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The Effects of Excessive Noise on Hearing

It's a noisy world out there, and we are given one set of ears to deal with it. While it is a natural byproduct of aging to lose some hearing, many additional factors can affect hearing loss. The leading preventable cause is exposure to excessive sound pressure levels over extended periods of time.

  1. Effects of Noise

    • Noise can damage fragile hair cells in the inner ear. The job of these cells is to convert sound energy into electrical impulses, which the brain converts into sound. If a cell is damaged, it is permanent. Unlike hair on the outside of our bodies, these do not grow or replace themselves. A sudden, extremely loud sound, such as an explosion, can cause immediate damage, and prolonged moderately loud sounds, over 85 decibels, can develop into noise-induced hearing loss.

    Too Loud

    • If it seems too loud to you, it is. There are levels of noise that are easily tolerable that will cause damage if you don't take a break or take steps to reduce the level. If you are 25 feet away from busy traffic, you will be subjected to about 85 decibels. Concert music levels routinely exceed 100 dB, approaching the threshold of pain around 125 dB. Each gain of 10 on the decibel scale seems twice as loud, but it is actually 10 times more energy.

    Too Long

    • The length of time you are exposed to a volume level increases the chance that level can start to cause damage. OSHA permits eight hours of daily exposure to levels of 90dB, and the time reduces as noise level increases, requiring hearing protection. Damage from long-term exposure is cumulative. You may not have any indication damage has occurred until hearing loss begins. Depending on the type of noise, loss may be in a range of frequencies or broad spectrum, across all hearing.

    Too Close

    • Distance plays an enormous factor in exposure to sound. Sound pressure is subject to the inverse-square law. By doubling the distance from a sound source the energy of the sound is only one-quarter that of the original position. Moving away from a loud noise is often the first line of protection for your hearing, as well as a natural reaction to excessive volume.

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