Deafness, Hearing Loss

Noise Induced Hearing Loss and Its Prevention »

What is the importance of noise-induced hearing loss?

The industrial and technological revolution may have propelled society to higher levels of achievement, but this progress has also made the world a noisier place in which to live. In fact, noise pollution is a growing health hazard and can be found almost everywhere. Car alarms, leaf blowers, gunshots, boom boxes, and traffic congestion fill our cities with decibels (the measure of sound intensity). Escaping to the country may not provide a quiet refuge, and even farmers are at high risk for exposure to noise from their farm machinery.

What's more, potentially harmful noise is not necessarily unpleasant or unwanted. For example, the music at a concert and the pounding of a jackhammer on the street can be equally damaging to the inner ear. The reason for this is that any sounds (acoustic energies) delivered with equal intensity, regardless of their source, are equally dangerous. Eventually, continued ...

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