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How can long-term exposure to excessive noise damage hearing?

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Long-term exposure to excessive noise can lead to permanent hearing loss by causing physical damage to the structures of the ear, particularly the inner ear.12

The primary mechanism of this damage involves the destruction of hair cells located within the organ of Corti. These sensory cells are responsible for transducing mechanical sound vibrations into nerve impulses. When an individual is repeatedly exposed to sounds exceeding 80 to 90 decibels, these hair cells can be irreversibly damaged or destroyed. This process may be followed by the degeneration of associated nerve fibres.13456

Because this damage typically begins at higher frequencies (4,000 to 6,000 hertz), the resulting hearing loss may go unnoticed until it progresses to lower frequencies. While some middle-ear damage—such as a ruptured tympanic membrane—can often be corrected, the loss of hair cells in the inner ear is generally permanent. Protecting your hearing through the use of earplugs or earmuffs in noisy environments is essential for preventing this irreversible physiological harm.5612