Exposure to high sound levels can cause damage to the sensitive structures of the inner ear. These structures can be injured instantly from an intense noise, such an explosion, or gradually by continuous exposure to high decibels.
Hair cells located inside the cochlea - an organ in the inner ear with the form of an escargot shield- are responible for converting sounds waves into neural signals.
Once you have hearing loss, you´ll have it for life. "These hair cells are very fragile, and a lot of things can damage them," said doctor Jaclyn Spitzer professor at the Otolaryngology Department at Columbia Medical School. "As neurons, these cells do not regenerate in humans."
Certain pitches are more damaging than others. High frequency sounds can permanently affect your hability to hear certain consonants like the F, S, T, Q or CH. "People sometimes don´t realize this loss and simply fill in the gaps," Spitzer pointed out.