Microorganisms Present in Headphones and Their Clinical Importance: A Literature Review

Abstract

The use of headphones was not always so common, but it gained prominence with the increase in remote activities during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Although it is easy to use, it requires periodic cleaning to prevent contamination, as failure to do so can harm hearing health. Thus, this study aims to present a literature review about microorganisms found in headphones and their clinical importance. An analysis of scientific articles was carried out in the PubMED, SCIELO and Google Scholar databases, in the period between 2020 and 2024, in the Portuguese language, resulting in 23 related articles. Sharing headphones and users' lack of knowledge about how to properly clean them increases the number of infections, as they come into contact with other objects and the microbiota present on the individual's skin. Therefore, contamination by bacteria and yeast can cause otomycosis, infections, labyrinthitis, meningitis and, in more serious cases, hearing loss, with the presence of Staphylococcus aureus and Candida sp. being commonly found. Thus, the role of microbiology is shown to be effective in the analysis and microbiological control of headphones, in addition to which it is essential for users to understand the periodic cleaning and individual use of headphones, in order to reduce hearing pathologies caused by pathogenic microorganisms.