Symptoms, duration, danger threshold, treatment

Definition: What is sound trauma?

A sound trauma is damage to the inner earmore or less intense, which causes a Destruction of sensory cells. When exposed to too strong sound, these cells, called “ciliated cells” will vibrate and fall asleep. They can even die if they are too long in contact with intense noise. Thus, the stronger the noise and the more the risk that the eyelash of the hair cell is breaking is high. Sound trauma can cause Reversible or irreversible deafness. “”An ear that is too exposed to sounds is growing prematurely. Instead of having a hearing loss which generally occurs around 60, it will take place at a less advanced age. Just as our skin has sun capitalour ear has Hearing capital that must be preserved as much as possible“, argues Professor Jean-Luc Puel, president of the National Hearing Day Association and director of the Institute of Neuroscience at Inserm Montpellier.

The sound trauma does not hurt, they are rather uncomfortable.

What are the symptoms of sound trauma?

THE sound trauma can be acutethat’s to say accidental and suddenly after exposure to a sound shock (an explosion, a shot, a blast …). “”Just after the trauma, we immediately have a feeling of blocked ear or “cottony” and you can also feel whistles in the ears“, describes our interlocutor. The sound trauma do not hurt, they attack us and are very uncomfortable. However, if the sounds of daily life become painful, it can be a painful hyperacusisone of the complications of sound trauma.

The sound trauma can be chronicresulting from a prolonged exhibition to too strong sounds (listening to television or too strong music, noisy professional framework …). “”Symptoms are the same as for acute trauma. They are accompanied by a difficulty in the noise, in other words when one cannot distinguish the words of his interlocutor in a noisy environment (family meal, station, bar, restaurant …) “,, specifies the expert.

How long is the sound trauma?

A sound trauma can last from a few seconds to several hours.

A sound trauma is a medical emergency.

When to consult an ENT in the event of sound trauma?

A sound trauma is a medical emergency. “”If you hear whistles or buzzing in the ears accompanied by a blocked ear feeling, you have to consult an ENT as soon as possible“, insists the specialist. Particularly after a concert, a music festival or a nightclub evening.”When damaged, sensory cells are dying gradually, generally in 3-4 days, hence the interest of intervening very quickly“He adds. Consult an ENT SI:

• Your ears whistle or buzz.
• You feel like you always have blocked ears.
• Your ears hurt you.
• You hear sounds even in a silent environment.
• You have difficulty hearing your interlocutors and especially acute voices or the sound of birds.

What is the treatment of sound trauma?

“”The general practitioner can direct you to an ENT. Depending on the diagnosis, this hearing specialist can prescribe corticosteroidwhich will help the sensory cells injured to repair themselves, and/or advise you to make hyperbaric box“Indicates the specialist. This is a medical technique to oxygenate and repair tissues. Hearing aids may be necessary.

What are the complications of sound trauma?

The complications of a sound trauma are, in order of gravity:

• Deafness. “”Deafness can be reversible, in other words, the hair cells have been damaged but are not dead. They are able to repair themselves and the person is able to find normal audiometry. On the other hand, deafness is irreversible when the sensory cells have been completely destroyed“, Indicates Professor Puel. In the event of irreversible deafness, most sounds become imperceptible, regardless of the listening environment.
• Tinnitus. “”Be careful, tinnitus is a symptom and are not always due to sound trauma. The causes of tinnitus are numerous: hypertension, a tumor of the ear canal or the inner ear, neuropathy, an autoimmune disease … In these cases, the pathology will have to be treated and not the symptom“explains Professor Puel.

• Painful hyperacusis is characterized by intolerance to the sounds of daily life which can cause pain in the ears and radiate in the neck or even in the jaw. Results: the person is embarrassed by sound whatever their intensity. She no longer supports certain noises normally tolerated by everyone (rubbing of cutlery, voice, tapping on a keyboard …), she has perpetually blocked or even congestioned ears, she has headaches and ears that tickle …

What are the dangerous thresholds for hearing?

It is difficult to determine the dangerous threshold for hearing. It all depends on the intensity of the sound and the duration of exposure. “”Labor legislation (the National Institute for Research and Safety at Labor – INRS) considers that we can be exposed for 8 hours at 80 decibels without protection. If we double the acoustic power, that is to say that we go from 80 dB to 83 dB, the duration of exposure without risk is only 4 hoursexplains Professor Puel. On the other hand, during a concert which has a sound level generally between 90 and 110 dB, it is in your interest in putting ear traffic jams “. The interest of ear plugs is to protect hearing without altering music vibrations (bass). Note that a decree of the 2017 Public Health Code obliges all the concert halls welcoming more than 300 people to make available to the public Ear caps for free And above all, not to exceed 102 decibels.

Examples of exposure durations according to the sound level

To prevent the risk of lesions and preserve your hearing, think of earplugs!

• Standard foam earplugs are the classic traffic jams made available during festivals, musical events and concerts. For single use, they reduce noise pollution on average by 30%.
• Filtering earplugs are able to alleviate acute sounds, considered the most dangerous for hearing.
• Ear caps, made-to-measure By hearing -regotiansists, are adapted to the auditory duct of the person. They offer large sound insulation and are intended for people exposed regularly to noise (who work in music, on noisy machines for example, in metallurgy, on railways or with planes …)
• Anti-noise helmets Capture the sound and reverse the sound wave. They reduce noise or even create total silence.

Thank you to Professor Jean-Luc Puel, director of the Institute of Neuroscience at Inserm Montpellier.