Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, cilt.283, sa.2, ss.803-809, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Objective: To investigate the impact of long-term in-ear headphone use on middle-ear transmission properties in young adults using wideband tympanometry (WBT), and to assess cochlear and reflex-level function through transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) and acoustic reflex thresholds (ARTs). Methods: Sixty-four ears from 32 female participants (aged 18–30 mean: 23 ± 2.83) were classified into a high exposure group (HEG; ≥3 h/day, ≥ 5 days/week, for ≥ 2 years) and a low exposure group (LEG; ≤1 h/day or no use). Wideband acoustic absorbance was recorded at both ambient and peak pressure conditions across 226–8000 Hz. Additional assessments included resonance frequency, equivalent ear canal volume, TEOAE amplitudes, and ipsilateral ARTs. Non-parametric comparisons were performed using Mann–Whitney U tests. Results: Under ambient pressure, the HEG group demonstrated significantly lower absorbance than the LEG group between 500 and 1259 Hz and at 2 kHz (p <.05), while showing significantly higher absorbance at 5039 Hz (p <.05). Under peak pressure, significantly lower absorbance in HEG was observed at 793 Hz and 1 kHz, with higher absorbance again found at 5039 Hz (p <.05). No significant group differences were found in resonance frequency, ear canal volume, TEOAEs, or ARTs. Conclusion: Prolonged in-ear headphone use appears to induce subtle, subclinical alterations in middle-ear sound transmission mechanics, without measurable cochlear dysfunction. Wideband tympanometry may serve as a sensitive tool for detecting early auditory changes associated with prolonged recreational sound exposure, underscoring the importance of considering middle-ear biomechanics in the broader context of auditory health monitoring suggesting that subclinical changes in middle-ear mechanics warrant longitudinal monitoring in young users of personal listening devices.