4 Facts About Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

There are different types of hearing loss. Sometimes, it’s caused by presbycusis, which is the process that causes your hearing to naturally decline. However, there’s another kind of hearing loss that can affect people of any age or background — this is called noise-induced hearing loss. Essentially this is hearing loss that occurs as a result of exposure to loud noises. It can happen gradually over a period of time (such as working in a loud factory) or all at once (standing next to a rifle as it’s being fired). 

In this blog, we’re going to look at some facts about noise-induced hearing loss. If you think you may be experiencing this condition, then be sure to book yourself into an appointment with an audiologist!

It causes one in three hearing loss cases 

There are tens of millions of people that experience hearing loss in the United States. As we said at the beginning of the article, there are various causes of hearing loss. Around one in three people that have hearing loss in the US do so because of noise-induced hearing loss. While it affects people of all ages, it’s increasingly affecting teenagers. The number of teenagers that experience hearing loss has risen by 30% in the past decade; the biggest contributor to this increase is listening to music at loud volumes. This might not seem like a “loud noise,” but it is — and it can be damaging if it’s just an everyday part of a person’s life.

Induced by exposure to loud noises

There’s a lot of noise in the world. And it might come as a surprise to some people to learn what qualifies as a loud noise. Everyone knows that a gunshot is loud and that the ears would be damaged if you were standing right next to it as it was fired. But noises that are loud enough to damage ears don’t have to be quite so obviously “loud.” A dangerous noise is any noise that’s above 70dB. At a concert, the music plays at around 110dB. That’s why many people have ringing in their ears after the show has ended. While going to a concert every now and again won’t do much damage, repeated visits can be harmful – this is why so many musicians experience hearing problems. 

It’s preventable

You can’t always avoid loud noises. But there are things you can do to protect your hearing that’ll make noise-induced hearing loss less likely. The most effective method is to wear ear protection, such as earmuffs or earplugs. They’ll protect your ears from the adverse effects of loud noise exposure.

There are treatment options

If you’re already experiencing noise-induced hearing loss, then be aware that treatment options are available. For example, you can work with an audiologist and have a hearing aid fitted. If the damage is only minor, then avoiding exposure to loud noises in the future can help prevent further damage to the ears.