The ear, like all human organs, consists of an extremely complex system that maintains their specific body functions.
Even the slightest damage to the organs can result in severe ramifications such as hearing impairment.
Three parts make up the ear, the outer ear, middle and inner ear.
The ear functions first by directing sound waves towards the ear canal via the pinna.
Sound waves then pass through the ear drums and vibrations caused by these waves are conducted to the cochlea via the anvil, hammer and stirrup.
These components are also known as the ossicles and it is the role of the cochlea to transmit nerve impulses to the brain.
Normally hearing impairment is the result from damage done to the middle and inner ear.
One of the most common culprits for this condition is prolonged exposure to excessively loud sounds.
This is because exposure to an excessive amount of loud sounds causes the sensory hair cells located in the cochlea to be killed off.
As these hair cells function to stimulate the release of nerve impulses, prolonged exposure may result in excessive loss of these hair cells which in turn could cause sensory-neural hearing disorders.
However, most people who actually expose themselves to such sounds such as those from a concert only ever experience a temporary threshold shift, a temporary form of hearing loss.
Nevertheless, the threat of a permanent threshold shift with symptoms such as being unable to differentiate between sounds, being unable to hear low volume sounds and experiencing a constant ringing, ultimately may result in the use of hearing aids.
Although most people know the risks of excessively frequent exposures to loud sounds and are willing to protect themselves from such exposure, many are unaware as to which sounds are considered to be too loud.
Simply put, a normal conversation is usually carried out at 60 decibels (dB) and one only has to be exposed to sounds of 85 dB or higher to experience hearing impairment over time.
Nevertheless, sounds at 85 dB require roughly 8 hours of continuous exposure to cause any damage and thus is only a risk when present in workplaces (Construction sites etc).
As such, it has been required by law that hearing protection must be provided by employers to employees in working environments that risk exposure of sounds more than 85dB.
For work places with risk of exposure to sounds of more than 90dB, it is compulsory by law to wear hearing protection.
Sounds of 85dB include those of heavy traffic experienced from inside a vehicle.
A music player is capable of sounds up to 105dB, jack hammers at 120dB and firearms at 140dB.
In fact, at 110dB, one only needs 30 seconds of exposure to experience hearing impairment.
Therefore hearing protection is important.
Common items used to that end include small and simple ear plugs or pricier but more effective ear muffs.
No matter which form of hearing protection you go with, it is important for those who work in environments such as construction to prevent hearing impairment.