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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Health & Science

Frequently Saying “Huh?” During Conversations May Signal Hearing Problems

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Ear, nose and throat specialist Animesh Banerjee said young patients often struggle to follow conversations despite normal tone-test results.
  • He linked the problem to using earphones at maximum volume for hours, which can expose the ears to about 120 to 140 decibels.
  • Banerjee warned that damage to cochlear hair cells can become permanent, and noise cancellation may encourage longer or louder earphone use.

Repeatedly saying “huh?” or asking people to repeat themselves may not be harmless, particularly when voices sound unclear or distorted.

Every week, I meet young patients who are certain their hearing is fine. But they struggle to follow conversations in busy cafes, mishear colleagues on the phone, or experience ringing in their ears after long journeys.

— Animesh BanerjeeBanerjee described hearing difficulties among young patients whose routine hearing tests may appear normal.

Ear, nose and throat specialist Animesh Banerjee said he sees the pattern regularly among young patients. Many believe their hearing is normal, and their tone tests often show no problem. Yet they struggle to follow conversations in busy cafes, mishear colleagues on the phone or notice ringing in their ears after long journeys.

Banerjee linked these difficulties to using earphones at maximum volume for several hours. He said the ear can comfortably handle sound up to about 80 decibels, considered a safe limit for eight hours of daily exposure. Earphones at maximum volume, however, can produce roughly 120 to 140 decibels, comparable to an ambulance siren or a jet engine, with the sound delivered directly into the ear canal.

120 to 140 decibels is equivalent to the sound of an ambulance siren or a jet engine. But with earphones, that sound is delivered directly into the ear canal and sensitive hearing structures.

— Animesh BanerjeeHe explained the risk of listening to earphones at maximum volume.

Continued exposure can damage the cochlea, an inner-ear structure lined with microscopic hair cells. These cells convert sound into electrical signals that the brain interprets. Banerjee said loud noise can bend and damage them, reduce blood flow and trigger chemical stress that eventually kills the cells. “These cells do not grow back. Once they are gone, they are gone forever,” he said.

Loud sounds that continue over time make these cells bend and become damaged, reduce blood flow to them, and trigger chemical stress until the cells eventually die.

— Animesh BanerjeeHe described how prolonged loud-noise exposure damages cochlear hair cells.

Noise-cancelling earphones also concern Banerjee. Although they reduce surrounding sound, users may feel isolated from their environment and respond by increasing the volume or wearing the devices for longer periods.

These cells do not grow back. Once they are gone, they are gone forever.

— Animesh BanerjeeHe warned that damage to cochlear hair cells is permanent.
About this summary

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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