Headphones are no longer an occasional accessory—they’re part of daily life. From early-morning podcasts to late-night playlists, our ears are spending more time under acoustic load than ever before. But a question keeps coming up in clinics, classrooms, and conversations around ear health: Are earbuds worse for your hearing than over-ear headphones? Let’s move beyond opinion and aesthetics. By looking at sound pressure levels , hygiene , and long-term listening behaviour , we can reach a clear, evidence-informed conclusion. 1. Sound Pressure Levels: Distance Matters More Than You Think The single most important factor in headphone-related hearing risk is the amount of sound energy that reaches the inner ear . Earbuds (In-Ear Headphones) Sit millimetres from the eardrum Deliver sound directly into the ear canal Require lower absolute power , but often result in higher sound pressure at the cochlea Users tend to increase volume in noisy environments (commuting, g...
What causes a cough in children? Coughing is a protective reflex of the body due to irritation of the airway. If the cough lasts more than 4-8 weeks or if after four weeks the cough is becoming worse, then it can be worrying. A persistent cough can affect the quality of the life of a child, including, schooling, sleep and appetite. Common causes of persistent cough could be allergy/hay fever, postnasal drip, large tonsil, gastro-oesophageal reflux or asthma. Rare causes include foreign body inhalation or psychogenic. Evolving evidence is dry cough on its own is rarely a symptom of asthma. What are two essential things to understand about chronic cough in a child? Causes of chronic cough are different from adults Management of chough in children if different from adults and parents and clinician need to understand this. What should I write dow...