Can a one-time exposure to loud noise cause tinnitus?
Many people write to the American Tinnitus Association asking if a one-time exposure to loud noise experienced many years ago can cause tinnitus. Noise is damaging if you must shout to be heard, if your ears hurt, or if your hearing is lessened immediately following noise exposure. The noise exposure could occur just one time or over months or years. The level of noise can affect the degree of hearing loss. For example, sounds of 100 decibels experienced for more than 15 minutes can cause hearing loss. Sounds of 110 decibels experiences for more than a minute can cause hearing loss. A one-time exposure to loud noise is not guaranteed to cause tinnitus or permanent hearing loss, since people’s ears vary in sensitivity. It is also possible that the damage from noise exposure might not be noticeable for many years.
