Acoustic Trauma

Acoustic trauma is an injury to the eardrum that is caused by exposure to sound, most commonly a sudden, loud noise such as a gunshot or explosion. However, this type of damage can be caused by long-term exposure to softer sounds such as traffic sounds, industrial noise or loud music. For instance, those of you who shoot guns have probably experienced some short-term problems with hearing after shooting a gun without ear protection. Likewise, if you have worked long-term in a noisy environment you have probably sustained some hearing damage.