What is Acoustic Trauma?

What is Acoustic Trauma?

• A. A temporary improvement in hearing due to brief noise exposure
• B. The temporary or permanent hearing loss due to a sudden, extremely high intensity noise
• C. The chronic dull ache in the ear after buildup of earwax
• D. The general decline in hearing with age

Answer: (B)

Acoustic trauma is hearing loss caused by exposure to an extremely loud sound. It can be temporary or permanent, depending on how intense and how long the noise lasts—think of a sudden blast or gunfire as common examples. The damage is typically sensorineural, damaging the inner-ear hair cells, their supporting structures, or the auditory nerve rather than the outer or middle ear. A very loud impulse can cause a temporary threshold shift, where hearing recovers after a period of rest, or a permanent threshold shift if the damage is irreversible. It may also be accompanied by tinnitus. This differs from a temporary improvement in hearing, earwax buildup causing a conductive issue, or age-related decline in hearing.

Acoustic trauma is hearing loss caused by exposure to an extremely loud sound. It can be temporary or permanent, depending on how intense and how long the noise lasts—think of a sudden blast or gunfire as common examples. The damage is typically sensorineural, damaging the inner-ear hair cells, their supporting structures, or the auditory nerve rather than the outer or middle ear. A very loud impulse can cause a temporary threshold shift, where hearing recovers after a period of rest, or a permanent threshold shift if the damage is irreversible. It may also be accompanied by tinnitus. This differs from a temporary improvement in hearing, earwax buildup causing a conductive issue, or age-related decline in hearing.