Myths  

“Yeah, yeah… loud noise causes hearing loss. Yawn. Eye roll.”
That’s the reaction most people have. We’ve all heard it before. But

What if… Everything You Thought You Knew About Hearing Loss Was Wrong?

Let’s first dispel some myths about hearing

“I hear fine, so my ears must be healthy.”
➤ Not true. Standard Audiograms (Hearing Tests) check your ability to detect sound in quiet environments. It does not test the ability to distinguish words in noisy environments. If you have Hidden Hearing Loss, you can lose half your hearing nerve connections and still pass the Audiogram test.

“After a concert, once the muffled sound and ringing stop, my ears always recover.”
➤ Not exactly. Each time this happens, your ears take on damage you can’t feel. Just like multiple concussions can lead to brain damage over time, hidden, permanent hearing loss can quietly build over time. You just don’t notice.

“Loud sounds only harm you if it’s painful.”
➤ Damage starts before it hurts. It’s silent, gradual, and cumulative—like sun damage to skin. Any sound over 85 dBA can cause damage if exposure is too long. The amount of time before damage occurs depends on the sound energy, compression and the individual’s suceptibility.

“If I get Hearing loss, no big deal. It just means turning up the volume.”
➤ True there are some types of hearing where amplification alone does the trick. However, most of the time, it’s not about loudness—it’s about clarity. Turning up distorted sound just gives you louder distorted sound. Hearing aids can’t make the sounds any clearer.

“If it’s legal, it must be safe.”
➤ I hate to break the news to you, but there are no U.S. federal laws governing how loud music venues, bars, and restaurants can play music for entertainment and recreational purposes. OSHA and NIOSH (the primary safety regulatory bodies) do regulate industrial workplace noise. However, these guidelines were established before the discovery of Hidden Hearing Loss, and as a result, they do not account for this condition. Recreational sound exposure guidelines should be more conservative than occupational standards, yet in the U.S., there are no enforceable rules for recreational noise exposure, and existing recommendations are outdated or based on old science. Other countries have stronger regulations in place, but in the U.S., no one is actively monitoring or enforcing limits on recreational noise levels.

“My ears will adjust to the noise.”
➤ Nope. Just because you get used to it doesn’t mean it’s safe. Your brain may adapt to loud environments, but your ears are still taking damage. Desensitization isn’t protection—it’s a warning sign that you may already have hearing loss.

“Tinnitus is just annoying—it’s not serious.”
➤ Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) can be a sign of permanent damage and is often an early symptom of noise-induced hearing loss. In some people, it becomes chronic, debilitating, and linked to anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

“Children’s ears are tougher—they bounce back.”
➤ In fact, the opposite is true. Children’s ears are still developing and are more vulnerable to damage from loud sound. Plus, they often can’t recognize or report hearing difficulties, leading to delayed diagnosis and academic struggles.

“Musicians have stronger ears—they're used to it.”
➤ Musicians may be exposed more often, but their ears aren’t any more resilient. In fact, they are more at risk due to frequent exposure to damaging sound levels. Hearing protection is critical for music professionals.

“Hearing loss only affects old people.”
➤ Noise-induced hearing loss can affect people of any age—including children, teens, and young adults. More than 1 in 7 teens already show signs of hearing damage from loud music, gaming headsets, and concerts.

“Earplugs ruin the experience.”
➤ High-fidelity earplugs are designed to preserve sound quality while lowering the volume to safe levels. You still hear everything—just without the damage. Many musicians and DJs use them for this reason.

“Hearing aids will fix everything.”
➤ While they help, hearing aids can't perfectly restore lost hearing. They amplify sound, but they can't replace missing nerve connections or fix distortion. Preventing damage is far more effective than trying to fix it later.

“It’s just temporary ringing—it’ll go away.”
➤ Temporary ringing (temporary threshold shift) often means your ears were overstressed. Repeat episodes increase the risk of permanent tinnitus and hearing loss. It’s not harmless—it’s a warning sign.