As a child do you remember your parents telling you to turn the television or your music down so that you don’t blow your eardrums? Unfortunately it wasn’t an empty threat and your parents reminding you to keep the noise levels down to a minimum may have saved you from experiencing noise induced hearing loss. Noise has become the number one cause of hearing loss throughout the world and it is an incredibly prevalent illness that is experienced by people of all different ages. Whether you work in a factory with a lot of heavy machinery or if you are a musician who is constantly around loud noises, hearing loss is a current issue that is not to be taken lightly.
The Statistics of Noise Induced Hearing Loss
1. According to the CDC, many different people throughout the world suffer from noise induced hearing loss whether they are adults or children.
2. Around 12.5% of individuals between the ages of 6 and 19 experience noise induced hearing loss.
3. Approximately 17% of adults between 20 and 69 years of age are affected by this detrimental medical condition.
4. Unfortunately these figures also represent the total number of people who have permanent damage to their hearing due to being exposed to an ample amount of noise.
Rather than risk losing your hearing, it can be quite advantageous to sufficiently protect your ears if you know that you will be around loud noises throughout your life. Being unable to speak properly and engage in conversations and daily activities can be quite a hindrance if you ever experience noise induced hearing loss.
Why is Noise Induced Hearing Loss Common?
There are several reasons as to why this particular type of hearing loss is incredibly prevalent but the most important reason is its rate of development. Noise induced hearing loss occurs over an extended period of time, therefore individuals do not realize the effect that it has on their hearing until it is too late. In today’s society, loud noises are just a part of every day events, therefore we have become desensitized to their danger. Unlike other injuries such as a cut, there is no blood or visible signs to tell that our hearing is slowly disappearing due to loud noises. Therefore, hearing loss is becoming more and more common all over the world.
The Process of Losing your Hearing
Take a moment and determine what it would be like to be unable to watch your favorite film or to even hear your family members speak while at the dinner table. Now imagine what it would be like to be unable to hear these sounds at an incredibly slow pace, it would be horrible. When we expose ourselves to loud and harmful sounds, whether at work or during our personal time, it can be severely detrimental to the well-being of our ears.
When you are exposed to incredibly loud sounds over an extended period of time, the inner structures of your ear become damaged, thus causing noise induced hearing loss. Over time you will lose your ability to process high frequency sounds. At the beginning of the development of noise induced hearing loss a human will be able to process sounds near 4000 Hz. Towards the end of the deterioration they will only be able to process sounds between 500 and 3000 Hz.
Will Both Ears Be Affected?
The number one question that people who may experience noise induced hearing loss ask is whether both of their ears will be affected. There is a high probability that you can lose hearing in both of your ears, but they will generally not be equal. As an example, one ear may hear better than the other ear which is commonly known as asymmetric noise induced hearing loss. Asymmetric noise induced hearing loss can generally be seen in individuals who work with loud objects where the sound is focussed to one ear. As an example, a firing instructor who shoots right-handed will lose more hearing in their right ear than their left due to the fact that the muzzle is closer to the right ear.
Other Hearing Issues
Another reason as to why it is so important to ensure that you were a sufficient amount of hearing protection while around loud environments is so that your ears are protected from being affected by other hearing issues. One of the most common conditions that occur as a result of noise induced hearing loss is tinnitus. Tinnitus is classified as a ringing, hissing, or buzzing in the ear as a result of damage by extensive sounds. If you are affected by tinnitus, you will never be able to experience peace and quiet as there will always be a pestering sound in your ear. Over 30 million adults suffer from tinnitus and are unable to focus their thoughts and emotions, unable to sleep, and unable to concentrate on everyday tasks and activities.