Do you have a set of personal earbuds you take with you everywhere? Do you ever wonder how clean they are, since you’re probably dragging them around everywhere? Can those earbuds be safely shared?
Toting our earbuds everywhere means they are exposed to everything! They’re exposed to all surfaces, raising the possibility of picking up germs and bacteria from our bags, desks, seats, and pockets.
Studies have shown that our earbuds not only come into contact with contaminated services, but bacteria in our ears is increased 11 fold just by using earbuds. Wearing earbuds can trap heat and moisture in the ear canal, which creates the optimum environment for bacteria to flourish.
Earwax good, bacteria bad
Nobody celebrates earwax - but they actually should! Earwax is created by our ears as protection against bacteria. However, it’s most often what we see on our earbuds when we remove them. The medical term for earwax is cerumen, and it exists in all ears. Earwax is helpful and harmless. It helps protect, clean and lubricate the ear. Our ears would feel irritable, itchy and dry without it.
Additionally, ear wax assists in protecting the eardrum from dirt and debris. Wax is produced by apocrine glands in the outer part of the ear. Apocrine glands are similar to sweat glands. Very similar to fear and stress causing a person to sweat more, the same fear and stress can cause a person to produce more earwax!
If you’re one of the millions whose ears produce a lot of wax, you can simply use a wipe or cloth to clean out the outer ear. You can also use over-the-counter ear cleaning drops to soften, break up and remove the earwax. If you seem to be having trouble hearing because of ear wax or your ears feel blocked or “plugged up”, see your doctor or hearing professional and discuss options to get it medically removed. Natural jaw movements from eating or talking can also be effective in moving ear wax.
Infection odds are slim but possible!
The safety of sharing earbuds varies. 22 pairs of in-the-ear type earbuds were tested by Business Insider at the microbiology lab of Columbia University. A large portion of the samples showed results expected by researchers: they tested positive for the bacteria normally found on our skin such as staphylococcus. Researchers were surprised to find positive results for yeast on two of the samples. Yeast is a fungus that can cause infection. It’s even possible to get a yeast infection in the ears.
Earbud sharing has the possibility of introducing new bacteria into the ears, doubling the chance of microbial flora in our ears. Although most bacteria is harmless with only a slim chance of problems, the risk for developing middle ear infections, fungus, swimmer’s ear, and skin infections increases when earbuds are shared.
(BYOE) Bring Your Own Earbuds
The best practice would be to NOT share earbuds. If it comes to pass that you absolutely have to share earbuds, disinfecting spray or alcohol should be used to clean them between uses. A cotton ball dampened with disinfectant should be used to wipe off any seen or unseen wax, residue, and bacteria.
Investing in disposable earbud covers could also help, especially if you have friends who never bring their own earbuds!
Sources:
- http://www.look.co.uk/news/sharing-headphones-216080
- http://www.businessinsider.com/how-gross-sharing-earbuds-2018-4