How is a person’s hearing damaged?
Damage to hearing generally occurs gradually over a number of years and may remain unnoticed until it is too late.
Exposure to excessive noise is cumulative. If you have already been exposed to excessive noise at work and then expose yourself to more noise during hobby or leisure activities, your chances of sustaining noise induced hearing loss are substantially increased.
Noise induced hearing loss is slow and painless and is permanent. There is no cure but it can be prevented.
Some indicators that your hearing may be at risk are:
- you have to raise your voice in a noisy workplace when you are talking to someone about one metre away from you
- your hearing sounds dull at the end of the working shift
- you or other workers experience ringing in the ears during work
Workers who are employed the longest tend to have difficulties hearing.
Hearing can also be damaged immediately by exposure to impulsive noise such as from explosive powered nail guns, firearms, stamping presses and forges.
The hair cells in the inner ear are destroyed by loud noise. Once they are destroyed they do not grow back.
As we get older our ability to hear high pitched sounds deteriorates naturally but with exposure to too much noise the ability to hear high pitched sounds is greatly decreased. People with noise induced hearing loss often say that they can hear someone talking but cannot understand them as they can no longer hear the high pitched letters like S and T.
Noise induced hearing loss leads to communication problems. Relationships with loved ones, family, friends and work colleagues may also suffer. As a result, the family and others who are close to, or work with, the person with noise induced hearing loss suffer secondary consequences of the condition.
Noise induced hearing loss may result in not being able to hear warning sounds (such as alarms or car horns) or workplace noises such as supervisors giving directions. Work effects include increased absenteeism and lower productivity.
For additional information on the symptoms of hearing impairment, check sections 1.2 and 1.3 of the Noise Advisory Standard 2004 (now known as a Code of Practice) .
Last updated October 24, 2005