What Is Noised-Induced Hearing Loss?
Noise-induced hearing loss occurs when the tiny hair cells in your inner ear become damaged after being exposed to loud sounds. These hair cells turn sound vibrations into signals your brain can understand, but once they’re harmed, they cannot repair themselves.
This damage usually affects your ability to hear high-frequency sounds, which can make speech, especially softer consonants, harder to understand.
Think you may have noise-induced hearing loss?
Causes of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Noise-induced hearing loss happens when loud sounds damage the tiny hair cells in your inner ear. This can occur from a single extremely loud event or from repeated exposure over time.
Common sources and factors that contribute to this type of hearing loss include:
Power tools and machinery (chainsaws, drills, leaf blowers)
Household appliances (hair dryers, blenders, vacuum cleaners)
Loud music from headphones, concerts, or events
Traffic noise, sirens, and other loud environments
One-time exposure to very loud sounds (explosions, fireworks)
Long or repeated exposure to sounds over 85 dB
Being close to the noise source
Extended duration of exposure
Signs and Symptoms of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Noise-induced hearing loss can appear gradually, which means symptoms aren’t always easy to spot.
If you notice any of the signs below, you may be living with noise-related hearing changes:
People sound like they mumble
You can hear people, but speech is not always clear and it can be hard to understand. They might sound muffled.
Always turning up the volume
You may find yourself turning up the TV volume or asking others to speak up or repeat themselves.
Trouble in noisy places and over the phone
You may struggle to hear others in crowded environments or understand telephone conversations.Ringing in the ear and hypersensitivity to sound
You may be experiencing tinnitus or find certain sounds painful to hear.
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Audiogram
Noise-induced hearing loss typically affects high-frequency sounds first. This can make it difficult to hear things like birds chirping, doorbells or phones ringing, and sometimes the voices of women and children. On an audiogram, this often appears as a notch or dip around 4,000 Hz - a classic sign of noise-related damage.
As hearing loss progresses, the notch may deepen or spread into lower frequencies, depending on the severity. Because age-related hearing loss can affect multiple frequencies over time, this notch can become less noticeable as both conditions overlap.
Noise-induced hearing loss is usually symmetrical, meaning it affects both ears in a similar way.
Audiograms are a valuable tool for understanding the type and extent of your hearing loss. They help your hearing care professional determine the most appropriate treatment and next steps.
The chart below shows how noise-induced hearing loss can progress if not addressed.
How to Prevent Noise-Induced Hearing Loss?
Use earplugs or earmuffs
When you know you'll be exposed to loud noise, such as working with power tools or attending a concert, wear hearing protection.Keep the volume down
When using headphones or earbuds, listen at a moderate volume. As a general rule of thumb, if others can hear the sound coming from your headphones, the volume is too high.Take breaks
If you work in a noisy environment, try to take frequent breaks to give your ears a rest. Ideally, you should limit your exposure to loud noise to less than 8 hours a day.
Treating Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
While noise-induced hearing loss can’t be reversed, several treatments can help improve communication.
Hearing aids amplify sounds to make conversations clearer, while cochlear implants may be an option for those with more severe hearing loss. Speech therapy can also support better communication by helping you develop effective listening and speaking strategies.
Noise-induced hearing loss: FAQ
What type of hearing loss is caused by loud noises?
Do hearing aids help noise-induced hearing loss?
What frequencies are affected by noise-induced hearing loss?
Does noise-induced hearing loss get worse over time?
Can you recover from noise-induced hearing loss?
