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Why does pain in the ears warn that sound may be causing damage?

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Can bubble curtains protect harbor porpoises from noise pollution? — noise pollution Learn about the impact of underwater noise on marine animals, notably harbour porpoises.

Pain in the ears serves as a vital physiological warning that the intensity of sound waves has reached a threshold where physical damage to the ear is likely to occur. This sensation, often referred to as the threshold of pain or the threshold of feeling, occurs at sound pressure levels approximately one trillion times more intense than the threshold of hearing.12

When sound levels are excessive, they can cause acoustic trauma, which includes:

Structural Damage: Intense sound blasts can rupture the tympanic membrane (eardrum) or fracture the small bones of the middle ear.1
Cellular Injury: Continuous exposure to high-intensity noise can cause irreversible damage to the hair cells in the inner ear, which are essential for processing sound.13

While the ear possesses protective mechanisms, such as the reflex contraction of the stapedius and tensor tympani muscles, these are not instantaneous and fatigue quickly, offering little defense against sudden or prolonged high-level noise. Consequently, pain acts as an immediate signal that the ear's protective limits have been exceeded and that hearing health is at risk.41