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Dangers > Hearing Loss |
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Traveling in space can cause temporary and permanent hearing loss. Machines and experiments in space cause loud noises, and constant exposure to them may be the cause of hearing loss. Hearing protection has helped prevent the loss on some missions.
Analysis
The space environment is actually very loud, despite its cold and empty look. Noise comes from equipment that is used there, such as computer disk drives, cooling fans, and agitators or explosives used in experiments.
Astronauts return from space shuttles with temporary hearing loss, even after a weeklong mission. Both temporary and permanent hearing loss has been documented as a result of long term spaceflights. The noise level may be up to 75 decibels in the space station currently used as the living area. Hearing loss in space affects mainly mid to high frequencies.
Although this hearing loss is considered noise-induced, there is no definite proof of a relationship between noise and hearing loss in space. In one case of temporary hearing loss, although the monitored noise levels aboard space stations were above engineering standards, they did not exceed the level at which hearing loss occurs in ground-based studies.
Using hearing protection on some missions has helped prevent hearing loss. Although sound absorption could effectively reduce some noises, weight requirements are so severe that few noise reduction materials can be used.
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