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I’m sure we’ve all heard the warnings about the damage that can be done from having the volume too loud when listening to music with earphones. Alright, so you keep your volume at a reasonable level. No harm done then, right? Well, as it turns out, high volume isn’t the only issue with earphones, as it’s recently been found that excessive use can also cause mold growth in the outer ear canal. Sounds delightful (yuck)!

There is well-founded speculation that the use of headphones and earphones at high volume is the cause for the recent increase of deafness in youth. While you may be careful about how loud you play your music, according to Dr. Akira Sakakihara – an otorhinolaryngologist (or, if that’s too much of a mouthful, an ear, nose, and throat doctor) – you also need to be careful about how long you use your earphones each day.

If you listen to your MP3 player during your commute to and from work, on your lunch break, while you study at the library, and/or work out at the gym, the hours can add up pretty fast. This can also cause problems, particularly if you use earbuds. The earbuds can chafe and cause damage to the outer ear canal, as well as create a moist atmosphere that’s a perfect breeding ground for mold. And who doesn’t just love moldy ears?

A condition referred to medically as mycosis of the external auditory meatus (another mouthful of medical jargon, which we’re just going to shorten to “moldy ears” for your convenience), the mold can then in turn increase irritation, ear wax, and discharge, and can lead to deafness as well.

▼ “Yep, looks like you’ve got the moldy ear syndrome.”

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Image: David Castillo Dominici

“Headphones and earphones have absolutely no benefits” as far as your ears are concerned, says Sakakihara. But since many people rely on their music to get them through their bustling morning commute or to help them relax at the end of the day, it’s probably a bit unrealistic to expect them to stop using their headphones altogether. This is why Sakakihara highly recommends being careful of the volume of your music, and to also give your ears plenty of rest from headphone use whenever possible. And while he won’t go as far as to say that headphones aren’t bad for your ears, he recommends their use over earphones, as they don’t have buds that sit within the outer ear.

Whether you use headphones or earphones, the important thing to remember is to limit not just the volume, but how long you use them, too!

Source: livedoor NEWS
Top image: stockimages via freedigitalphotos.net