High frequencies and decibels can harm your ears.
Frequency is the number of cycles per unit of time. The human ear is sensitive to certain frequencies. The volume of a sound is measured in decibels (dB), which is the force of sound waves against the ear. The louder a sound, the more decibels it has. The two primary components of sound are intensity and frequency. Frequency refers to the pitch of the sound and varies depending on the sound. The amplitude or sound intensity is also measured in decibels. Frequencies below 25 Hz are not heard but felt. Hearing is most sensitive around 3.5k Hz, explains Westhost.com.
Healthy Ear Range
A healthy human ear can hear frequencies that range from 20 hertz (Hz) to 20,000 Hz. However, over time, the sterocilia, which is a hair-like cell in the ear, can be broken or damaged if a person is exposed to too much noise for too long. Hearing impairment occurs when the high-frequency area of the ear, the cochlea, is harmed by loud sounds, notes the website Dangerousdecibels.org. The cochlea is a spiral-shaped structure. Inside this structure are cilia, which are hair-like structures, as well as fluids, which flow throughout the inner ear. Both the cilia and fluids help detect body orientation and route sounds to the brain. The cilia are connected to the brain by way of the auditory nerve. When the cochlea is damaged, the cilia can change direction. The result is that impulses can be sent to the brain via the auditory nerve even when there isn't any sound.
8.5 Decibels is Harmful
A dB level of 8.5 can permanently damage the hair cells or sensory cells in the inner ear, leading to hearing loss.
High and Low Frequency
A sound that has a low frequency will also have a low pitch, according to Hypertextbook.com. An example of this is the human heartbeat. Humans cannot hear all frequencies. If a sound has a high frequency, it will have a high-pitch. An example is a dog whistle, which humans cannot hear.
Hearing and Age
A young, healthy person is capable of hearing within a range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Hertz equals 60 cycles per minute, which is how frequency is measured. As people age they can no longer hear high frequencies. A middle-aged man who is in good health is able to hear only 12 to 14 kilohertz.
Normal Range
Most people, if their hearing is not impaired, can hear the rustling of leaves, which is at a level of about 0 dB. If you have extraordinarily good hearing, you may hear sounds down to minus 15 dB. On the other end of the spectrum, a sound that reaches 85 dB can damage your hearing.
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