Tinnitus
Tinnitus is the perception of sound in one or both ears when there is no external sound, and is often referred to as ringing in the ears. The 'ringing' can be a soft background noise, or an overpowering noise that drowns out all other sounds. It can be occasional or constant, and usually accompanies hearing loss.
Tinnitus can be caused when loud noises damage the sensory hairs within the cochlea. The damage to the hairs can cause them to relay false data. Hearing loss occurs when the hairs relay little or no data. The false data is translated by the brain as ringing, buzzing, whistling,hissing, clicking, chirping, or pulsing sounds.
Balance Problems
Along with the cochlea, the inner ear includes the vestibular apparatus, the organ of balance.
Under noisy conditions, complaints of nystagmus (rapid involuntary side-to-side eye movements), vertigo (dizziness), and balance problems have been reported.
General Health Problems
Noise is a contributor to adverse health influences.
Numerous conditions have been attributed to noise exposure, such as: nausea, headaches, insomnia, irritability, fatigue, loss of appetite and other ailments.
What can you do?
The simplest solution is to use good
hearing protection before suffering a hearing loss.
