BENGALURU: Constant exposure to mobile radiation and prolonged use of earphones can damage your eardrums. People are found spending hours on their phones which may be work related or otherwise. Continuous use of earplugs with high volume can lead to loss of hearing or ear damage, which could be temporary or permanent.
The urban population faces a common ear problem that could be a Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). If a person is exposed to a sudden blast or a honking of horns repeatedly or even working in a noisy environment, it could result in sensor neural hearing loss where a nerve in the ear might get damaged temporarily and sometimes permanently.
“The hearing loss usually goes unnoticed as it is mild whereas an early sign of hearing loss is when the hearing gets gradually lost. When one senses inability to hear certain high-pitched sounds like the bell ringing or when someone calls out, it is advisable to see a doctor for a proper check-up of one’s hearing ability. If it's too late it can be irreversible," says Dr. Prakash Handi, ENT surgeon, Employees State Insurance (ESIC) Hospital.
Depending on the severity of damage and how early it is diagnosed, the level of hearing loss can be slowed down. Any sound that is 40 decibels is safe whereas, while anything above 60 decibels (70 percent of volume on phone or music player) can damage hearing. The lower the volume of the music, the longer you can listen to it without harming your hearing. The louder it is, quicker damage to your ear.
When the sound waves are closer to the human brain, it may cause damage to ears unlike the use of conventional earphones which are placed inside the ear canal. There is a high chance of earphones causing damage to the hearing nerve with its continuous use. Initially, the ears may be repaired but the long-term usage could cause permanent hearing loss.
The pinna (outer ear) collects sound and transfers it to the ear canal. At the end of the ear canal, the eardrum vibrates converting sound energy into electrical energy. If they are damaged, they cannot be healed and are irreparable.
Dr. Pratima Murthy, Professor and Head of Department of Psychiatry, says, "Continuous exposure to loud noise is known to cause a lot of neuropsychiatric symptoms. The whole thing of very continuous personalized use of these devices may cut off the social life of a person."
