A Sense of Doubt blog post #3399 - ear infections and ear buds

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3399 - ear infections and ear buds

In the last few years, I have been getting more ear infections, nearly annually.

In part, I have the wax build up problem, which I am loathe to care for with Debrox because it's so oily. I don't like it. I would rather have a regular ear flush, like every quarter, regular.

However, I am also concerned about sticking things in my ears like ear buds.

I resisted for a long time getting blue tooth air pod or over the ear thingies. I worry about the effects of all that sound wave energy coursing through and around my brain, not that the proximity of my smart phone is not nearly as bad or worse. Kind of like being paranoid about an Amazon Echo spying on us when we carry around a phone with an active camera and microphone ALL THE TIME.

More quote blocks because the function to set text colors is still broken here in Blogger. SIGH.

The problem has been reported.

But the Bluetooth thing is another issue entirely. I did some investigating on the infection issue, and here's what I found.

The answer is YES - risk for infection and also related to the wax problem.

(And hearing loss issues...)

Cleanse the devices.

Limit use.

https://jamaicahospital.org/newsletter/qa-can-wearing-earbuds-increase-my-risk-for-an-ear-infection/

Wearing earbuds for hours on end can increase the risk of an ear infection because our ears should not be clogged or obstructed for extended periods of time. Extensive wear of earbuds can prevent wax from exiting the ear canal and create buildups that can lead to infection. Additionally, the surfaces of earbuds are prime environments for dirt and bacteria to accumulate. Inserting earbuds that are unclean can introduce these elements into the ear canal where they can flourish.

To reduce the risk of developing painful ear infections, you should sanitize earbuds on a regular basis by wiping them down with alcohol pads or recommended cleaning solutions.  Store earbuds in a clean case, if they are stored loosely in a bag or drawer they can pick up bacteria and debris. Minimize the amount of time that you wear earbuds.  Most importantly, do not share them with anyone, sharing increases your risk of exposure to bacteria.

Xavia Malcolm https://jamaicahospital.org/newsletter/qa-can-wearing-earbuds-increase-my-risk-for-an-ear-infection/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3406203/

Abstract

The use of headphone has been thought to cause infection in the ear canal and contribute to hearing loss. In this study, we examined 136 Customer Service Representative from Celcom (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. who use headphone throughout their working hours. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of ear canal infection and other related diseases of the ear, nose and throat. Their hearing thresholds were also determined using the Amplaid 309 Clinical Audiometer. We found no incidence of infection of the external ear canal amongst the subjects. There were 4 cases of chronic middle ear infection and 4 cases of impacted wax. Hearing impairment was found in 25 subjects (21.2%). However, there was no significant association between hearing loss and the exposure to sound from headphone usage because the high frequencies were not predominantly affected. There was also no association between hearing loss and duration of service.

@ncbi https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3406203/

AND ADDITIONAL CORROBORATION OR INFECTION

(Some of these sources, most notable the NY Post, are not very credible.)

https://www.novanthealth.org/healthy-headlines/why-earbuds-can-increase-the-chances-of-swimmers-ear

https://nypost.com/2019/10/17/wearing-earbuds-regularly-could-cause-ear-infections-health-professionals-warn/

https://parade.com/997147/lisamulcahy/earbuds-ear-infection/

https://abc11.com/headphones-earbuds-earphones-germs/5676350/

https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/11/08/doctors-warning-heavy-earbud-use-can-increase-risk-of-ear-infections/

https://www.healthline.com/health/otitis-externa

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10155768/disgusting-truth-inside-ears-headphones-airpods/


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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2406.08 - 10:10

- Days ago = 3263 days ago

- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.