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Long-term exposure to certain sounds can cause hearing loss. But sounds at or below 70 decibels are considered safe. A humming refrigerator is about 45 decibels.

This kind of sound is called an impulse sound. The damage to the ear can be severe. This kind of hearing loss may be accompanied by tinnitus. Tinnitus is a sound like ringing, buzzing, or roaring in the ears or head. This condition may get better over time.

The average time for hearing to return after a short-term loss is about 16 to 48 hours.

The workplace can be a source of noise, but the home is no quiet refuge. Harmful noises at home may come from a loud TV volume, vacuum cleaners, garbage disposals, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and shop tools. Hobbyists can be exposed to high sound levels through target shooting or hunting, snowmobiles, go-carts, woodworking and other hobby equipment, power horns, cap guns, and model airplanes.

You can find these items at drugstores, and at hardware and sporting goods stores.

Anyone at any age can develop noise-induced hearing loss. About 3 in 20 children under age 18 have some degree of hearing loss. Children may not realize the need to put on protective ear equipment when exposed to loud noise. Studies show that the noise of electronic media used by children and teens is often louder than what is allowed in a workplace. One in 6 teens has high-frequency hearing loss caused by exposure to loud noises such as music played through earphones. The American Academy of Pediatrics now advises that children have a hearing screen at ages 11 to 14, again at 15 to 17, and again at 18 to 21.

Currently, there is no medicine that can reverse this type of hearing loss although there is some data supporting giving oral steroids to help restore hearing to some degree. Parents can help prevent hearing loss by teaching children and teens safe listening habits. This includes taking breaks after an hour of listening, making certain they can hear conversations while listening to music with earphones, and checking how their ears feel after using earphones. If their ears "feel funny" after using earphones or earbuds, the volume is too loud. If you can hear the music your child is listening to on their earphones, the volume is too loud.

That's because the symptoms of this type of hearing loss increase slowly. Sounds may become distorted or muffled. It may become hard for you to understand speech. You may not be aware of the hearing loss, but it can be found with a hearing test.