Loud Sound and Your Ears

In the picture

1. 1The loudspeaker stack: the source putting out the loudest sound
2. 2The open ground between: every step away lowers the sound reaching the ears
3. 3A foam earplug in the ear canal: it cuts how much volume gets through
4. 4Padded earmuffs over both ears: another way to bring the volume down
5. 5Flattened hair cells next to upright ones in the cochlea: once lost, they never come back

Examples

• Earbuds turned up loud for a whole bus ride home
• Mowing the lawn with a petrol mower, or using a power drill

Quiz: Loud Sound and Your Ears (Age 16)

1. 1

   Why is the hearing damage caused by loud sound described as permanent?

   • The hair cells grow back, but each time they come back weaker
   • The inner ear fills with fluid that can never drain away again
   • The hair cells in the inner ear never grow back once they are lost
2. 2

   According to the card, which of these keeps the hair cells safe?

   • Turning the volume down, moving further from the source, or wearing ear protection
   • Listening through headphones instead of speakers at the same volume
   • Letting your ears get used to loud sound a little at a time
3. 3

   How do foam earplugs or padded earmuffs protect your hearing?

   • They let the loud sound through but help the hair cells repair themselves
   • They cut down how much volume gets through to the ear
   • They block sound completely, so no sound at all reaches the ear

The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This lesson has left the free week, so its quiz is part of the subscription.