Exposure to high levels of noise can cause permanent hearing loss. Neither
surgery nor a hearing aid can help correct this type of hearing loss. Short
term exposure to loud noise can also cause a temporary change in hearing (your
ears may feel stuffed up) or a ringing in your ears (tinnitus). These
short-term problems may go away within a few minutes or hours after leaving the
noisy area. However, repeated exposures to loud noise can lead to permanent
tinnitus and/or hearing loss.

Loud noise can also create physical and psychological stress, reduce
productivity, interfere with communication and concentration, and contribute to
workplace accidents and injuries by making it difficult to hear warning
signals. Noise-induced hearing loss limits your ability to hear high frequency
sounds, understand speech, and seriously impairs your ability to communicate.
The effects of hearing loss can be profound, as hearing loss can interfere with
your ability to enjoy socializing with friends, playing with your children or
grandchildren, or participating in other social activities you enjoy, and can
lead to psychological and social isolation.

The US American Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched a
new Safety and Health Topics page on Occupational Noise Exposure to provide
resources to prevent noise-related hearing loss, which has been listed as one
of the most prevalent occupational health concerns in the United States for
more than 25 years. Approximately 30 million people in the United States are
occupationally exposed to hazardous noise and thousands of workers every year
suffer from preventable hearing loss due to high workplace noise levels. The
new Web page provides information on the health effects of hazardous noise
exposure and comprehensive information on controls to prevent hearing loss.

More info

AplusA-online.de - Source: Occupational Safety and Health Administration