The ‘budding’ rise of ear-infections from earbuds

The audio category in India has witnessed some drastic changes in the gadgets and technology. From earphones to headphones to now wireless earbuds, the transformation has been quite huge. You will hardly find someone who does not own a pair of earbuds or who has not wish listed it in their Amazon account. Earbuds are becoming quite multi-functional these days when people are sitting at home while working or taking call or listening to music.

Despite though a convenience, earbuds possess risks to our health. Everyone at some point or the other has split headphones with their friends, family, borrowed a pair from a colleague and even left them at some place in the open only to find and use the next day. Sharing earphones is quite normal these days, when you really want to zone out, focus on a task or even just make others listen to your favourite song but not many realise that this can lead to significant ear-health issues and ear infection after prolonged use of earbuds.

Experts suggest sharing earbuds is not only unhygienic but risky too; when one shares or uses another person’s earbuds, they let that person’s bacteria into their ears, which can lead to ear infection and other ailments. According to health experts, earbuds do the wearer more harm than good, our ears our naturally built to protect themselves but when this natural process is obstructed it can lead to significant health issues. No earbuds today are designed mindful of the health risks they bring nor do they try to reduce it.

Owing to the compact size, it’s easy to leave them lying around, risking the development of bacteria. Unless you sanitize them, your earbuds have probably accumulated a great deal of dirt and bacteria. The major cause of this is the presence of the bacteria in the ear gel, and inadequate cleanliness of the same. To ensure that people can enjoy using their earbuds without worrying about the hygiene of their ears, LGs launched TONEFREE Wireless earbuds, with innovative UV Nano Technology are capable of sanitizing and eliminating bacteria. India’s 1st 99.9% Bacteria-Free Earbuds, an industry first innovation, the LG TONEFREE come with an UV Nano charging cradle to keep the earbuds bacteria free, giving the wearer enhanced hygiene and protection after every charge. The earbuds also have medical-grade ear gels that conform to the ear shape.

It is important to use the earbuds mindfully to reduce the risk of infections. Taking breaks and ensuring proper sanitisation is important while using them on a day-to-day basis.