Brain Damage

Turning the volume too high on your earphones may damage nerve cells that carry signals to the brain, doctors said so.

 

 

Noises louder than 110 decibels are known to cause hearing problems such as temporary deafness and tinnitus (ringing in the ears), but the study for the first time observed the underlying cell damage.

 

Nerve cells that carry electrical signals from the ears to the brain have a coating called the myelin sheath, which helps the electrical signals travel along the cell.

 

Exposure to loud noises - noise over 110 decibels - can strip the cells of this coating, disrupting the electrical signals.

 

This means the nerves can no longer efficiently transmit information from the ears to the brain.

 

However, the coating surrounding the nerve cells can reform, letting the cells function again as normal.

 

This means hearing loss can be temporary, and full hearing can return.

 

Photo courtesy: Google Image.