Whilst all of us will find inevitably that our hearing gets worse as we get older, the delicate inner structures of your ear can become damaged by prolonged exposure to loud noises. Both the loudness of the noise and length of time you are exposed to it are important factors in determining how your hearing will be affected.
The louder the noises you are exposed to and the longer the period that you are exposed to them, the more likely it is that you will develop damage to your hearing as a result.
People who work in noisy environments, such as with pneumatic drills or compressed air hammers or with other noisy machinery or in environments where there is loud music are particularly at risk.
Employers and others in control of environments where it is foreseeable that people could be exposed to damaging noise have a basic legal duty to take reasonable steps to avert either tinnitus or hearing loss being caused. In addition, there are extensive regulations which impose specific duties in respect of provision of protective equipment and monitoring noise levels.
Tinnitus is a term that describes any sound a person can hear from inside their body rather than from an outside source. Tinnitus is often related to damage that occurs inside the inner ear. We have seen cases where it has been caused by prolonged exposure to noise in the workplace and by explosions, including the deployment of an airbag in a car accident.
Although tinnitus is often described as ‘ringing in the ears’, several sounds may be heard including:
- buzzing
- humming
- grinding
- hissing
- whistling
- sizzling
Sometimes, the noise associated with tinnitus beats in time with a person’s pulse.
Most people learn to live with tinnitus, but it can often have a significant impact on day-to-day life. For example, it can affect concentration and cause sleeping problems and depression.
If you have sustained a hearing loss or Tinnitus contact us now to get free expert advice on your particular case with no obligation on your part.