Student's hearing damaged by four hours of cicada noise, doctors warn of 'power drill' levels

A summer camping trip took a concerning turn for an 18-year-old student in Zhejiang, China, who developed hearing problems after enduring four hours of intense cicada noise.

The student, identified by the surname Yang, experienced ear fullness and difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds, such as mobile phone alerts, after spending time in a mountain area with a dense cicada chorus. He sought medical attention and was diagnosed with "noise-induced high-frequency hearing loss."

“

Cicada calls are high-frequency noise, and the sound waves are concentrated in the 3000 to 8000 Hz frequency band, directly impacting the fragile hair cells in the cochlea that are responsible for sensing high-frequency sounds.

Doctors explained that cicada calls are high-frequency noise, primarily impacting the fragile hair cells in the inner ear responsible for high-frequency sound perception. While a single cicada might produce around 70 decibels, a dense chorus can exceed the safety threshold of 85 decibels, reaching levels of 90 to 95 decibels, equivalent to the sustained noise of a power drill.

Yang's hearing has since largely recovered following medical treatment, including nerve nourishment and microcirculation improvement. However, physicians cautioned that prolonged exposure to such intense noise can lead to fatigue and death of the inner ear's hair cells. While temporary hearing fatigue may resolve on its own, irreversible damage can occur if the hair cells are destroyed.

“

Single cicada calls are about 70 decibels, but clustered cicada calls can exceed the safety line of 85 decibels, with peak values reaching 90 to 95 decibels, equivalent to the noise of a continuous power drill.