When you’re listening to an audiobook while cleaning your house or hearing people cheering at Busch Stadium, you probably don’t think much about how your ears are processing the noise. That’s completely normal—but understanding how your ears work and why it’s important to protect them from loud noises is key to preventing hearing loss.
The Path of Sound Through Your Ears
Here’s a step-by-step look at how your hearing works, from the moment a sound is made to the point where your brain recognizes it:
- When something creates a sound, it generates sound waves that move through the air
- The visible part of your ear, called the auricle or pinna, captures those sound waves
- The waves move through the ear canal, where they’re amplified
- The sound waves reach the eardrum and cause it to vibrate
- These vibrations are passed through three tiny bones in the middle ear, called the ossicles, which amplify the sound even more
- The amplified sound travels into the cochlea, a spiral-shaped, fluid-filled organ in the inner ear
- The sound waves cause the fluid inside the cochlea to ripple
- The movement of the fluid stimulates around 25,000 tiny nerve endings lining the cochlea
- These nerve endings convert the vibrations into electrical impulses
- The auditory nerve carries these impulses to the brain
- Your brain interprets the signals, allowing you to recognize and understand what you’re hearing
Why Does Loud Noise Damage Hearing?
When you hear a soft sound, the nerve endings in your cochlea respond by sending electrical signals to your brain—without any harm. But loud noises overstimulate these tiny nerve endings; if the strain is too great, they can become damaged or die. Once that happens, they don’t grow back.
Think of it like walking vs. sprinting nonstop. A short, easy walk is manageable and doesn’t wear you out. But if you’re suddenly forced to sprint long distances without rest, your body can break down. Your ear’s nerve endings react the same way—too much strain, especially from loud noise, can cause permanent damage.
How Loud is Too Loud?
We measure sound in decibels (dB) or A-weighted decibels (dBA). A-weighted decibels (dBA) measures sound intensity according to the human ear’s sensitivity to low and high frequencies. For example, a normal conversation measures 60-70 dBA, and a motorcycle measures 80-110 dBA.
Noise-related hearing loss can happen after prolonged or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 dBA. The louder the sound, the shorter the time it takes to damage hearing.
How Can I Protect My Hearing?
The best way to protect your hearing from loud noise is to minimize contact with it. This could include attending fewer concerts, wearing earplugs or earmuffs around loud noise or limiting headphone use.
You should also schedule regular hearing tests if you’re frequently exposed to loud sounds or notice hearing difficulties. Contact Center for Hearing & Speech today to schedule your hearing test with one of our specialists.
