Which term describes a temporary reduction in hearing sensitivity following noise exposure?

Which term describes a temporary reduction in hearing sensitivity following noise exposure?

• A. Auditory Fatigue
• B. Sensorineural Loss
• C. Temporary Threshold Shift
• D. Permanent Threshold Shift

Answer: (C)

Loud sounds can temporarily raise the hearing threshold, meaning you need louder sounds to hear them right after exposure. This reversible change is called a temporary threshold shift. The effect isn’t permanent—thresholds usually return to baseline within minutes to hours, depending on how intense and long the exposure was. This differs from a permanent threshold shift, where the hearing loss persists because the cochlear hair cells or neural pathways have been damaged. Sensorineural loss is a broad category of inner-ear or nerve-related hearing loss and can be temporary or permanent, but the term here highlights the reversible nature of the threshold change after noise exposure. Auditory fatigue is not the standard clinical term for this phenomenon.

Loud sounds can temporarily raise the hearing threshold, meaning you need louder sounds to hear them right after exposure. This reversible change is called a temporary threshold shift. The effect isn’t permanent—thresholds usually return to baseline within minutes to hours, depending on how intense and long the exposure was. This differs from a permanent threshold shift, where the hearing loss persists because the cochlear hair cells or neural pathways have been damaged. Sensorineural loss is a broad category of inner-ear or nerve-related hearing loss and can be temporary or permanent, but the term here highlights the reversible nature of the threshold change after noise exposure. Auditory fatigue is not the standard clinical term for this phenomenon.