Our super sense of hearing — can deaf ears hear again? | DW Documentary

 

Even when we sleep, part of us is alert. Our sense of hearing is on duty 24 hours a day, detecting danger, helping us communicate, and orienting us. But hearing often suffers from sensory overload and stress.

How noise pollution is ruining your hearing

Health organizations warn that continual exposure to noise levels above 70 decibels can potentially damage your ears. And yet we are routinely exposed to noise much louder than that in everyday situations. Our world is increasingly noisy and our bars, restaurants, gyms, and streets all produce decibel levels that can cause harm to our hearing in mere minutes. Hearing loss is incredibly common and is the fourth highest disability worldwide. One in four American adults shows signs of noise-induced hearing loss, and the problem is only going to get worse.