Noise and Hearing Loss

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Abstract
Hearing loss afflicts approximately 28 million people in the United States. Approximately 10 million of these impairments are at least partially attributable to damage from exposure to loud sounds. Sounds that are sufficiently loud to damage sensitive inner-ear structures can produce hearing loss that is not reversible by any presently available medical or surgical treatment. Hearing impairment associated with noise exposure can occur at any age, including early infancy, and is often characterized by difficulty in understanding speech and the potentially troublesome symptom, tinnitus (ie, ringing in the ears). Very loud sounds of short duration, such as an explosion or gunfire, can produce immediate, severe, and permanent loss of hearing. Longer exposure to less-intense but still hazardous sounds, commonly encountered in the workplace or in certain leisure-time activities, exacts a gradual toll on hearing sensitivity, initially without the victim's awareness. More than 20 million Americans are exposed on a regular

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