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I had exposure to loud noise from a diesel truck

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So I was exposed for a few seconds to a accelerating Loud diesel truck driving next to me in the opposite lane while i was driving, and I have some reduced hearing from my left ear, I have no idea what db level accelerating diesel trucks are, but my left ear was irritated and now a few days later my ear still is kind of irritated although I can still hear from my left ear, am I at risk for hearing loss permanently or is this temporary?

Hearing loss is an intensity () and time thing. The higher the sound intensity and longer the duration the higher the risk of damage. That said the chart at the link below rates a passing diesel truck at 85 dB. That is at the very bottom of the range where hearing damage is said to occur, and lower than a lawn mower. Using a lawn mower without ear protection because of the time duration would be a higher risk than a diesel truck passing. All in all, in my non professional opinion, the probability of a diesel truck passing for a few seconds causing damage is highly unlikely. And if the windows in your vehicle are closed, then even less likely. The wind noise from driving with an open window could alone be worse.

Noise Level Chart26

@Sierra said:

The wind noise from driving with an open window could alone be worse.

I’ve wondered about that as part of the source of my hearing loss. In graduate school I drove a Chevrolet Corvair convertible. Then for about 14 years after that a Chevy Vega and years later a Toyota Camry - all for many miles, often with the radio blaring over the wind/road noise with the windows and/or the top down. So probably put many hours behind the wheel at 85 to 100 , at least. And I used many power tools at least the first time around before my ears told me “gottaear protection, dummy!”) - a power wrench for tightening ring clamps on 55-gallon radioactive waste drums comes to mind as something that I regretted the first time I pulled the drill/driver trigger. So I gave my ears lots of reasons to go south without ever attending many rock concerts!

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