What Is Acoustic Trauma?

Learn more about acoustic trauma, including symptoms, diagnosis, and how to seek treatment when necessary.

January 17, 2025 · 8 min · 1536 words · Jeffrey Carlson Jr.

Table of Contents

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Acoustic Trauma?SymptomsIdentifying Acoustic TraumaCausesTreatmentCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Is Acoustic Trauma?

Symptoms

Identifying Acoustic Trauma

Causes

Treatment

Coping

Close

Acoustic trauma is hearing loss that happens as a result of a sudden, loud noise, or from ongoing exposure to loud noises. Examples of loud noises that may cause acoustic trauma includegunshotsor explosions near the ear.Continued exposure to loud music or machinerythat emits high-volume sounds can also cause acoustic trauma.

Many people experience acoustic trauma on the job, such as people who work in the military or the music business. Acoustic trauma can cause damage to the inner ear, and while treatment may be effective in some cases, acoustic trauma can result inpermanent hearing loss.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Criteria, Causes, and Treatment

Symptoms of Acoustic Trauma

At other times—especially if your exposure to the loud noises occurred over a more gradual period of time—it might take months or years for the hearing loss symptoms to become obvious to you.

There are times that hearing loss from sudden and loud noises only causes a temporary loss of hearing, for the next few days after the triggering sound occurs.

But as the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders explains, even when your hearing loss seems to be temporary, you may experience residual symptoms on an ongoing basis.

There is a spectrum of hearing disability, and symptoms of acoustic trauma don’t just involve an inability to hear out of one or both of your ears.

Here are some of the main symptoms of acoustic trauma, and how you might experience it:

Misophonia Might Be the Cause of Your Sensitivity to Sound

If you suspect that you have experienced acoustic trauma and have noticed hearing loss or changes in your hearing, you should visit a doctor. You can visit your primary care doctor, anotolaryngologist(ear, nose, and throat doctor), or an audiologist.

According to American Family Physician, if you have experienced sudden hearing loss, it’s important to meet with a physician as promptly as possible for diagnosis and treatment.

In order to understand the type of hearing loss you are experiencing, your doctor will run a series of screening tests to diagnose you. These screenings may include:

Other tests may include screenings to evaluate your ability tounderstandspeech (spoken words)as well as tests to examine how well your ear drum functions when sounds are emitted.

Parts of the Brain

Causes of Acoustic Trauma

Acoustic trauma happens as a result of either exposure to a sudden loud noise, or to ongoing exposure to loud noises. Some examples of loud sounds that can cause acoustic trauma include:

The type of job you have may increase the likelihood that you will experience acoustic trauma.

Not all loud sounds will automatically cause hearing loss. Hearing loss depends on several factors, including how many decibels the sound emits, as well as how long you are exposed to the sound.

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, sounds under 70 A-weighted decibels (dBA) aren’t likely to cause hearing loss. However, sounds over 85 dBA are likely to, especially if you are exposed over longer periods of time or on a repeated basis. How close or far you are from the sound is also a factor that can determine whether or not you will experience hearing loss. The farther away you can stay from loud sounds, the better.

How Noise Pollution Might Cause Increased Stress Levels

Treatment for Acoustic Trauma

Medical treatment for acoustic trauma will depend on the type of hearing loss you are experiencing as well as what treatments your medical team thinks will work best for your case.

It’s important to understand that often, full hearing can’t be restored. Instead, treatment may be aimed at preventing further hearing loss from happening and trying to restore as much of your hearing loss as possible.

Some of the common treatments used for hearing loss that results from acoustic trauma include:

Whether you already have hearing loss from acoustic trauma, or if you are concerned that this is something you may experience in the future, taking a preventative approach to hearing loss is key. Here are some tips:

How a Toxic Work Environment Affects Mental Health

Coping With Acoustic Trauma

Educating yourself about hearing loss, and learning what resources are out there to support you can be helpful and empowering as you move through this experience. Everyone’s experience of hearing loss is a little different and there is no one right answer for how you will cope. Some people find that learning sign language or reading lips is helpful; others will rely more heavily on hearing assisted technology.

