What to know about hearing

Every source of sound produces vibrations that cause sound waves in the air.
These are “funnelled” into the ear through the ear canal to reach the eardrum, making it vibrate. These vibrations travel through delicate auditory ossicles in the middle ear, which redirect the vibrations to the inner ear. There, hair cells convert them into electrical signals that are sent to the brain. The brain perceives this as sound: music, a voice, a door closing, etcetera.

Sounds that are too loud can cause the hair cells in the inner ear to become overloaded and die. The longer the exposure and/or the more the noise increases, the more hair cells will die.
As the number of hair cells decreases, so does the ability to hear. Dead hair cells cannot be brought back to life, which means that this damage is irreversible.

Always wear hearing protection when you are in or need to be in a noisy environment.

Hearing protection reduces noise intensity and thus lowers the risk of hearing damage. There are many types of hearing protection and it is very important that you choose the right one.

Whatever you choose, the best hearing protection is the one you actually wear.

Hearing loss generally develops over years. Because it takes place painlessly and gradually, people hardly notice it is happening.
Signs of damage are:
– Noise is painful; ears ring or buzz;
– one gradually starts hearing everything more quietly, for example, after exposure to a loud bang or after a concert.

Noise damage has nothing to do with age: It can occur at any time.
The first signs of hearing impairment are when people start having trouble hearing what others are saying, especially when several people are gathered in noisy surroundings.
It becomes even more serious if one starts hearing a “continuous whistling noise” in the ear. This is called tinnitus and can be a sign of more serious hearing loss.
But a reduced ability to hear can also be caused by a build-up of ear wax or an ear infection that can be cleared up easily.

It is a good idea to consult a doctor if these symptoms occur in order to avoid taking unnecessary risks.

No, anyone who thinks they can get used to loud noises is probably already suffering hearing damage.

And there is NO treatment for this — NO medicine, NO operation. Even a hearing aid cannot fully restore diminished hearing.