Sudden Hearing Loss Noise Induced
Sudden Hearing Loss Causes And Symptoms Treatments
Sudden Hearing Loss Noise Induced
Noise-induced hearing loss is the second most common sensorineural hearing loss, after age-related hearing loss (presbycusis). Of the more than 28 million Americans with some degree of hearing impairment, as many as 10 million have hearing loss caused in part by excessive noise exposure in the workplace or during recreational activities.
The economic costs of occupational hearing loss have been estimated to be in the billions of dollars. Noise-induced hearing loss has been well recognized hearing loss from noise that can be permanent or temporary. If the hearing loss is temporary, hearing usually recovers within 16 hours of loud noise exposure.
Each day, men, women, teens, children, and even infants are exposed to potentially noise damaging sound levels. The sounds that we experience in our surroundings are emitted from TV’s, the radio, home appliances, traffic, and recreational activities. For the most part in our every day lives, we hear these sounds at safe levels that don’t affect our hearing.
The loudness of sound is measured in units called decibels. Long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 decibels can cause hearing difficulties. The louder the sound, the shorter the period of time before NIHL can happen. Sounds of less than 75 decibels, even after long exposure, are the least likely to cause hearing impairment. A good rule is to keep away from noises that are "too loud" and "too close" or that last "too long. Harmful noises at home may come from lawnmowers, leaf blowers, and shop tools.
Our hearing relies on a sequence of events that change sound waves in the air into electric signals.
Our auditory nerve then carries these signals to the brain thru a complicated series of steps.
- Sound waves enter the outer ear and travel thru a narrow passageway called the ear canal, leading to the eardrum.
- The eardrum vibrates from the incoming sound waves and sends these vibrations to 3 miniscule bones in the middle ear. These bones are called the malleus, incus, and stapes. An elastic surface runs from the starting to the end of the cochlea, splitting it into a higher and lower part. This surface is named the "basilar" surface as it serves as the base, or ground floor, on which key hearing structures sit. The sound vibrations cause the liquid inside the cochlea to ripple, and a traveling wave forms along the basilar surface.
- Hair cells sensory cells sitting on top of the membrane "ride the wave."
- As the hair cells move up and down, their hairy structures increase against an overlying surface and lean to the side. This leaning action causes pore-like channels, which are on the skin of the bristles, to open. When that happens, certain chemicals jump in, making an electric signal. The auditory nerve carries this electric signal to the brain, which interprets it into a "sound" that we recognize and understand.
- Hair cells close to the base of the cochlea detect higher-pitched sounds, for example a cell telephone ringing. Those nearer the peak, or center most point, detect lower-pitched sounds, for example a large dog barking.
When damage first happens, it sometimes is affecting the part of the ear corresponding to the mid-frequency range of three to 5 kHz. On an audio gram, this kind of hearing difficulties configuration is usually called a "noise notch."
People who are exposed to dangerous sound levels can express their hearing loss by expressing that they are having difficulty understanding speech, or that speech sounds are describe them as being "muffled. "It is common for people with this kind of hearing impairment to report "I can hear you; I simply cannot understand you." This is usually because the louder, lower frequency vowels are audible but the softer high frequency consonants are made even more not easy to hear, due to reduced hearing sensitivity in that spectral area.
Hearing impairment might or might not be accompanied by tinnitus a ringing, humming or fluttering in one or both ears. This indicates that if a sound was first heard at some level, after over-exposure to loud sounds, which same sound would have to be louder to be heard.
A brief threshold shift customarily vanishes inside 14-16 hours after over-exposure to loud sound, so if you r hearing does not return before then you may have accumulative over-exposure to loud sounds and it has resulted in permanent hearing loss.
Men, women, teens, and children of all ages, can develop NIHL. Roughly 15 percent of Americans between ages 20 and 69—or 26 million Americans—have high frequency hearing loss that may have been caused by exposure to loud sounds or noise at work or in leisure time activities. Hobby or recreational activities that can put someone at risk for NIHL include target shooting, shooting handguns at close range, hunting, motorcycle riding, drag racing, job related noise, wood working as a hobby, carpentry, lawn mowers, blowers, singing in the church choir, playing in a band, MP3 players using headphones, and attending rock concerts.
What Level Is Noise Dangerous?
There are some physical measurements that can be used to determine whether a noise level exceeds dangerous levels, and can with frequent exposure result in permanent hearing loss for an individual. You can purchase a sound level meter for around $40 which will measure noise levels using the "A" Scale. (This is what the designation dBA refers to — decibels measured in the A Scale.) This is a good investment if you have children who enjoy listening to loud music on head phones. Being able to monitor this may save their future hearing abilities.
If you are without a noise-measuring tools, you can use these basic principles for noise level that can be heard outside the ear (not head phones) are as follows:
- Anytime it is necessary to shout, or scream to be able to hear yourself over a loud noise, the level of the sound is damaging and dangerous.
- Anytime that ringing in the ears occurs following exposure to a loud sound (gun fire, rock concert), you have difficulty hearing for a couple of hours after the exposure some damage has already occurred, and ear protection needs to be use, and refraining from loud noise in the future is advised to prevent further damage.
- Anytime that you find your hearing to be reduced, you hear ringing, buzzing, whirling in your ears, or you have a feeling of fullness in the ears you have exceeded a safe noise level, and you could have permanent hearing loss.
What Sources Create Dangerous Noise Levels
dBA SPL
- Produces Pain Range 120-140
- Jet Aircraft On Runway Takeoff 130
- Firing Guns and other Weapons 120
- Rock Concert 110
Die Forging Hammer
Gas Weed-Whacker
Chain Saw
- Pneumatic Drill 100-105
- Home Lawn Mowers 95 to 100 dB
- Semi-trailers 90
- What Level Causes Discomfort Level Above 80
- Heavy Traffic 80
- Automobile 70
- Vacuum Cleaner 65
- Conversational Speech (at 1 meter) 60
- Quiet Business Office 50
- Residential Area at Night 40
- Whisper 20
- Rustle of Leaves 10
- Threshold of Audibility 0
If you have been exposed to loud noise, and it has not resolved within 16 hours it is time to have a professional hearing screening. If you’re hearing dose return, please prevent any future hearing damage by avoiding excessive noise and using hearing protection such as earplugs and earmuffs.
Treatment:
There is no know cure or treatment that works for all individuals. If you experience sudden hearing loss due to a rock concert, or target shooting you may want to look at some treatment options for hearing loss that include natural treatments that have shown some success if used early before the hair cells are damaged further.
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Treatments For Sudden Hearing loss
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