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It is approximately the quietest sound a young human with undamaged hearing can detect at 1 kHz. [4] The threshold of hearing is frequency-dependent and it has been shown that the ear's sensitivity is best at frequencies between 2 kHz and 5 kHz, [5] where the threshold reaches as low as −9 dB SPL. [6] [7] [8]
The pressure at which sound becomes painful for a listener is the pain threshold pressure for that person at that time. The threshold pressure for sound varies with frequency and can be age-dependent. People who have been exposed to more noise/music usually have a higher threshold pressure. [3]
The human auditory system is most sensitive to frequencies between 2,000 and 5,000 Hz. [10] Individual hearing range varies according to the general condition of a human's ears and nervous system. The range shrinks during life, [11] usually beginning at around the age of eight with the upper frequency limit being reduced. Women lose their ...
This prevents the non-test ear from detecting the test signal presented to the test ear. The threshold of the test ear is measured at the same time as presenting the masking noise to the non-test ear. Thus, thresholds obtained when masking has been applied, provide an accurate representation of the true hearing threshold level of the test ear. [13]
The human auditory system is sensitive to frequencies from about 20 Hz to a maximum of around 20,000 Hz, although the upper hearing limit decreases with age. Within this range, the human ear is most sensitive between 2 and 5 kHz, largely due to the resonance of the ear canal and the transfer function of the ossicles of the middle ear.
The ear can be exposed to short periods of sound in excess of 120 dB without permanent harm — albeit with discomfort and possibly pain — but long term exposure to sound levels over 85 dB(A) can cause permanent hearing loss. [31] There are two basic types of NIHL: NIHL caused by acoustic trauma; NIHL that gradually develops.
Audiogram showing a typical "noise notch" in the left ear (normal hearing in the right ear) "Conventional" pure tone audiometry (testing frequencies up to 8 kHz) is the basic measure of hearing status. [6]
Secondary ear pain is a type of referred pain, meaning that the source of the pain differs from the location where the pain is felt. Primary ear pain is more common in children, whereas secondary (referred) pain is more common in adults. [13] Primary ear pain is most commonly caused by infection or injury to one of the parts of the ear. [3]