Urban noise levels are high enough to damage auditory sensorineural health

Abstract

ABSTRACT This commentary outlines the preventable auditory sensorineural health risk of cumulative episodic high-level indoor and outdoor non-occupational urban noise. Irreversible auditory sensorineural damage includes hidden hearing loss (cochlear synaptopathy), tinnitus, signal-to-noise ratio loss, noise-induced hearing impairment, and accelerated age-related hearing loss (presbycusis). There is evidence of ubiquitous high-level urban noise exceeding public health limits, and increased prevalence of sensorineural auditory damage in all age groups internationally. Sensorineural components differ greatly between late-onset sensory presbycusis in people with no hazardous exposure and early-onset neural presbycusis in people with a history of high noise exposure. Public health auditory safe listening limits are more stringent than occupational limits in order to fully protect the general population from permanent sensorineural noise damage. Speech interference noise limits prevent social isolation of individuals with noise-induced auditory system damage or hearing impairment from any cause. Quieter urban noise levels meeting public health limits are urgently needed to protect auditory sensorineural health, lower healthcare costs, and permit communication access in public spaces for people with auditory disabilities.