The part of your ear that hears sound is called the cochlea. It is a part of your hearing but is also a part of the nervous system. The problem is that the cochlea cannot repair itself so any damage that is done is permanent. Your hearing is a precious commodity that most people want to have for as long as possible. It not only is a necessity for many aspects of life but it is going to allow you to communicate with those around you. When your hearing is gone you may have some medical interventions that can help magnetize the hearing you have left but repairing the actual cochlea is not going to be an option. You may not realize it but there are some everyday things that you are doing that could be causing damage to your hearing.
What are Sound Decibel Levels: When you are talking about sound you are referring to the decibels that are also labeled dB. These sound waves go into the ear and cause movement on the hair cells that are attached to the cochlea. These tiny movements allow you to hear the actual sound. A standard hearing individual will be able to hear a sound that is at 0dB and the scale goes up from there. When the level reaches around 85dB and you are exposed to it for more than about eight hours it can start to cause damage. The hairs can be moved out of place and even broken off all the way. The higher the decibel is, the worse it can be on these tiny hair cells and that is when damage will occur. No matter where you go you are prone to sounds at many different levels and what you want to know is what types of sounds are a problem. If you are hearing a sound that is at 0dB than you are hearing background soft noise that is almost indistinguishable. To put that into something you can understand a whisper is around 30dB and so is a quiet room. If you are out doing yard work and running the lawn mower you are about at the danger level which is 80 – 85dB. Some of the loudest sounds that register around 140dB are firing a gun or listening to the loud boom of a firework. It is hard to know how loud a sound is since you don’t have a tool to walk around measuring the sounds around you so doing what you can to protect your hearing is key.
How To Protect Your Hearing & Cochlea: If you have decided that you want to listen to music and really rock out you may want to reconsider this. You want to have the volume of your music so that you can still hear a person that is talking to you at a normal level. This may not be the fun you wanted but it is better than losing your hearing! Earbuds also pose a risk. The ear piece actually seals the opening of the ear off and sends the sound straight to the cochlea. You may think that it is at an acceptable level but the sound is going to be louder since the ear canal is sealed off. If you know that you are going to be around very loud noises then you should invest in some noise cancelling headphones. This will help with loud events, concerts and shooting.
ENT Specialists offers hearing loss consultations, testing and treatment, so call our office today!
