Acoustic Trauma

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Introduction

Acoustic trauma is injury to the inner ear caused by loud noise.  Acoustic trauma can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss.  Wearing earplugs or ear protectors around loud noises can help prevent acoustic trauma.
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Anatomy

The ear is divided into three areas: the outer, middle, and inner ear.  Your ears not only enable you to hear, but play a role in balance as well.  Your outer and middle ear is separated by your eardrum.
 
The medical term for eardrum is tympanic membrane.  It prevents anything from entering your inner ear.  Sound waves cause your eardrum to vibrate.  The vibrations are translated into nerve messages that travel to your brain and are processed as sound.
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Causes

The sound waves from loud noise may cause pressure changes that damage the hearing structures in the ear, including the eardrum.  Injury may occur from sudden loud noises, such as explosions or gunfire.  It may also result from exposure to loud noises over time, such as loud machinery, loud music, and even loud motorcycles. 
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Symptoms

Acoustic trauma may cause temporary or permanent hearing impairments.  You may notice that your hearing is temporarily decreased after attending a loud concert.  However, acoustic trauma can cause progressive and permanent hearing loss.  You may lose the ability to hear high-pitched sounds.  This may make it more difficult to hear and understand others in noisy environments.  Acoustic trauma can cause ringing in the ear, called tinnitus.
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Diagnosis

An audiologist can diagnose acoustic trauma by reviewing your history, examining your ear, and performing hearing tests. 
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Treatment

Hearing aids may improve hearing for some people.  Those with permanent hearing loss may learn compensation techniques, such as lip-reading or sign language to help them communicate with others.
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Prevention

You can help prevent acoustic trauma by wearing earplugs or ear protection when you are exposed to loud noises.  There are many types of ear protection available.  The appropriate equipment should be discussed with your doctor or audiologist.
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Am I at Risk

People exposed to sudden or ongoing loud noises are at risk for acoustic trauma.
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This information is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of an individual consultation or examination or replace the advice of your health care professional and should not be relied upon to determine diagnosis or course of treatment.

The iHealthSpot patient education library was written collaboratively by the iHealthSpot editorial team which includes Senior Medical Authors Dr. Mary Car-Blanchard, OTD/OTR/L and Valerie K. Clark, and the following editorial advisors: Steve Meadows, MD, Ernie F. Soto, DDS, Ronald J. Glatzer, MD, Jonathan Rosenberg, MD, Christopher M. Nolte, MD, David Applebaum, MD, Jonathan M. Tarrash, MD, and Paula Soto, RN/BSN. This content complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. The library commenced development on September 1, 2005 with the latest update/addition on February 16, 2022. For information on iHealthSpot’s other services including medical website design, visit www.iHealthSpot.com.