Life on the wild side can be invigorating

In a busy, bustling world, loud noise is all around us. Chainsaws and power tools may be the first thing to come to mind, but even long exposure to noise from a hair dryer or your smoothie maker can do harm to the tiny hair cells in your inner ear. That’s right, even sounds that appear comfortable can be harmful after a while.

With the volume turned up to what may seem to be a comfortably loud 85 dB, you’re already at the limit of safe sound. Turn the volume up to 88 dB and, in 4 hours time, you can do permanent damage. Regardless of your hobbies or occupation, what we think of as everyday sounds can take their toll. Since the collateral effects of untreated hearing loss can include the increased risk of dementia or cognitive decline, falls, cardiovascular disease, social isolation, depression and anxiety, understanding what to look out for and how to protect your hearing is all the more important.

When it’s hard to make out conversation, when the words seem to “run together” in a jumble, you may have a noise-induced hearing loss. High-pitched sounds, especially those you might (not) want to hear, such as a baby crying or your boss calling you after 8pm, may not be heard at all. That ringing in your ears (called tinnitus) is a common symptom of noise overexposure, and it can make falling sleep or concentration into your new battleground harder. This sounds familiar? Try out our free hearing online test to find out more.

Temporary hearing loss, also known as temporary threshold shifts, is common in those exposed to excessive noise. But don’t get too comfortable. Although one can recover completely, repeated episodes of such noise can give way to permanent threshold shifts. In this case, the hair cells in the inner ear are progressively lost or degenerated.

When you leave a loud concert and cannot hear properly for a few hours afterwards, it means that the hair cells in your inner ear are bent like blades of grass in the wind. After a few hours, they usually straighten out again and hearing returns to normal.