How can hearing be damaged by sound waves

Early damage may not show up on your hearing test. The effect of loud noise over time affects how well you might hear later in life. It also affects how quickly you might develop hearing problems, even after exposure has stopped. We hear sound because of vibrations sound waves that reach our ears. We recognize those vibrations as speech, music, or other sounds. Outer Ear The outer ear—the part of the ear you see—funnels sound waves into the ear canal.

The sound waves travel through the ear canal to reach the eardrum. Middle Ear The eardrum vibrates from the incoming sound waves and sends these vibrations to three tiny bones in the middle ear. These bones amplify, or increase, the sound vibrations and send them to the inner ear. Inner Ear The inner ear contains a snail-shaped structure filled with fluid called the cochlea.

Sound vibrations create waves in the cochlear fluids. As the waves peak, they cause tiny hair cells to bend, which converts the vibrations into electrical signals. These tiny hair cells are called stereocilia types of receptors that can detect sound. Auditory Nerve The auditory nerve carries the electrical signals from the inner ear to the brain. Typically, a blast injury is more likely if the sound wave lasts for a short amount of time about minutes.

The following information contains more information about blast injury. You can learn what causes this kind of trauma, how the brain affected, and what the symptoms. You will also learn about the three classifications of a blast injury—primary, secondary, tertiary—and their distinctive characteristics. Additionally, this page explains how a physician diagnosis a blast injury and what treatments are available. Of course, if you need more information, or would like more resources on blast injuries, we are available for a free consultation.

As mentioned before, medical professionals classify blast injuries into three categories : primary, secondary, and tertiary. A primary blast injury is one where the blast waves transmitted by a loud explosion or other high decibel sound cause damage to an organ or tissue.

The trauma is considered primary because the pressure created by the wave is sole cause of the injury. A secondary blast injury is one that is caused by flying objects or debris caused by a nearby explosion.

In others, injuries that secondary are not because of the actual blast waves penetrating the ear. Tertiary trauma is caused by high-energy explosions. After a blast injury, a patient typically feels as if the injured ear is clogged. Thus, their ability to hear through the affected ear is also reduced.

Blast injury usually occurs in only one ear, and in most cases, the symptoms will go away on their own in just a few days. Generally, the symptoms of a blast injury do not progress further , worsening with time. In fact, the opposite is true: time is the best medicine for those who have gone through a traumatic situation with their hearing.

To diagnose a blast injury, an ENT doctor will perform a hearing test. A sensorineural hearing loss can be detected by using the results of your test, which is called an audiogram.

Hearing loss can have a significant effect on your quality of life. Older adults with hearing loss may report feelings of depression. Because hearing loss can make conversation difficult, some people experience feelings of isolation. Hearing loss is also associated with cognitive impairment and decline. The mechanism of interaction between hearing loss, cognitive impairment, depression and isolation is being actively studied. Initial research suggests that treating hearing loss can have a positive effect on cognitive performance, especially memory.

The following steps can help you prevent noise-induced hearing loss and avoid worsening of age-related hearing loss:. Are you increasing the volume on the TV or asking others to speak up?

You're not alone, especially if you're over age Poling says the majority of hearing loss is preventable. Hunters, for instance, are at risk of hearing loss. And we're evaluating the entire auditory system in that process - not just with the earphones, but we do some other tests to evaluate your middle ear and the inner ear, as well.

So before you have to turn up the sound, consider turning it down. Hearing loss care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version.

Overview Hearing loss that occurs gradually as you age presbycusis is common. Hearing loss is defined as one of three types: Conductive involves outer or middle ear Sensorineural involves inner ear Mixed combination of the two. Parts of the ear The ear is made up of three primary parts: the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear.

Outer ear The outer ear is composed of the visible part of the ear pinna and the ear canal. Middle ear The middle ear is an air-filled cavity that holds a chain of three bones: the hammer malleus , the anvil incus and the stirrup stapes. These bones are separated from the outer ear by the eardrum tympanic membrane , which vibrates when struck by a sound wave.

The middle ear is connected to the back of your nose and upper part of your throat by a narrow channel called the auditory tube eustachian tube. The tube opens and closes at the throat end to equalize the pressure in the middle ear with that of the environment and drain fluids.

Equal pressure on both sides of the eardrum is important for normal vibration of the eardrum. Bones of the middle ear The middle ear contains three tiny bones: Hammer malleus — attached to eardrum Anvil incus — in the middle of the chain of bones Stirrup stapes — attached to the membrane-covered opening that connects the middle ear with the inner ear oval window The vibration of the eardrum triggers a chain of vibrations through the bones.

Inner ear The inner ear contains a group of interconnected, fluid-filled chambers. The snail-shaped chamber, called the cochlea KOK-lee-uh , plays a role in hearing. Sound vibrations from the bones of the middle ear are transferred to the fluids of the cochlea. Tiny sensors hair cells lining the cochlea convert the vibrations into electrical impulses that are transmitted along the auditory nerve to your brain.

This is where the initial damage and hearing loss occur due to age, noise exposure or medication. The other fluid-filled chambers of the inner ear include three tubes called the semicircular canals vestibular labyrinth. Hair cells in the semicircular canals detect the motion of the fluid when you move in any direction. The EPA also specified limits for speech interference and annoyance at 55 dBA for outdoors activities and 45 dBA for indoor activities.

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Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. What Noises Cause Hearing Loss? Minus Related Pages. Open All Close All. Noise is a significant source of hearing loss, but you can protect your hearing. An important first step is to understand how noise causes hearing loss. Everyday Activities. Concerts, restaurants, and bars Sporting events, such as football, hockey, and soccer games Motorized sporting events, such as monster truck shows, stock car or road races, and snowmobiling Movie theaters.