10 harmful actions we are doing to ourselves when we listen to music on our earphones

Last Updated on 2016-05-19 , 1:53 pm

Music is often used as a stress relief. While you’re in the mood for some loud music to tune out distractions, do you know that sometimes your earphones are actually doing some kind of damage to your hearing?

Having the music on too loud
Some of us always try to make sure that when we are listening to music, we have it at the highest volume because where’s the ‘feel’ if it’s not blasting into your soul, right? We also use it to block out the loud snores of the person next to you on the train, or the loud roaring engines of the bus every morning. But how loud is too loud? Experts suggest that if you can’t hear anything going on around you, the decibel level is too high.

Exposure to noise for too long a period
It is suggested that the louder the volume, the shorter the period you should be exposed to the noise–in this case, your music at high decibel levels. At maximum volume, one should not listen to music for more than five minutes a day. To think we plug in those earphones the moment we get onto the bus or train till we get to school or work, and the whole journey usually takes at least 15 minutes. The risk of permanent hearing loss goes up with just five minutes of exposure to music at full volume a day.

Fighting background noise
Don’t turn up the music just to drown out background noise. Instead, use a better quality earphone that has noise-reduction or noise-cancellation properties and fits well in your ears in order to naturally reduce background noise. That way, you can enjoy your music at a comfortable volume without having to worry about your ears getting damaged.

Wearing earphones to sleep
When you leave your earphones in your ears overnight, there’s a chance that you’re going to experience some pain or slight discomfort like a numbing sensation when you wake up. This could be due to the earphones pressing onto your ears for a prolonged period of time, putting stress on the muscles in that region. Try not to wear them to sleep but if you really can’t sleep without some music, I’d suggest using a speaker (not too loud, of course).

Wearing earphones when your ears are wet
You just got out of the shower, and you’re already running late: who has got the time to dry their ears, right? Seriously, if this happens to you very often, you’d better do something about it. With Singapore’s humid weather, it’s even more essential that you keep your ears dry before you plug in those earphones. Otherwise, you’re risking a serious bacterial infection in your ears.

Using dirty earphones
These days, we have a wide variety of earphones in the market ranging in prices of up to even thousands of dollars. That being said, whether you decide to get the cheapskate version from Taobao, or the authentic and exotic one listed in Forbes’ Top 10, clean your earphones regularly. Take good care of it and make sure the tips are not buried in your earwax after wearing them for years.

Sharing your earphones
Of course, you might want to reconsider sharing your earphones. You don’t really know when was the last time that person actually washed their ears, do you? Bacteria, my friend.

Jamming earphones in your ears
A musical jam session is cool but anyhow jamming those earphones–especially those in-ear ones–in your ears is definitely not. In-ear headphones resemble earbuds, but don’t work the same way as they don’t just hang in your ear-folds but are meant to be worn in such a way that the earbud tips form a seal with the walls of your ear canal. Gently pull your earlobes to fit the tips snugly into your ears –not too deep inside or left too loosely, before you let go of your earlobes. You’ll feel the difference the next time you try it with your earphones. And surely, you’d be able to turn down the volume a little this time.

Using noise-amplifying earphones
Earphones with such noise-amplifying properties, such as the kind Deejays might use in clubs in order to hear over the background music, are often more damaging than normal earphones. This is because they tend to produce louder sounds and can therefore cause more harm to your ears more quickly and more easily.

Plugging in ALL the time, everywhere you go
At least stay alert and look around you – if everyone seems to be scurrying out of the building, it’s probably the fire alarm that has went off. Take off those earphones and get going, otherwise before you know it, you might already be deaf dead.

Top Image: Shayneppl / Shutterstock.com