Sharing headphones, especially earbuds like AirPods, is a common practice among friends. But what many people don’t realize is the potential risk of spreading bacteria, fungus, and even earwax. Our ears are delicate ecosystems, and sharing earbuds can introduce foreign substances that can disrupt the balance and lead to infections. Read on to learn all about the science behind the risks of sharing AirPods. In the end, we’ll offer alternative listening options and proper hygiene practices to keep your years safe and healthy.
Let’s Begin!
Risks of Sharing AirPods
Feeling a sense of connection with friends is common so we tend to share many of our belongings with them including our AirPods. However, there are health risks involved that can lead to harm if ignored as we often do while sharing. In the long run, sharing these devices can lead to some unexpected issues for your ears. Let’s take a look at specific risks so you can make an informed decision about this common practice.
Bacteria Growth
AirPods, like any other earbuds or earphones, create a warm moist environment within your ear canal. This warmth and moisture, combined with the natural presence of earwax, acts as a breeding ground for bacteria. Sharing AirPods with friends or family members essentially swaps this environment, potentially introducing new and more numerous bacteria into your ear canal.
Inserting earbuds coated with foreign earwax deep into your ear canal disrupts the natural balance and can irritate the delicate skin of the ear canal. This irritation, when combined with excessive bacterial presence, can lead to various earbud-related ear infections, such as otitis externa or swimmer’s ear. These conditions can cause symptoms like pain, itching, and even temporary hearing loss
A study conducted in 2008 by Mukhopadhyay C. et al. observed and examined bacterial growth associated with earbud usage frequency. The data and results showed that frequent and consistent usage of earbuds promotes more bacterial growth in the external ear canal, which poses a hygiene risk when such devices are shared. To reduce these risks, it's advisable to avoid sharing earbuds like AirPods with your family or friends, or at least ensure they are properly cleaned before sharing them with others.
Skin Infections
Sharing AirPods with someone who has a cut or abrasion in their ear canal can significantly increase the risk of skin infections for both parties. A layer of skin naturally protects our ears. Sharing earbuds introduces the possibility of transferring bacteria or fungus from another person’s infection directly into your own.
Rough insertion of earbuds or prolonged use often leads to minor abrasions in the ear canal. Although they may seem insignificant, these cuts are an entryway into the compromised skin and end up having a painful infection in such a delicate part of the body.
Ear Wax Transfer
Our ears naturally produce ear wax, a sticky substance that plays a crucial role in protecting the delicate ear canal from dust, debris, and even some bacteria. However, sharing AirPods with friends or family members can easily lead to the transfer of sticky ear wax from one person to another in a number of ways.
While the thought of swapping a person's flaky ear wax might be unpleasant, the bigger concern lies in the potential implications. A buildup of foreign wax can irritate the ear canal lining, increasing the risk of infections. Additionally, pushing foreign ear wax deeper into the canal can come in contact with the eardrum, which can be quite sensitive and cause discomfort and pain.
Yeast Infection
While bacteria is a common concern with shared AirPods, another potential threat lies in the realm of fungus. The warm, moist environment created by the AirPods in the ear canal can be a breeding ground for yeast growth. While a small amount of yeast naturally occurs on our skin, sharing these devices can introduce yeast from someone else’s ears. This can disrupt the natural balance of flora in your ear and lead to a yeast infection.
The symptoms of a yeast infection in the ear can be quite uncomfortable, including itching, redness, and even pain. In severe cases, the infection can progress and affect the internal components of the ear.
Exposure to Germs
Aside from bacteria and fungus, the risk of sharing these devices extends beyond these microscopic threats. Our daily life exposes us to a variety of germs such as the common cold, flu, or something as severe as Covid19 for instance. These germs can linger on various surfaces including the insides of a person’s ear. There are numerous ways these germs can find their way onto those devices and if you end up using them, the risk involved is huge. Unless you wish to be sick, the best thing to do is to avoid sharing headphones and other similar ear devices.
Minimizing Risks and Keeping Your Ears Safe
As promised, here is a list of all the ways you can minimize the risks mentioned above. Follow closely and remember to not share AirPods unless absolutely necessary after taking these precautionary measures:
- Regularly clean your earbuds by using isopropyl alcohol (70%) as a disinfectant. A few drops of alcohol can go a long way in keeping your devices clean and germ-free.
- Use AirPod cleaners like Hybuds Pen. Clean AirPods is one way you can improve your hygiene.
- Use disposable covers so ear wax and other bacteria can stay away from your device.
- Maintain ear hygiene
- Avoid sharing as much as possible
- Explore alternatives like speakers.
Clean AirPods is one way you can improve your hygiene
Key Takeaways
Sharing AirPods with your friends is unhygienic and can lead to a long list of health risks involving ears. From ear wax sharing to bacterial infections, sharing ear devices has severe implications as mentioned above. The best advice is to avoid sharing; in case you absolutely have to, follow the precautionary guidelines mentioned above to avoid the risks involved.
