Sounds Of Summer Can Be A Danger To Hearing

As seasons go, summer is probably the noisiest. And that can take a toll on your hearing.

“Fireworks, trains, concerts and road construction can be harmful to your hearing. And once hearing is damaged, it cannot be repaired,” said Jyoti Bhayani, certified audiologist at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, part of Loyola University Health System.

One in 10 Americans has hearing loss that affects the ability to understand normal speech. Aging is the most common cause of this condition. However, exposure to excessive noise also can damage hearing in higher pitches.

“Hearing loss due to excessive noise is totally preventable, unlike old age or a medical condition,” said Bhayani.

Safe decibel levels

Sound is measured in decibel (db) levels. A soft whisper is only 30 db. Normal conversation, or fingers typing on a computer keyboard are about 60 db.

Prolonged exposure to sound levels above 85 db usually call for earplugs. That means wearing ear protection when mowing the lawn, using a chain saw or attending a rock concert.

“It is important to know the intensity of the sounds around you,” said Bhayani, who regularly cares for construction and factory workers, frequent air travelers and seniors in her practice at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital. “I recommend using hearing protection devices for those who are exposed to excessive, loud noises and musician’s ear plugs, which simply attenuate the intensity/loudness without altering frequency response.”

Loud noise kills ear nerve endings permanently

Unfortunately, when nerve endings in the ear die, they don't come back – and loud noise will kill them. Three small bones in the middle ear help transfer sound vibrations to the inner ear where they become nerve impulses that the brain interprets as sound.

“When noise is too loud, it begins to kill the hair cells and nerve endings in the inner ear,” Bhayani said. “The louder a noise, the longer the exposure, and the closer you are to the noise source, the more damaging it is to your nerve endings, or your hearing.” As the number of nerve endings decreases due to damage, so does your hearing. Nerve endings cannot be healed or regenerated and the damage is permanent.

Ear bud warning

If you have a smartphone or iPod, you may use ear bud headphones that are inserted into the ear. Use of ear bud headphones by youngsters may save your ears from being assaulted by the noise of your teenagers’ music or electronic game, but they may be damaging your child’s hearing.

“Three in five Americans, especially youth, are prone to develop hearing loss due to loud music being delivered via ear buds,” Bhayani said. “Sound that is too loud, especially close to the ear, is harmful. “The truth about hearing is loud and painful – once a nerve is damaged, it cannot be restored. It is gone forever.”