Loud noise damage can make the cochlea spontaneously generate its own noise
Evidence
Another related effect due to damage to the hair cells is noise-induced tinnitus. Tinnitus is the name given to a condition in which the cochlea spontaneously generates noise, which can be tonal or random noises or a mixture of the two. In noise-induced tinnitus, exposure to loud noise triggers this, and, as well as being disturbing, there is some evidence that people who suffer from this complaint may be more sensitive to noise-induced hearing damage. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 675
Categorization
- DEFINE: Defines tinnitus as the cochlea spontaneously generating noise, distinguishing the mechanism rather than just listing it as ringing.
- QUESTION: The counterintuitive implication that tinnitus sufferers become more sensitive to further noise damage is worth chasing — is this about habituation of the hearing system or shared underlying fragility?
- XREF: connects to: Tinnitus arises when the cochlea spontaneously generates its own noise — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 664; Noise-damaged cochleas keep low-side suppression normal while high-side thresholds rise — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 3814; Spontaneous otoacoustic emissions give stable long-term readouts of cochlear function. (+2 more)
Broader Connections
- Tinnitus arises when the cochlea spontaneously generates its own noise
#exemplifies(0.95) — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 664 - The human ear itself generates sound as a byproduct of amplifying incoming signals
#expands(0.78) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 329 - Noise-damaged cochleas keep low-side suppression normal while high-side thresholds rise
#expands(0.72) — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 3814 - Spontaneous otoacoustic emissions give stable long-term readouts of cochlear function.
#qualifies(0.72) - Noise-induced hearing loss can unmask audible difference tones
#expands(0.72)