ENT Problems

ENT Problems (Home) > Ear > Noise and Its Effects

Noise: Information and Effects

One in 10 Americans has a hearing loss that affects his or her ability to understand normal speech. Excessive noise exposure is the most common cause of hearing loss.

Can Noise Really Hurt My Ears?

Yes, noise can be dangerous. If it is loud enough and lasts long enough, it can damage your hearing.

The damage caused by noise, called sensorineural hearing loss or nerve deafness, can be caused by several factors other than noise, but noise-induced hearing loss is different in one important way--it can be reduced or prevented altogether.

Can I "Toughen Up" My Ears?

No. If you think you have grown used to a loud noise, it probably has damaged your ears, and there is no treatment--no medicine, no surgery, not even a hearing aid--that completely restores your hearing once it is damaged by noise.

How Can I Tell If a Noise Is Dangerous?

People differ in their sensitivity to noise. As a general rule, noise may damage your hearing if you have to shout over background noise to make yourself heard, the noise hurts your ears, it makes your ears ring, or you have difficulty hearing for several hours after exposure to the noise.

Sound can be measured scientifically in two ways. Intensity, or loudness of sound, is measured in decibels. Pitch is measured in frequency of sound vibrations per second. A low pitch, such as a deep voice or a tuba, makes fewer vibrations per second than a high voice or violin.

What Does Frequency of Sound Vibration Have to Do with Hearing Loss?

Frequency is measured in cycles per second, or Hertz (Hz). The higher the pitch of the sound, the higher the frequency.

Young children, who generally have the best hearing, can often distinguish sounds from about 20 Hz, such as the lowest note on a large pipe organ, to 20,000 Hz, such as the high shrill of a dog whistle that many people are unable to hear.

Human speech, which ranges from 300 to 4,000 Hz, sounds louder to most people than noises at very high or very low frequencies. When hearing impairment begins, the high frequencies are usually lost first, which is why people with hearing loss often have difficulty hearing the high pitched voices of women and children. Loss of high frequency hearing also can distort sound, so that speech is difficult to understand even though it can be heard. People with hearing loss often have difficulty detecting differences between certain words that sound alike, especially words that contain S, F, SH, CH, H, or soft C sounds, because the sound of these consonants is in a much higher frequency range than vowels and other consonants.

What about Decibels?

Intensity of sound is measured in decibels (dB). The scale runs from the faintest sound the human ear can detect, which is labeled 0 dB, to over 180 dB, the noise at a rocket pad during launch.

Decibels are measured logarithmically. This means that as decibel intensity increases by units of 10, each increase is 10 times the lower figure. Thus, 20 decibels is 10 times the intensity of 10 decibels, and 30 decibels is 100 times as intense as 10 decibels.

How High Can the Decibels Go without Affecting My Hearing?

Many experts agree that continual exposure to more than 85 decibels is dangerous.

Does the Length of Time I Hear a Noise Have Anything to Do with the Danger to My Hearing?

It certainly does. The longer you are exposed to a loud noise, the more damaging it may be. Also, the closer you are to the source of intense noise, the more damaging it is.

Every gunshot produces a noise that could damage the ears of anyone in close hearing range. Large bore guns and artillery is the worse because they are the loudest. But even cap guns and firecrackers can damage your hearing if the explosion is close to your ear. Anyone who uses firearms without some form of ear protection risks hearing loss.

Recent studies show an alarming increase in hearing loss in youngsters. Evidence suggests that loud rock music along with increased use of portable radios with earphones may be responsible for this phenomenon.

Can Noise Affect More Than My Hearing?

A ringing in the ears, called tinnitus, commonly occurs after noise exposure, and it often becomes permanent. Some people react to loud noise with anxiety and irritability, an increase in pulse rate and blood pressure, or an increase in stomach acid. Very loud noise can reduce efficiency in performing difficult tasks by diverting attention from the job.

ADD YOUR LINK HERE

Bookmark This Page: Add to Favorites | Add to Del.icio.us | Send to a Friend

VISITOR COMMENTS on "Noise: Information and Effects":

	More Articles
1. Mouth Care: Tips for Daily Routine Mouth Care: Tips for Daily Routine If possible, do the following either yourself or with the help of a carer. [...]
2. Tonsil Problem: Types and Technique Options Tonsil Problem: Types and Technique Options Years ago, it was common for parents to avoid putting their kids through tonsillectomies; it [...]
3. Ear Surgery Post Operative Instruction Ear Surgery Post Operative Instruction Diet In the immediate post-operative period, the patient may experience some vertigo, nausea or vomiting. It is therefore preferable to stick to a liquid [...]
4. Swallowing Tests: X-Rays and Related Tests Swallowing Tests: X-Rays and Related Tests Certain X-rays may be helpful in determining whether function of the mouth and throat muscles is adequate for safe and effective feeding. These include [...]

Recent
Protruding Ear Surgery (Otoplasty)
Ear Surgery Post Operative Instruction
Tinnitus
Swimmer's Ear
Non Organic Hearing Loss Test
Hearing Protectors
Tips for Protecting Your Hearing
Types of Hearing Loss
Hearing Loss Help
Hearing Aids Buying Option

Random
Hearing Aids Buying Option
Eustachian Tube Blockage
Hearing Protectors
Types of Hearing Loss
Hearing Loss Help
Ear Components
Swimmer's Ear
Ear Surgery Post Operative Instruction
Noise Induced Hearing Loss
Ear Disorder
Eustachian Tube Functions Test
Noise and Its Effects
Tinnitus
Non Organic Hearing Loss Test
Ear Acupuncture
Ear Wax
Tips for Protecting Your Hearing
Ears Pains
Sun Burns of External Ear


ALL

Visitors' Blog