Headphones are essential portable products for many people's daily work and life. In addition to using audio to fill fragmented time, more and more people like to wear headphones to enjoy alone time on their morning runs, work trips, or even playing games or watching TV shows, in order not to be disturbed by the outside world. Some people even wear headphones when sleeping. But you know what? Long term use of headphones may cause irritation to the ears, leading to hearing loss. Excessive volume of personal audio devices is an important cause of irreversible hearing loss, and many young people have bad habits when using headphones connected to smartphones and other devices. Setting the volume of headphones too high can really cause hearing loss. Improper use of headphones can cause various harms to the ears. Hearing loss can occur when listening to music on mobile phones. The highest volume of headphones can reach about 115-120 decibels, and within a few minutes at this level, hearing will be permanently damaged. And when we are in a noisy environment, in order to achieve clear and good sound effects, we often unconsciously increase the volume of our headphones. When the volume is too high, it may cause damage to the cochlear hair cells, leading to noise induced hearing loss or tinnitus. When the sound intensity reaches over 80 decibels and accumulates for more than 40 hours per week, it can cause damage to the fragile hair cells in our inner ear, leading to hearing loss. The risk of infection is that most headphones are tightly attached to the ear canal, causing an increase in temperature and humidity inside the ear canal and the growth of bacteria; This increases the risk of ear infections, further leading to itching and pus discharge symptoms. Otitis externa: After prolonged use of headphones and irregular cleaning, bacteria and dirt may accumulate. When the headphones come into contact with the ear canal, these pathogens may enter the ear canal and cause otitis externa. Swelling of the ear canal: Most of the headphones we use in our daily lives come into direct contact with the front of the auricle and the cartilage of the external ear canal. Frequent use of headphones may cause repeated compression and stimulation of the skin in these areas, leading to skin damage, pain or itching, and increasing the chance of swelling. Embolism of earwax (also known as earwax): Long term wearing of in ear headphones not only affects the normal discharge of earwax, but also stimulates the secretion and coagulation of earwax glands in the external auditory canal. In addition, improper treatment methods may push earwax deeper into the ear canal, leading to the formation of earwax embolism and causing discomfort such as ear blockage and pain. be careful! Whether it's in ear, head mounted, or bone conduction headphones, prolonged use and excessive volume can also damage your hearing. On the one hand, long-term wearing of headphones may cause mechanical damage to structures such as the external auditory canal and auricle. On the other hand, the sealing of headphones is too good. When we insert and remove headphones, the strong impact caused by the pressure difference inside and outside the ear canal may lead to tympanic membrane perforation, resulting in serious problems such as hearing loss. How to correctly use the "Three 60" principle of headphones, whether it is large headphones, in ear style, or bone conduction, should follow the "Three 60" principle. The volume should not exceed 60% of the maximum volume. The listening time should not exceed 60 minutes. When wearing headphones, be sure to consider the surrounding environmental noise. If the environmental noise exceeds 60 decibels, it is not recommended to wear them in this environment. So, try to avoid using headphones on the subway, bus, or roadside as much as possible. Be sure to use and prioritize active noise cancelling headphones. Do not turn up the volume too high just to hear the sound clearly in the headphones. Try to control the volume to the lowest level that allows you to hear the content clearly. Pay attention to the cleanliness of headphones and develop the habit of regularly cleaning them to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi and reduce the risk of infection. Wearing headphones while sleeping increases the risk of ear structural damage, which can lead to external ear infections; Wearing headphones while sleeping not only causes the inner ear hair cells to constantly receive sound signals, leading to hearing fatigue and ultimately noise induced hearing loss, but also puts the brain in a shallow sleep state due to continuous sound stimulation, affecting sleep efficiency and resulting in a deterioration of mental state the next day. If you insist on listening before going to bed, it is important to turn off the headphones on time. If you need to wear headphones for a long time, try to wear headphones alternately on the left and right ears to fully recover from hearing fatigue. Kind reminder, the following groups of people are advised not to wear headphones: 1、 People with otitis externa are not recommended to wear headphones. One of the treatment principles for otitis externa is to keep the external auditory canal clean, dry, and unobstructed. However, if the otitis externa has been completely cured, headphones can still be worn, but it is important to maintain good headphone usage habits. 2. For people who have already experienced symptoms such as tinnitus, ear tightness, or even hearing loss, it is recommended not to wear headphones temporarily and to seek medical attention promptly. Hearing loss is permanent and irreversible, and it quickly spreads to the "headphone party" around you to jointly protect hearing health.