Headphones can be described as a pair of speakers that can be worn in or over the ears and they make it possible to hear audio signals while using any electronic device such as desktop, laptop, tablet and smart phones.

The rapid advancement in audio technology has made headphones an essential part of our lives, there are many brands and many types of headphones including wired and wireless that are available in the market that gives us personalized access to a high quality sound experience regardless of the device used, be it a laptop, tablet or a smartphone.

Over the years, there has been an increased use and dependence on using headphones in both our professional and personal lives, which includes virtual meetings, video calls, gaming watching movies and listening to music to name a few.

The constant use of headphones can cause hearing loss and have a negative effect on our hearing ability, one needs to be careful with how we use our headphones.

These are some of the problems caused by excessive use of headphones:

1. Exposure to loud sounds over a period of time can damage the inner ear which is very sensitive to loud noise and can result in hearing loss.

2.  When you listen to sound that is less than 70 decibels, it is unlikely to cause any significant harm to your hearing but when you listen constantly to sound over 100 decibels it can lead to permanent hearing loss.

It does not matter whether you are using wired or wireless headphones, it is important that you not keep the volume too loud, regardless of noise cancellation, most devices give a warning when the volume goes beyond a certain level and you can know if the volume too loud, when you are listening to music and you cannot hear what the person seated next to you is saying.

The amount of time spent using headphones is important and makes a difference because the more time you spent especially with listening to something with higher volume, the faster the risk of suffering from permanent hearing loss.

Steps for using headphones safely:

1. It is difficult to reduce the use of headphones, especially when you are working from home and your job requires attending virtual meetings, it would make a difference if you could cut down on the number of hours used listening to music or watching movies while using your headphone.

2. Noise cancelling headphones does sound like a good idea in theory, it keeps out external sound but long term it can be harmful to your hearing as you feel comfortable and find it convenient to listen to loud music without realising the damage being done to your hearing.

3. It is always a good idea to protect your ears with earplugs,  when you are in noisy surroundings like nightclubs, sporting events etc., As earplugs help to reduce the sound significantly depending on the quality of the earplugs.

Finally, get regular checkups, only an expert can detect impaired hearing and get it treated on time, in order to prevent permanent hearing loss.