Potential microbial hazards of the external auditory canal in users of over-ear, in-ear, and on-ear earsets

Introduction: in recent years, there has been an increase in the use of earsets among people, especially the young. Objective: this study evaluates the relationship between bacterial and fungal ear growth among different earsets (over, in, and on-ear) users and the possibility for earsets to act as a vector for prevalent diseases. Method: ear samples (168) were collected from 84 male healthy students and subjected to isolation of bacteria and fungi. Also, evaluation of the participants’ awareness, practices, habits, and symptoms were evaluated. Results: bacterial isolates from 54 (64,3 %) participants were identified as 11(13,1 %) isolates of Staph. epidermidis, 10(11,9 %) P. aeruginosa, 25 (29,8 %) Staph. aureus, and 8(9,5 %) Strep. pneumoniae. The participants 35(41,7 %) use wireless earsets, 17(20,2 %) use wired earsets, 24(28,6 %) use both wired and wireless earsets while only 8(9,5 %) non-used. according to earset shapes and types, 33(39,3 %) use more than one type, 25(29,8 %) use over-ear, and 14(16,7 %) use on-ear. Participants share earsets with other persons, 34(40,5 %) participants do not share earsets, 26(31,0 %) share sometimes, and 24(28,6 %) frequently share earsets. Conclusions: the presence of bacteria isolated from the external ear auditory canal correlated positively with using cotton buds, using sharp tools to clean the earwax, sharing earsets with other persons, type (wired or wireless), and shape (over-ear, in-ear, on-ear) of earsets significantly. Using cotton buds and sharp tools to clean the earwax significantly correlated positively with ear symptoms that are usually felt or suffered.