{"id":9911,"date":"2021-10-21T19:07:38","date_gmt":"2021-10-22T02:07:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/everhear.com\/?p=9911"},"modified":"2021-10-21T19:07:40","modified_gmt":"2021-10-22T02:07:40","slug":"why-do-loud-sounds-startle-people-with-hearing-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everhear.com\/why-do-loud-sounds-startle-people-with-hearing-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Do Loud Sounds Startle People with Hearing Loss?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You might assume that people with hearing loss<\/a> would be less bothered by loud noises than those with normal hearing. However, this is not the case. In fact, many people with hearing loss actually perceive loud noises as more intense or startling than they did before they experienced hearing loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This may sound odd, but it is a phenomenon known as recruitment, which causes people with hearing loss to perceive loud noises as even more intense than they actually are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Recruitment Works <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Hearing loss occurs when hair cells in your inner ear begin to degrade, either due to age or other factors like noise. However, not all hair cells start to degrade at the same time. So even though some hair cells are degraded enough to cause hearing loss, others remain healthy and retain the ability to detect sound waves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once a certain volume is reached, the healthy cells are \u201crecruited\u201d in place of the dying hair cells and can respond quickly and strongly to the sound. This intense response is often startling and uncomfortable for those who experience it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why you might struggle to hear your server listing the specials at Duke\u2019s Seafood<\/a>, but when someone shouts your name to get your attention, it can seem overly loud and startling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is it Recruitment or Something Else?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are a couple other conditions that are similar to recruitment, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n