A new study released in the journal Neuron, by University of Oregon scientists Brian S. Nelson and Terry T. Takahashi suggests that people with healthy hearing hear less echoes.
When a sound reaching the ear is loud enough, auditory neurons simply accept that sound and ignore subsequent reverberations. When you are speaking with someone, you hear the sound waves coming from their mouth into your ears. Those sound waves continue to travel – bouncing off walls, tables, chairs, etc. entering your ears at a later time, however your brain computes only the first sounds it receives. However, for the hard of hearing, echoes are computed in the brain making it more and more difficult to hear.
For the entire story, visit Audiology Online’s write up on the new study.