If your hearing loss is affecting your ability to work, you should know that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires your job to give you accommodations based on your hearing loss.

Experiencing hearing loss can have profound effects on your ability to communicate with others and can impact your personal and professionalrelationships. People who experience acoustic trauma may have increased rates of depression, and hearing loss can have profound effects on your quality of life.

You can find emotional support from a counselor or therapist who can help you process and manage yourfeelings about your hearing loss, as well as help you navigate life after hearing loss. Joining a hearing loss support group can be a wonderful way to connect with others who are going through similar challenges.

Some national support groups for people who live with hearing loss include:

If you or a loved one are struggling with depression, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with depression, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

A Word From Verywell

Maybe the most important thing to know if you have experienced acoustic trauma is that you are not alone. Unfortunately, acoustic trauma and hearing loss is something that affects people of all ages, from children to older people. It’s estimated that as many as 40 million adults—or 24% of the American adult population—have some signs of hearing loss as a result of exposure to loud noises.

Again, if you suspect that you may have experienced acoustic trauma, it’s vital that you get screened for hearing loss sooner than later. Importantly, you should not ignore the emotional impact that hearing loss may have on you. Seeking therapy or joining asupport groupcan be essential as you cope with hearing loss.

Best Online Anxiety Support Groups of 2024

6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus website.Acoustic trauma. Updated April 13, 2020.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. Updated May 31, 2019.Michels T, Duffy M, Rogers D.Hearing Loss in Adults: Differential Diagnosis and Treatment.American Family Physician. 2019;100(2):98-108.Esquivel C, Parker M, Curtis K, et al.Aural Blast Injury/Acoustic Trauma and Hearing Loss. Military Medicine. 2018;183(2):78–82. doi:10.1093/milmed/usy167MedlinePlus website.Audiometry. Updated April 13, 2020.American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Support Services for Adults. Updated November 18, 2010.

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus website.Acoustic trauma. Updated April 13, 2020.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. Updated May 31, 2019.Michels T, Duffy M, Rogers D.Hearing Loss in Adults: Differential Diagnosis and Treatment.American Family Physician. 2019;100(2):98-108.Esquivel C, Parker M, Curtis K, et al.Aural Blast Injury/Acoustic Trauma and Hearing Loss. Military Medicine. 2018;183(2):78–82. doi:10.1093/milmed/usy167MedlinePlus website.Audiometry. Updated April 13, 2020.American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Support Services for Adults. Updated November 18, 2010.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

MedlinePlus website.Acoustic trauma. Updated April 13, 2020.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. Updated May 31, 2019.Michels T, Duffy M, Rogers D.Hearing Loss in Adults: Differential Diagnosis and Treatment.American Family Physician. 2019;100(2):98-108.Esquivel C, Parker M, Curtis K, et al.Aural Blast Injury/Acoustic Trauma and Hearing Loss. Military Medicine. 2018;183(2):78–82. doi:10.1093/milmed/usy167MedlinePlus website.Audiometry. Updated April 13, 2020.American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Support Services for Adults. Updated November 18, 2010.

MedlinePlus website.Acoustic trauma. Updated April 13, 2020.

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. Updated May 31, 2019.

Michels T, Duffy M, Rogers D.Hearing Loss in Adults: Differential Diagnosis and Treatment.American Family Physician. 2019;100(2):98-108.

Esquivel C, Parker M, Curtis K, et al.Aural Blast Injury/Acoustic Trauma and Hearing Loss. Military Medicine. 2018;183(2):78–82. doi:10.1093/milmed/usy167

MedlinePlus website.Audiometry. Updated April 13, 2020.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Support Services for Adults. Updated November 18, 2010.

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?