Otology and Mobile Phone : A Correlation

Introduction: The mobile phone is a modern-day invention. Since their introduction in 1980s, mobile phoneshave gone from being expensive items that were mainly used by the business elite, to being communicationtools used by the general population. Since ear is the closest organ to mobile phones receiving higher energydeposition than other organs, the effects of mobile phone radiation on hearing will be a topic debate.Aims and Objectives: To determine the physical and functional effect of mobile phone use on ear, Toassess the hearing pattern in mobile phone users,To ascertain any other self-reported symptoms associatedwith mobile phone use like headache, tinnitus, hearing loss, vertigo/dizziness, tension anxiety, fatigue andforgetfulness ,To find out possible remedial measures to avoid/reduce ill effects of mobile phones in mobilephone users.Material and Methods: A study was conducted in the Department of E.N.T., Santosh medical colleg,ghazaiabd, U.P., India which included 350 patients using mobile phones presenting to outpatient clinics.Correlation was done between mobile users and hearing.Results: We have evaluated that among 350 subjects, 299 subjects had normal hearing,37 subjects had 5dB hearing loss, 9 subjects had 10dB hearing loss and 5 subjects had15dB hearing loss irrespective of duration of mobile phone use.Conclusion: Phone should only be used when necessary and calls should be kept short ,Use of mobile phoneshould be avoided if the signal strength is low ,Phone should be kept away from the head, eyes, testicles,breasts and internal organs as far as possible. Hands free device should be used,Phone should be switchedoff when not in use.