts, the 60/60 rule is important. This means listening at no more than 60% of the maximum volume for not more than 60 minutes at a stretch. It is essential to give ears a break to avoid damage to the ears. It is safe and okay to use ear pads for 3 to 4 hours a day at moderate volume. This was mentioned by the ENT doctor.
What about using noise cancellation ear pads?
If used properly, noise cancellation ear pads would be superb as they block the outside noise. As a result, there would be any need to increase the volume. By this, our inner ear would get protected from loud sounds and risk of long term hearing damage would get lowered.
There are also some disadvantages in using noise cancellation ear pads. Truth is that the users might not hear traffic sounds, alarms, or someone calling etc and this can result in safety issues outdoors. The noise cancellation ear pads are safer for hearing but must be used carefully.
Ear hygieiene tips that we must follow compulsorily:
We can lower the risks of using ear pads through good ear hygiene. In this regard, it is important to clean the ear pads regularly with a soft dry cloth and this would prevent dirt and bacteria from entering the ears. Please do not share ear pads with others to prevent spreading of germs etc. It is essential to give ears a break in between for airflow and to prevent building up of moisture. It`s your ears, please take care.