Ever since the start of the pandemic and compulsory stay at home conditions have prompted the increasing use of ear buds/ head phones/ i pods amongst the entire cross section of persons. From school going children to working parents to retired folks at home- most of us have had to get used to a virtual world with an ever increasing dependence on ear phones/ headphones.

Many ear bud users have problems - let us enumerate and also find solutions to these problems.

1. Allergy to the material

It is possible the material used to make the ear bud could be causing an allergic reaction - you will know this by the fact that every time you put in or take out the ear buds there is sensation of scratchiness or desire to itch. There may be some local redness or rash. In extreme cases there may be mucoid discharge- ' weeping eczema'.

2. Prolonged Use 

If used continuously for hours during the day (or sometimes at night young persons may put on the ear phones to listen to music and go off to sleep without realizing - the buds remain inside the ears for hours).

The solution for this is to keep taking frequent breaks by removing these devices and letting the ears breathe.

3. Noise Trauma 

Sometimes we listen to loud music for prolonged periods through our headphones. This leads to noise trauma - Noise Induced Hearing Loss. This can be very troublesome - apart from the disability of the hearing loss there is the additional nuisance of the Tinnitus (noise in the ears).

The best way of preventing this is by 

  • Listen only to sound at lower volumes- the limit? With both ear phones inside the ears you should be able to hear someone calling you from behind.
  • Limit the duration - Cochlear hair cell damage is related to loudness of sound plus duration of exposure. Use earphones only for a limited time
  • Check up- when in doubt that your hearing is affected have it checked at the earliest by going for an audiometry test.

4. Device Selection

  • Use a device that is snugly fitting
  • It should be made from a non-reactive material
  • Use Headphones rather than insert earphones- insert earphones can damage the ear canal wall skin if inserted improperly. The headphones are safer in this respect- they do not damage your ear skin and the sound quality is also better.

5. Store and Clean properly

Store the devices in a safe and clean place. 

Sterilize the device with sanitizer lotion (minimum 70 % alcohol) before inserting into the ears

6. Show early

If the earbuds are causing itching, redness, pain, burning sensation, impaired hearing, tinnitus etc- please show once and as soon as possible- early assessment and treatment is always better.

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