back. When they are gone, they are
gone for good.
NIHL can happen in two ways: immediately,
or over prolonged exposure. If a
sound is extremely loud, NIHL may be
sustained immediately. Some sounds, like
an explosion in close proximity, are so
loud that they may even make the individual
deaf. Like other parts of the body,
the hairs used to detect sound in the ear
can diminish through wear and tear.
Often, those suff ering from NIHL cannot
tell that they are suff ering – just as with
eyesight, a weakened sense of hearing is
something the individual acclimatises to,
unaware that they are gradually hearing
less and less as time goes on. Usually it
requires a deterioration of hearing to the
extent that an individual can’t understand
what other people are saying,
either on the phone or in a noisy room,
before they go to get their hearing
checked out.