Shockingly, the secret to post-surgery recovery isn’t solely attributed to painkillers.
asserted
secret → attribute → painkillers
The best way to silence anesthesia side effects may be to turn up the tunes and tune out the noise.
uncertain
way → silence → noise
According to new data, noise-cancelling headphones can eliminate unpleasant symptoms after a procedure, including nausea and vomiting.
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headphones → accord → nausea
The study — conducted by First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University in Suzhou, China — involved 192 people who received keyhole gynaecological surgery under general anaesthesic.
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who → conduct → anaesthesic
All the patients were on traditional anaesthesia and anti-nausea medication, and a randomized half wore headphones that blocked out noise.
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that → wear → noise
Within the 48 hours post-surgery, only 35% of those who wore the headphones suffered from nausea or vomiting, while 52% of those without ear defenders had the same symptoms.
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% → wear → symptoms
Although the exact relationship between noise and nausea/vomiting isn’t confirmed, the hypothesis is that sound triggers a stress response that activates the autonomic nervous system, which, in turn, helps to regulate heart rate and interact with certain brainstem pathways.
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which → confirm → pathways
“The biological plausibility is that general anaesthesia produces unconsciousness without necessarily eliminating all neural processing of sound,” Huayue Liu from the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University added.
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Liu → produce → University
If you have a surgery coming up and are curious about this unique approach to managing symptoms, the Apple AirPods Max 2 are unquestionably the best choice to test the data.
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Max → have → data
Even better: they’re currently $100 off at Amazon for a limited time.
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they → ’re → time
They block out up to 1.5 times more sound than the previous generation, making for a private, immersive audio experience.
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They → block → experience
Adaptive Audio automatically adjusts noise cancellation levels according to how loud your surroundings are, while Conversation Awareness lowers the volume of your music so that you can talk to others.
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you → adjust → others
And if you don’t want to completely block everyone and everything out?
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you → want → everyone
Transparency mode allows more outside noises in for optimal safety, particularly beneficial if you’re wearing the tech while out on the street.
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you → allow → street
Another standout feature is Live Translation, which automatically translates the person in front of you if they’re speaking a different language.
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they → translate → language
I’ve been wearing my AirPods Max 2 while running, and they’ve been a total game-changer.
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they → wear → Max
When I’m at the gym, it’s easy to get distracted, but the noise-cancellation technology has made it much easier to lock in and focus on my technique during treadmill sprints.
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it → ’m → sprints
Senior Commerce Social Media Marketing Manager Michelle Moezam added, “I love the clicking volume dial — it’s tactile and nostalgic.
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it → add → dial
The secondary button to switch noise-cancelling options in a hurry is quite handy.
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button → switch → hurry
I like that I can really sink into my music without the buzz of a loud subway car.”
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I → like → car
Although Tylenol or Advil can also help post-surgery, it can’t hurt to tap into some new data — and the Apple AirPods Max 2 (now $100 off!) are the perfect place to start.
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it → help → data
Shop more noise-cancelling headphones
This article was written by Carrie Berk, Commerce Reporter for the New York Post.
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article → shop → Post
Carrie specializes in New York City-ready fashion finds for every style, age and budget.
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Carrie → specialize → style
Combing the internet’s sale sections, brand collaborations, seasonal trends, timeless staples and lookalike styles, she makes recommendations that stand the test of time in your wardrobe – without breaking the bank.
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that → comb → bank
Before joining The Post full time in 2026, her work appeared in HuffPost, Women’s Health, Newsweek and more.
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work → join → HuffPost
The Aporia
