Audio/visual demonstration of noise induced hearing loss

Noise induced hearing loss is irreversible damage to the ears caused by exposure to high levels of noise. These recordings demonstrate how hearing is gradually lost over a working life. In the demonstrations you will hear the effects of both noise exposure and ageing on hearing.

The demonstrations rely on comparing how loud the different sections of the recordings sound to you, so it is important do not adjust the volume after starting to listen to the demonstration. You will need to start off with the volume in the first section of the recording set reasonably high, otherwise you will not be able to hear some of the later simulations. The best results are achieved by setting the volume level so that the hearing loss demonstration at age 65 can be just about heard.

The audio files have been tested using in-ear headphones, over ear headphones, and loud speakers. The best results are obtained when used with a reproduction system that delivers a good frequency range. For this reason, built-in speakers on devices such as laptops and mobile phone/mp3 players may not give effective demonstrations."

Noise induced hearing loss demonstration

Audio demonstration of noise induced hearing loss [4 mins - 4MB]

Potential effects of noise induced hearing loss (NIHL)

Above, you had the opportunity to listen to the potential effects of noise induced hearing loss.

Now you can 'see' the sort of damage that excessive noise can cause inside your ears.

Video demonstration of noise induced hearing loss

The clip has been reproduced from "The Hearing Video" by the kind permission of WorksafeBC