Even without music, wearing headphones all day might not be a good idea for the health of our ears. Why ? We get back to you.
In transport, for a call, in the street, at work … Wearing headphones has become common. The democratization of wireless headphones even makes listening more convenient. Indeed, there is no wire to get in the way and as a result, we may tend to keep our Bluetooth headphones in our ears all day. But we shouldn’t. Why ? Wearing headphones, or hearing aids, will block the ear canal and prevent the earwax from draining properly. This is the observation of thestudy from the National Center for Biotechnology Information published in July 2021.
This is because earwax is produced naturally by humans and serves to hydrate the skin of the external auditory canal and to protect it from infections. It is evacuated thanks to the movements of the jaw, recalls the study. “Impaction of earwax can obstruct the ear canal or press against the tympanic membrane, potentially causing hearing discomfort, conductive hearing loss, itching”, says the study. In the United States, this phenomenon of earwax accumulation affects up to 6% of the general population and more than 30% of the elderly with cognitive impairment.
Earwax buildup from headphones: when to worry
“Although excessive earwax buildup is usually asymptomatic, patients should be treated if they experience hearing loss, fullness of the ears, itching, dizziness, tinnitus, or earache. The inability to examine an earache. ear due to earwax impaction is another indication for earwax removal “, specifies the study. However, not all patients are affected. As explained above, earwax plays a protective role for the ear canal, and therefore it does not always have to be removed. Only a situation of embarrassment should alert you to an excessive presence.