What Is Noise-Induced Hearing Loss?: Everything You Need to Know

Rock concerts, heavy machinery, loud headphones, baring television screens; we’re always told that these things will affect our hearing, but do they actually cause harm?

It turns out that, over time, they do.

Noise-induced hearing loss is what happens when we expose ourselves to too much noise for too long a time. We’re going to explore this condition in a little more detail today, giving you some tips on how to avoid it and what your options are if you do get it.

Let’s get started.

 

Understanding Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

There are a few ways that a person can get noise-induced hearing loss, so we’ll take a look at the most common ones.

It’s important to remember that anyone can get this condition. Our ears are prone to decay after a while, and old age is typically the harborer of poor hearing. With that in mind, it’s not always your fault that you get noise-induced hearing loss.

Daily life is prone to expose us to really loud noises on a regular basis. Additionally, as we’ll see in our next section, sometimes it doesn’t take more than a noise or two to damage our hearing.

 

Extreme Noises

Extreme noises like gunshots, fireworks, explosions, and crashes can all do serious damage to a person’s hearing. These instances lead to a period of ringing or high-pitched warbling, followed by a period of muffled hearing.

These extreme sounds don’t always damage a person’s hearing. In a lot of cases, though, one huge blast to your eardrum is all it takes to take out a serious chunk of your ability to hear.

 

Daily Exposure (Over Time)

Another common way to get noise-induced hearing loss is to be exposed to loud noises almost every day. These don’t have to be explosions or gunshots, but maybe loud stereos or saws.

You might also work long-term at a job where you’re wearing headphones most of the time. Drills, lawnmowers, engines, and machinery are also common sources.

Most times, hearing loss from these sounds comes when a person works at a place with almost constant exposure to these noises.

 

Intermittent Exposure

Intermittent exposure to damaging sounds is common for those who don’t work in loud areas, but enjoy activities that expose them to extremely loud sounds.

The classic example is someone who frequents a lot of concerts. It’s possible to avoid damage to the ear if you wear earplugs or avoid the speakers as much as possible. That said, loud concerts can damage a person’s ear in a way that lingers for a few days or weeks.

In some cases, the damage could persist.

The encouraging thing about all of the noise-induced hearing loss examples above is that there are options to help your hearing once it starts to go. If you’re looking for an example, take a look at this Phonak review.

You’ll see that it’s possible to improve one’s hearing with a little help from technology.

 

Need More Health Tips?

Noise-induced hearing loss is just one of many preventable conditions that you should be aware of. If you’re trying to read up on ways to keep yourself in great health, we’re here to help.

Explore our site for more key information on staying healthy, happy, and full of life.