Headphones Hurt My Ears?
A good pair of headphones are meant to be comfortable, easy to wear and fun. Especially if you purchase the right size, ergonomic design and fluffy pads. There are two main designs for headphones on-ear headphones and in-ear headphones with each having different problems.
Things that cause headphones hurt my ears
Things that cause hurt while wearing headphones are size of ear tips especially prevalent in in-ear headphones. Others include excessive treble, excessive volume, prolonged use, dry weather. An on-ear headphone can cause discomfort because of clamp force, insufficient padding on ear cups.
- Size of ear tips
- Excessive treble
- High volume
- Prolonged use
- Dry weather
- Clamp force
- Insufficient padding
Causes and solutions for Headphones ear pain
Things to Consider
Things to consider when choosing headphones is the fit, design, placement in ear and duration of use. A common question is can headphones cause hearing loss. The answer is yes if you listen to loud music continuously for long periods.
Noise induced hearing loss is preventable with low decibels and moderate use of headphones. Precautions include lower decibels use for no longer than 60 minutes at a time.
1.Placement in ear
If the placement is wrong from the onset the headphones will cause problems. A good pair of headphones should cause a gentle seal on entrance to ear canal. Technically manufacturers have calculated the safe distance acceptable from eardrums for best comfort and maximum enjoyment. To prevent this problem use appropriate sized headphones and make sure they seal your ear canal properly.
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Incorrect sized headphones
Incorrect sized headphones is another major issue that cause hurt in ears. It is important the headphones sit comfortably and use the appropriate ear tips. Luckily manufacturers have included different ear tips from small/medium/larger ear tips. A simple solution is to switch the ear tips until you find the one that seats comfortably on ear. Another solution is to buy padded headphones that provide more comfort.
Solution
- switch the ear tips
- buy better padded headphones
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Listening fatigue
Listening fatigue occurs from long prolonged use of headphones. Things that cause this condition is listening to music at high volume for prolonged periods. The eardrums throb longer/harder to accommodate the high volume. Strain in the eardrums may cause a feeling of fatigue or even headache. Things to do includes lowering the volume, limiting usage or taking a break from the headphones.
Solution
- lower the volume
- limiting usage
- taking a break
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Effect of dry weather
If the weather is dry you could experience tingling in the ear. This is because of drier skin and static from the headphones. Other causes of this tingling sensation is the design of the earphones or a tight fit. A good solution is to try lubricating the region with body cream or purchase headphone that fit snugly but not tightly to ear canal.
Solution
- try lubricating the region
- purchase headphone that fit to ear canal
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Prolonged use
Prolonged use of headphones can cause reduction in earwax. Associated causes of reduction in earwax are hearing loss, ear infection, and earaches. Simple solutions are reduce sound volume 60%, adjust headphone to reduce pressure, others are wear appropriate headphones, use over-counter oral pain relief medication or simply remove headphones and rest the ears.
Solution
- reduce sound volume 60%
- adjust headphone to reduce pressure
- wear appropriate headphones
- use over-counter oral pain relief medication
- remove headphones
- rest the ears
The good news is prolonged use of headphones does not cause infection of external ear canal. However a user might experience itchiness or reactivation of an underline meddle ear infection.
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Clarity of headphones
Some headphones are poor quality with bad sound presentation. This sometimes prompts the user to increase volume to accommodate the bad audio. Simple solution is to use headphones with good sound presentation. Here are best crystal clear headphone to choose from.
Solution
- use headphones with good audio
Final Word
Headphones are great devices for work, leisure or fun activities. Like most electronic or audio devices the user needs to use them without over-flogging them. Many quality products will take anything you throw at them however our anatomy have limitations.
About the Editor
Howdy, I am a gadget Enthusiast. My love for gadgets has made me write unbiased review of Airpods, Earbuds, headphones and other gadgets for you.