What is Cochlear Damage?
The cochlea is a tiny, snail-shaped structure. It is the main organ of hearing and is part of your inner ear. Cochlear Damage means that all or part of your inner ear has been hurt. Damage to the cochlea typically causes permanent hearing loss. This is called sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Many things can cause SNHL, or cochlear damage, including loud or extended noise exposure, certain powerful antibiotics, meningitis, Meniere’s disease, acoustic tumors, and even the natural decline in age can cause hearing loss. We’ll discuss noise-induced hearing loss here as an example, although the cochlear damage that occurs is similar to other types of sensorineural hearing loss. Noise-induced hearing loss, or NIHL, occurs when your ears are exposed to overly loud sounds. Any sound over 85 decibels is considered to be dangerous to the ears and your hearing. The louder the sound, the shorter the length of time that is considered “safe” exposure. For example, at a loud rock concert, sound may
