Sound Levels and Hearing Loss

Noise levels are measured in decibels (dB). Sounds louder than 80 dB are considered potentially hazardous to your hearing if you are exposed to them for any length of time. The following image helps you to understand what sounds occur at different frequencies and intensities. When sound reaches an intense level, it can damage the hair cells of the inner ear. This results in a loss of electrical impulses for a range of pitches. Often the damage affects the high-pitched sounds first. Consequently, high-pitched speech sounds, such as the consonants "t", "s", "th", and "sh" become difficult for people to hear.