"The best way to approach this issue is to distinguish between auditory fatigue and trauma. Fatigue is when you get tired. Trauma is when there is damage. Without hearing protection or appropriate preventive measures, exposure to loud noise over time causes not only fatigue but also lasting damage. It is therefore essential to protect your hearing at all times." - Drew Sutton, MD, board-certified ENT specialist
If you've ever been to a loud concert, you've probably experienced physical auditory fatigue firsthand. It refers to the temporary hearing loss that follows prolonged exposure to loud sound.
Occasional exposure to loud sound is generally not serious; however, it's important to make an effort to avoid it to preserve your hearing as you age. Several techniques and tools can help you protect your hearing.
In addition to physical auditory fatigue, there is also mental auditory fatigue. This corresponds to the mental fatigue that accumulates throughout the day from the effort of listening. If you hear well, you will rarely feel its effects: it is mostly people with hearing loss who experience it the most.
Here is a more detailed look at these two forms of auditory fatigue, as well as tools and techniques to combat them.
Physical auditory fatigue
Physical auditory fatigue is a temporary reduction in hearing after prolonged exposure to a noisy environment. This temporary impairment is caused by what is known as a temporary threshold shift.
This form of auditory fatigue is common in noisy work environments, where employees are continuously exposed to noise pollution.
Fortunately, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) imposes specific rules: employers must record any temporary threshold shifts and provide hearing protection to individuals working in environments deemed potentially harmful to hearing.
Hearing protection
Earplugs and earmuffs are the two most commonly used devices in noisy work environments. Both work by placing a physical barrier between you and the sound source. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages.
Earmuffs attenuate sound more effectively, while earplugs are lighter and can be worn all day. Some people even choose to combine the two for an additional level of isolation.
However, for people already suffering from tinnitus, increased isolation can make tinnitus more noticeable and bothersome. Today, many hearing protection devices are equipped with built-in speakers, allowing music lovers and people with tinnitus to listen to something other than their own ringing.
Smart device alerts
One of the greatest inventions of recent years is the evolution of wearable smart devices. Today, they are extremely sophisticated: they measure oxygen saturation, heart rate, perform ECGs, detect falls, and can even alert you when the sound intensity in your immediate environment exceeds a safe level.
It is often difficult to know exactly when noise around you becomes too loud for your ears.
Unfortunately, exposure to harmful sounds usually causes no pain, and it is only afterward that one notices that it has become more difficult to hear. The embedded intelligence in these smart devices offers you the peace of mind of being alerted in case of loud noise, which limits your exposure and significantly improves long-term outcomes.
Mental auditory fatigue
Mental auditory fatigue refers to the reduced ability to perceive speech after prolonged concentration on listening to others. This phenomenon is common in people with hearing loss.
It can be compared to not having your glasses on and constantly having to strain to see.
After a day spent straining your eyes, it becomes exhausting and can lead to eye strain, dry eyes, mental fatigue, and even a decrease in the ability to see. The same principle applies to hearing and people with hearing loss. Having to strain all day to listen to others can exhaust the brain to the point where it becomes extremely difficult to make the effort to listen anymore.
Here are some tools and techniques to reduce mental auditory fatigue.
Hearing aids
Hearing aids are an ideal way to combat mental auditory fatigue, as they increase the intensity of sounds reaching your ear: you no longer have to strain to hear what is being said.
Even if listening becomes more difficult, you just need to increase the volume to quickly get back into conversations around you.
In addition to controlling volume, some hearing aids like the EV3 have technology that reduces ambient noise while enhancing speech sounds. Hearing others despite competing noise can cause auditory strain, but with hearing aids like the EV3 and its Clear Sound+ technology, that can be a thing of the past.
Dictation software
If listening is mentally exhausting you beyond reasonable limits, dictation software can help significantly. This type of software uses speech recognition to transcribe speech into written text in real time.
Having the words in front of your eyes engages a completely different part of the brain than the auditory cortex, giving it a much-needed break. With a smartphone at hand, you can launch the software quickly and effortlessly as soon as you feel you've reached your listening limit.
Subtitles and headphones
After a long and challenging day, you're probably exhausted: rather than straining to follow your favorite late-night show, you can opt for subtitles.
Pairing subtitles with headphones also allows you to get both auditory and visual confirmation of what is being said. This is very effective in reducing mental auditory fatigue.
Meditation
Meditation is generally associated with stress reduction and creating a more calming environment. It offers you the opportunity to notice what is around you, to come back to yourself, and to take a moment for yourself.
When you have to strain to hear, continuing that effort can become difficult and overwhelming. A short meditation may be exactly what you need to take a break and refocus. Giving yourself a moment away from listening can help your brain reset and start anew with fresh ears.
There are several ways to meditate, and it doesn't necessarily mean sitting in silence. An excellent exercise for beginners is the body scan. Sitting down, bring your attention to each part of your body, starting from your toes and moving up to your head.
Observe what you feel in each area, what you touch, and perhaps even the smells around you. Once this scan is complete, you will have regained a sense of self-presence and, hopefully, will be ready to resume.
Taking a break
Taking a break may seem obvious, but sometimes it's all it takes to relax your mind and ears. This works like meditation, with greater flexibility in how you use that time.
Many enjoy a moment of silence to observe other bodily sensations. But sometimes it's simply nice to do something other than listen. This point is particularly useful for people with tinnitus, as sitting in silence with ringing in your ears is not restful.
For example, you can go for a walk, exercise, prepare a snack, or keep a journal. These are all activities that require mental stimulation without relying on hearing. Choose what you enjoy doing and set a timer to take regular breaks. This will prevent you from straining to hear for too long. And if you are in a situation where breaks are problematic, at work for example.
Talk to your colleagues in advance to explain what to expect and how it helps you. This helps manage expectations and create a supportive environment.
Conclusion
In summary, mental auditory fatigue and physical auditory fatigue are two distinct but related issues. Physical auditory fatigue corresponds to the fatigue felt by the ears and brain after prolonged exposure to loud noise, while mental auditory fatigue corresponds to a diminished listening capacity due to the constant effort made to hear others.
Combating auditory fatigue therefore requires two approaches. For physical auditory fatigue, protection and prevention are priorities. For mental auditory fatigue, the priority is to relieve your auditory cortex of the constant effort it has to make, which is achieved by using other forms of communication or by using good hearing aids.
Sources:
1904.10 - Recording criteria for cases involving occupational hearing loss. | Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Meditation: In Depth | NCCIH
Increasing and Evolving Role of Smart Devices in Modern Medicine | NCBI
