Ear Canal Eustachian Tube

The hazards of noise exposure Noise injury in the agricultural community is a significant, yet preventable, problem. Children and adult farm workers are frequently exposed to loud equipment either in the field or inside a workshop. These hazardous noise levels can lead to hearing loss, which can in turn affect a person’s social life and lead to isolation from peers and family. Though significant hearing loss tends to be identified mostly in older farm workers, it has been shown that workers as young as 15 show slight hearing losses1. Noise-induced hearing loss cannot be corrected. Once damage occurs, the ear will never recover to its former ability, making it imperative that agricultural workers be proactive in preventing noise injury. It is important to become informed about noise-induced hearing loss, use hearing protection consistently, and teach other workers, espe-cially youth, about the importance of hearing protection. How do humans hear sound? When sound reaches the ear, it travels through the pinna and into the ear canal. When the sound reaches the eardrum, the eardrum starts to vibrate. The vibrating eardrum causes the middle ear bones to vibrate, which in turn, creates waves in the fluid-filled cochlea. These waves bend over tiny hair cells, which send signals to the brain