Be aware of the invisible killers of the ear

  In today’s society, cell phones have become an indispensable communication tool for people. According to statistics, about 3 billion people worldwide use cell phones, which is three times the number of people who smoke. China has a population of more than 1.3 billion, and the number of cell phone users has exceeded 700 million, which means that on average, at least one out of two people has a cell phone. As the most frequently used digital product, many people use their cell phones almost 24 hours a day, which brings a new problem: many people who have to receive and play cell phones for a long time every day in business, media personnel, and authorities have tinnitus and even deafness, auditory neuroma and other ear diseases due to prolonged use of cell phones. It has been reported that the risk of developing auditory neuroma increases after 10 years of cell phone use, and researchers have found that the risk of developing auditory neuroma is four times higher on the side of the head that habitually uses the cell phone than on the opposite side.  Generally speaking, the high frequency sound from cell phones can cause noisy tinnitus or deafness, and once this deafness occurs, it is an irreversible process that can even worsen, and some people may therefore experience premature age-related deafness in their 40s or 50s. However, the damage of cell phones to the ears is not only noise, but also a large amount of electromagnetic radiation that cannot be ignored. During the use of a cell phone, especially the moment when it is first connected, the radiation to the ear is the greatest.  The longer the electromagnetic radiation and the higher the volume, the more harmful it is to your ears. Electromagnetic radiation can cause short time tinnitus, stuffy ears, and memory loss. At the same time, this radiation not only affects the ears, but may also cause neurasthenia, cataracts, testicular degeneration, physical fatigue, headaches, and decreased immune function.  Also, it is a factor that cannot be ignored in inducing auditory neuroma. What is an auditory neuroma? Auditory neuroma is a benign tumor, most of which occurs unilaterally, without obvious gender difference, develops slowly, adjacent to the brainstem and important nerves in the brain, with headache, dizziness and tinnitus in the early stage. With the increase of tumor, it will lead to hearing loss and eventually loss of hearing; it will also show symptoms of brainstem or local cranial nerve invasion, such as dizziness, facial numbness, facial palsy, weak cough, difficulty in swallowing and unstable gait. Further development of tumor may cause hydrocephalus. Once the intracranial pressure increases, it will lead to aggravated headache, vomiting, vision loss, and even brain herniation, which will threaten the life of patients.  Therefore, it is better not to use cell phone for a long time and try not to talk for more than 5 minutes each time. When using it, try to listen to it alternately in both ears, otherwise one ear will be prone to tinnitus or migraine after listening to it for a long time. When making calls on your cell phone, keep your voice as small as possible, because the size of your voice is directly proportional to the intensity of the radiation. In addition, when answering the phone, you may want to press answer and then wait 2-3 seconds before placing it in your ear to avoid the maximum radiation damage to your ear at the moment of connection. It is worth mentioning that the impact of cell phones on children is relatively greater in the same situation, so children under 8 years old should not use cell phones.  Middle-aged people with tinnitus and hearing loss should not ignore these seemingly minor symptoms, as they are likely to be the precursors of an auditory neuroma. If the cause of tinnitus cannot be found in the ENT department and treatment is not effective, further examination should be done as early as possible. Early detection and diagnosis will greatly improve the treatment outcome of auditory neuroma.