How loud is too loud?

Noise-induced hearing loss

Of the millions of people that suffer from hearing loss in the UK and around the rest of the world, a lot of people have suffered noise-induced hearing loss.

Noise Induced Hearing Loss can be caused by repeated exposure to sounds at various loudness levels over an extended period of time or a one-time exposure to a loud sound.

This impairment is now one of the most common occupational hazards people face today and is caused when microscopic hair cells found inside the cochlea are damaged. These hair cells respond to various sound vibrations by sending electrical signals to the auditory nerve, when they are damaged it inhibits their ability to do this.

The average person can hear sounds down to about 0 decibels, or the sound of leaves rustling on a tree. Sounds that are 85 decibels or louder can cause permanent damage to someone’s hearing and could result in a person having to buy digital hearing aids.