Noise-induced hearing loss

Exposure to loud noise continues to be one of the largest causes of hearing loss in the adult population, already affecting some 15 percent of Americans between the ages of 20 and 69. There have been a number of discoveries and advances that have increased our understanding of the mechanisms of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). These advances have the potential to impact how NIHL can be prevented and how our noise standards can be made more appropriate. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss describes the effect of environmental noise on hearing, provides important background on the subject, and also explores the broader issues currently arising on effects of noise on non-human vertebrates.