Noise-induced hearing loss happens because excessive noise damages some of the hearing mechanisms in the inner ear. Loud sounds begin their journey from some source — like a gun, an explosion, or music from super-powerful loudspeakers — and they travel through the air, travel through the ear, and begin wreaking havoc.
Remember Quasimodo? Bells the size of Notre Dame would have most sensible people groping frantically for a pair of earplugs, but it’s not just the mega sounds that do the damage. Repeated exposure to loud sounds will do it too. When noise exceeds a certain level it begins to destroy the nerve endings in the inner ear. If this happens repeatedly, the nerve endings become damaged beyond repair, depriving you of your hearing, forever.