How ears are struggling with us?

Being a teacher, in the previous college that I worked, students would identify me as "Headphones mam" or "Mam with headphones". I use to be with my headphones ALWAYS and everywhere.

There were a few reasons for that, leaving my crap, I will get to the point.

While working there, I got a problem called "Vertigo".

Vertigo is a condition when you will not have proper ear balance. If ear balance is not proper, you will experience dizziness, vomiting sensation, etc., In my case, in the first instance itself, it was worse, even if I tilt my head a little, I would get dizziness and immediately vomit.

Then I was diagnosed and advised to take good rest with proper posture maintenance and few exercises to follow until I get better. It was nearly 4-5 days till I got better.

Later of it, I did not have vertigo for very long except a few dizzinesses but not so serious.

But now recently five months back, I had again this kind of situation, not so serious as earlier but it was bad. My ears were shut and had continuous dizziness, Aaahhh it was horrible.

Then I visited a doctor and he told the same that it is vertigo and they examined me.

After examination, the doctor prescribed an Audiometry test to test my hearing capability.

I was very shocked and went on with the test.

Trust me, it was a horrible test. I have had this test earlier once for medical certificate purposes only and it was fun then.

But this time it was NOT FUN !!

It was almost 30 minutes wait before I visited the doctor again and got the results.

He told, "Thank God your hearing is not compromised, but many patients with Vertigo will have hearing problems, You're not there yet!!".

ME: *Startled* Whattttt??

He then prescribed me tablets and told me to maintain proper postures while sleeping and routine activities. He also told, if this continues, we need to go for Surgery.

I was kind of relieved and also felt very bad for being in that situation.

I did not have any problems thereafter.

Then I began to think through what was the problem.

I realized "Earphones" could be the problem and started reading on it.

Kudos to my instincts, I was right, whenever I use an earphone, I would have some discomfort in the ear. Then I started reducing the usage of headphones.

Nowadays, we are ought to use Headphones/Earphones through the day because of Work From Home, continuous work calls, relaxations all of it will be carried with earphones only.

Right??

Let me list the effects it can have:

• NIHL(Noise-Induced Hearing Loss)

• Tinnitus (buzzing, ringing noise in-ear)

• Hyperacusis (because of Tinnitus, many are very sensitive to environmental noises)

• Hearing loss

• Dizziness

• Ear infection

• Excessive ear wax

• Pain in the ears

• Effect on the brain (EMF generated by the headphone itself)

Don't get panicked by all these.

As usual, only a small habitual change is required for avoiding all these Chaos.

1. Keep the volume low, ALWAYS.

2. Do not use the headphones for so long whatsoever, If you want, you can keep a reminder in your phones once in 30 mins or so.

3. Prefer over-head headphones rather than Earphones that come with the mobile, because it is plugged in very close to the eardrum (more the nearer, more the damage it causes).

4. Mostly don't use headphones in noisy places because we might boost up the sound.

Another important thing from my own experience:

I believe there will be no household in India without "Earbuds pack" for cleaning out the Ear wax.

But it is a fact that We are not supposed to clean our ear wax and the ear will clean it out on its own.

I am not telling this simply, but often my ears would become shut (at least once in 1.5 years), then I would go to a doctor, he would clean the wax out of my ears. But this was only after my Undergrad days. The doctor would also show me the wax collected from my ear, once it was a HEAP!!, I felt bad and told him that hereafter "I will clean my ears properly doctor".

Immediately he started scolding me that "Yen ma ivlo padichuruka, unaku idhu kooda theriyadha, You should not clean your ears on yourselves if you do so this will only happen".

I was like Whaatttt? I was thinking like, Is he trying to retain me as a patient or what?

Then I realized that it was me messing with my Ears and there is no one to blame.

If you don't believe in what I say, Just google, "Earbud cleaning and hearing loss", you will understand better.

Let's not mess ourselves with our meaningless habits.

Stay safe, stay healthy.

Let me know if you have experienced anything like this.

Anbudan,

Divya Bharathi T