Improper headset use can put your health at risk. The use of headsets has become pervasive in the business world. However, some potentially detrimental health consequences can emerge from using headsets, especially if they are not used and maintained in the optimal manner. This is not meant as a discouragement of their use. Personal and employee health are both very important in the workplace. As long as a few simple precautions are taken, headsets can be used and their benefits taken advantage of without exposing anyone to the possible harmful effects of their use.
In many places, drivers are required to use headsets to talk on their cellphones while driving. This law was put into place to decrease the chances of accidents occurring because the driver's hands were occupied with a cellphone. Despite the obvious benefits of headsets, wearing one for a prolonged period of time can also have negative effects. Some of the negative effects are;
1. Hearing Loss: Anytime a speaker projects sound directly into your ear, there is the potential for hearing damage. The UCLA Ergonomics Division states that the volume of a user's headset is the largest factor in whether or not there is a risk of hearing loss. They suggest that the volume on the headsets be kept low enough that someone sitting next to the user cannot overhear the conversation. It is also recommended that users of headsets take breaks of a few minutes every half hour to prevent fatigue of the auditory system.
2. Radiation: Questions have been raised by many groups regarding the radiation that you could be exposed to when using a Bluetooth headset. In actuality, the amount of radiation emitted from these devices is well under the threshold of what is considered harmful. While studies have still not conclusively shown that even cell phone radiation is harmful, a Bluetooth headset actually reduces the radiation that you are exposed to compared to holding your phone up to your ear. Any radiation in excess of a 1.6 watt per kilogram absorption rate is considered to be unhealthy. Standard Bluetooth headsets only emit enough radiation to be absorbed at a rate of around .001 watts per kilogram.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged the "anxiety and speculation" regarding electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and their alleged effects on public health. Using any type of wireless technology is putting our self in a field of microwave radiation. The effects of long term microwave radiation exposure upon the body have been documented in countless studies for decades.
Long-term exposure to microwave radiation has been linked to: Headaches; Cancer; Leukemia; Brain tumors; Alzheimer; Autism; Miscarriages; Birth defects; Autoimmune illnesses; Multiple sclerosis and Hair loss
Microwave radiation has been shown to affect biological changes within the body. These biological changes happen on a cellular level and their effects can be passed on to offspring via genetic damage (DNA, RNA). DNA and cellular damage caused to physical organisms by microwave radiation is directly related to the power of the signal and the length of exposure. Their high-frequency electromagnetic fields can lead to a significant increase in blood pressure and affect biological processes in the body just the same as cell phones. Just two hours of exposure to high-frequency EMFs from a cell phone or Bluetooth headset, can cause irreparable DNA damage. We can also link: Blindness; Deafness; Brain tumors; Neck pain; Skin rashes and Headaches
Multiple studies have reported that as short as a single, two-hour exposure to cell phone or blue tooth radiation will result in pathological leakage of the blood-brain barrier. Using a Bluetooth Headset exposes the brain, the ears and the eyes to a strong field of microwave radiation.
If you use Bluetooth earpiece in a car the effects are multiplied due to the Faraday cage effect. (Using cell phone in car is dangerous. Not just because it can cause an accident. There’s also a direct effect on our health. The radiations emitted from our cell and Bluetooth device are reflected back by the cars metallic structure magnifies the radiation. It’s called the Faraday cage effect, But using a cell phone in a car works on the same principles as a microwave oven. In both cases they are metallic enclosures where radiations are magnified. This radiation from cell phone bounces around car and is absorbed by your body at a much higher level than would otherwise be.
3. Germs: The telephone, or the headset that accompanies it, can be one of the most prolific breeding grounds for germs in your office. Professor Charles Gerba, University of Arizona Professor of Microbiology did research on the various places where germs congregate in the work environment and found phones and headsets to be far more germ infested than more obvious culprits such as toilet seats. Headsets should be cleaned regularly with a disinfecting product to help reduce the buildup of disease causing germs