{"id":598,"date":"2020-08-27T09:52:17","date_gmt":"2020-08-27T00:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/what-is-noise-induced-hearing-loss-nihl\/"},"modified":"2020-12-01T10:28:34","modified_gmt":"2020-12-01T01:28:34","slug":"what-is-noise-induced-hearing-loss-nihl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-loss\/what-is-noise-induced-hearing-loss-nihl\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a preventable form of hearing loss caused by either a sudden loud noise or prolonged exposure to loud noise. As a result, it can occur suddenly or develop over a longer period of time.<\/span><\/p>\n

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We are exposed to noise every day; it\u2019s just a part of life! Whether it\u2019s a dog barking or the beep of a man-made traffic crossing, the sounds in our environment are unavoidable, and often made for a reason. This noise is usually at such a safe level that there is no risk that it could damage our hearing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Nevertheless, loud noise can be detrimental to your hearing health. Even if your exposure to the loud noise is very brief, it can still cause irreversible hearing damage in one or both ears, and occur either immediately or after a while. This is an important point because it means that you could be damaging your hearing every day without knowing the severity of the damage inflicted until much later in life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Fortunately, this also means that <\/span>noise-induced hearing loss is preventable<\/span><\/a> (actually, it\u2019s the <\/span>only<\/span><\/i> completely preventable form of hearing loss). By understanding the dangers of loud noise and implementing some precautions, you can easily reduce your risk of developing this frustrating condition.<\/span><\/p>\n

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How Does Noise Damage Our Hearing?<\/b><\/p>\n

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The human ear contains tiny <\/span>hair cells<\/span><\/a>. These hair cells (sensory cells sitting on top of the basilar membrane) play an important role in our hearing. When the hair cells move up and down, stereocilia (tiny hair-like projections) on top of the hair cells bump against an overlying structure and bend. This causes pore-like channels at the tips of the stereocilia to open up. Chemicals can rush into the cell and an electrical signal is created to be carried by the auditory nerve to the brain. There, it will be interpreted as what we understand to be a particular sound.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Loud noise can damage and eventually cause the death of these important hair cells, disrupting the hearing process. Crucially, <\/span>these hair cells don\u2019t grow back<\/span><\/a>, so the damage has a permanent effect.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Signs of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss<\/p>\n

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If your hearing is being slowly damaged by loud noise exposure, you might develop hearing loss quite gradually in a way that\u2019s difficult to notice until the signs become much more pronounced.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The damage from NIHL, when combined with aging, can lead to severe hearing loss, so you might only notice how bad your hearing has become until later on in life when the effects are more pronounced.<\/span><\/p>\n

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If sounds have become distorted or muffled, and you\u2019re finding it rather difficult to understand people when they talk, you could be experiencing the key indicators of hearing loss. Likewise, if you experience ringing, buzzing, or roaring in the ears or head this could be <\/span>tinnitus<\/span><\/a> from loud noise exposure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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If you have experienced a loud burst of sound (perhaps a gunshot or explosion), your eardrum can be ruptured and the bones in the middle ear damaged. NIHL can be immediate and permanent, so you might realize that you are suffering from NIHL straight away. This hearing loss might be temporary and disappear 16 to 48 hours later, but there could still be residual long-term damage.<\/span><\/p>\n

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