Acoustic trauma

A bang too much? What to do in case of an acoustic trauma?

Information for patients

Author: Dr. med. Christian Heiden

Acoustic pressure – dB

Example: The membrane of a loudspeaker vibrates with the music. These vibrations induce a fluctuation of the air pressure that is called sound pressure. Great acoustic pressure means high volume. The corresponding unit is the sound pressure level, measured in decibel (dB). The dB-scale is logarithmic: every 10 dB more = doubling, = tenfold increase of sound pressure.

How does acoustic trauma develop?

Examples: Listening to music in your car at the highest bearable volume. A rock concert spent near the loudspeakers or fireworks exploding near your ears. Such a trauma can also be caused at the workplace: a bursting tire, an exploding battery in a garage, training at a shooting area of the police, working with the jackhammer in road construction etc.

How does acoustic trauma affect health?

Acoustic trauma can lead to hearing impairment and/or tinnitus.

Do hearing impairment and/or tinnitus vanish without any effort on my part?

Often the ear is able to recover surprisingly well, depending on the extent of impairment at the beginning. If the discomfort still persists the day after the acoustic trauma, a consultation of your otorhinolaryngologist is strongly advisable.

Our advice:

Discomfort after an acoustic trauma should not be ignored in any case, but examined and treated as quickly as possible. The earlier, the better!

The following treatment options are available:

Oral therapy (pills)

Infusions

Cortisone

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBO)

Kombination von Infusionen mit der HBO

Combination of infusions and HBO

The ear is a sensitive sensory organ. Not always does it forgive impairments that are caused by a loud noise or acoustic shock. To avoid a long-term impairment if possible, it is advisable to combine infusions and HBO. The otorhinolaryngologist gives indications. With HBO, an additional treatment option is given and in combination with infusions, you get the best possible treatment of your acute acoustic trauma available at present.

Take action quickly

Have yourself examined and treated as quickly as possible by a doctor after an acoustic trauma

Acoustic trauma – Treatment options

A method of treatment that is a hundred percent successful does not exist. Patients can achieve the best success of treatment with a combination of infusions and HBO.
It is important to start treatment as quickly as possible. So don’t hesitate: Consult a doctor immediately.
Assistent Professor Dr. med. Pilgramm could prove in a prospective study of 1994 that involved 500 patients with acute acoustic trauma (total number of patients participating in the study: 1182) that the combination of HBO and infusions is preferable both to the sole treatment with infusions and to the sole treatment with HBO.

How can the person affected promote his recovery himself?

Drink a lot to further improve the nourishment of the sensory cells

Increased consumption of vitamins belonging to groups B and E

Warm foot baths

Wie wirkt die hyperbare Sauerstofftherapie?

The effectiveness of HBO is proved by qualified studies and at least equivalent to the effectiveness of infusion therapy. Usually its effects are perceivable around the tenth session of treatment. Approximately 40 percent of patients even feel their discomfort recede further after treatment has already been terminated. The long-term success of HBO is proved by later evaluations of patients again and again.