Earphones for more than 1 hour are dangerous! ? The actual situation of "earphone hearing loss" creeping up in the corona disaster | Forbes JAPAN (Forbes Japan)

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As we age, various disorders creep into our bodies. I want to be sensitive to small changes because I don't know when and what kind of disease I will get. So, we will deliver a collection of physical signs that inform you of danger.

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There are probably many people who say that the number of online meetings has increased due to the corona crisis. Dr. Satoshi Iwasaki, a professor at the International University of Health and Welfare, is concerned that the number of patients with hearing loss from earphones may increase in this situation. It's an unfamiliar word, but somehow it sounds scary "earphone deafness". I immediately hit Mr. Iwasaki directly to see what it was like. This is the person who heard the story! Satoshi Iwasaki ◎Professor, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, International University of Health and Welfare Mita Hospital. He is a hearing loss specialist who promotes the use of artificial hearing devices and researches cochlear implants. As the director of the hearing and cochlear implant center at the hospital, he also conducts outpatient services for hearing loss.

One day I suddenly lose my hearing...

──What is “earphone deafness”? Remember that there are three main types of hearing loss. The first is "age-related hearing loss," in which hearing becomes hard as one ages. The second is "sudden deafness," which is said to be more likely to occur in stressful people, but whose cause is unclear. And the third is "earphone deafness" caused by earphones. Sudden deafness and earphone deafness are diseases that one day suddenly become deaf or have difficulty hearing, and I believe that they will increase due to the corona disaster. ──I'm afraid that one day it will suddenly happen. yes. In addition, in age-related hearing loss, both ears cannot hear equally, but sudden hearing loss and earphone hearing loss occur only in one ear. ──Why? Because there is a "effective ear". For example, when answering a phone call, it is better to hold the receiver to your ear. Even if you think you're listening in the same way, the dominant ear is more likely to suffer from hearing loss because it puts more stress on it. ──In the first place, why does earphones cause hearing loss? First of all, listening to loud sounds for a long time is bad for your ears, not just earphones. The inner ear contains hair cells that detect sound. As the name suggests, "sensory hairs" vibrate due to sound vibrations and pick up the sound. You run the risk of not feeling it. ──Hair falling out sounds unpleasant... There are speakers, headphones, earphones, etc. for sound output, but among these, earphones receive sound waves perfectly. Speakers spread sound in all directions. However, with earphones, all sound echoes in the ear, and hair cells receive all sound waves. This is not good for your ears. ──Will the lost sensory hair grow back? Once damaged hair cells cannot be restored even after treatment, and new sensory hairs do not grow. Next page > Watch out for ringing in the ears that lasts for half a day!

Interview and text by Junko Hayashida

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