The author, Julia R. Barrett, has dedicated this image to the public domain.
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
Researchers at the University of Connecticut found increase levels of a protein called prestin in blood after exposure to loud noise. The prestin comes from the hair cells in the cochlea when they are damaged by noise. If this research holds up, it can help researchers study drugs that might prevent hearing loss from noise exposure.
Of course, one doesn’t need a new protein or a drug to prevent hearing loss from noise exposure.
Just avoid loud noise.
If the ambient noise level is high enough that you have to strain to speak or to be heard when having a normal conversation, the ambient noise is above 75 A-weighted decibels, and your hearing is being damaged.
Remember: if it sounds, too loud, it IS too loud!
