Hearing loss can occur for many reasons. Sometimes it occurs as people age. Sometimes it occurs after a long exposure to loud sounds. Learn more about hearing and hearing loss by taking this quiz.
1. After years of exposure to a humming refrigerator, people can develop hearing loss.
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Long-term exposure to certain sounds can cause hearing loss. But sounds of at or below 70 decibels are considered safe. A humming refrigerator is about 45 decibels.
2. A sudden loud sound such as an explosion can damage the ear, as can long-term exposure to high levels of sound.
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This kind of sound is called an impulse sound. The damage to the ear can be severe. This kind of hearing loss may be accompanied by tinnitus. Tinnitus is a sound like ringing, buzzing, or roaring in the ears or head. This condition may get better over time.
3. If a sudden loud noise only temporarily damages the ear, hearing will return in about 8 hours.
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The average time for hearing to return after a short-term loss is about 16 to 48 hours.
4. More than 30 million Americans are exposed to hazardous sound levels on a regular basis. Most of these noisy environments occur at the work site.
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The workplace can be a source of noise, but the home is no quiet refuge. Harmful noises at home may come from a loud TV volume, vacuum cleaners, garbage disposals, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and shop tools. Hobbyists can be exposed to high sound levels through target shooting or hunting, snowmobiles, go-carts, woodworking and other hobby equipment, power horns, cap guns, and model airplanes.
5. The best way to prevent noise-induced hearing loss is to wear special earplugs or earmuffs.
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You can find these items at drugstores, and at hardware and sporting goods stores.
6. Children don't need to be as careful of loud noises as adults.
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Anyone at any age can develop noise-induced hearing loss. About 3 in 20 children under age 18 have some degree of hearing loss. And children may not realize the need to put on protective ear equipment when exposed to loud noise. Studies show that the noise of electronic media used by children and teens is often louder than what is allowed in a workplace. One in 6 teens has high-frequency hearing loss caused by exposure to loud noises such as music played through earphones. The American Academy of Pediatrics now advises that children have a hearing screen at ages 11 to 14, again at 15 to 17, and again at 18 to 21.
7. For people who develop noise-induced hearing loss, medicine can reverse the damage.
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Currently, there is no medicine that can reverse this type of hearing loss. But there is some data supporting giving oral steroids to help restore hearing to some degree. Parents can help prevent hearing loss by teaching children and teens safe listening habits. This includes taking breaks after an hour of listening, making certain they can hear conversations while listening to music with ear phones, and checking how their ears feel after using ear phones. If their ears "feel funny" after using earphones or earbuds, the volume is too loud. If you can hear the music your child is listening to on their earphones, the volume is too loud.
8. It's often hard for a person exposed to long-term high noise levels to realize that a hearing loss has occurred.
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That's because the symptoms of this type of hearing loss increase slowly. Sounds may become distorted or muffled. It may become hard for you to understand speech. You may not be aware of the hearing loss, but it can be found with a hearing test.
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The results of your hearing test are shown on a graph called an audiogram. It shows which types of sounds you can and can't hear. A sample audiogram is provided here.
A fiberoptic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) test is a procedure used to assess how well you swallow. During the procedure, a speech-language pathologist (SLP) passes a thin, flexible instrument through your nose. Then the SLP views parts of your throat as you swallow.
