What damage does a loudspeaker do to your ear if you stand to close to the loudspeaker?

As in, homework?

Or worried?

It can do a lot of damage!!

How much do you know about the ear?

Basically, there is an eardrum that sound literally bounces off of, that then makes a series of bones move, which then sends electrical impulses to the brain.

All of this is pretty delicate and really loud noises at close quarters can mess it up, temporarily or permanently.

Without having an indication of decibel level produced, power (in wattage) of amplifiers it would be hard to say. The potential of sustained physical damage can be hard to define without some details.

Has this loudpseaker exposure already occured?
What sort of effects are you or the affected person having now, if any?

Here is link to the topic of 'hearing damage':
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_damage

I've been repeatedly exposed at a fairly close level (within 3-5 feet to fairly loud rock music, where the amp was about 200-500 watts) with no lasting hearing damage. The exposure was short and effects temporary (ringing in the ears and muffled hearing for a few hours).

I also have listened with headphones at a fairly high volume; however, that specifically is where the greatest risk is. Luckily, I received no hearing damage there. Typically, if damage occurs, it will first affect the middle and treble range, so I've been told.

If the person's exposure to high-volume, close-up exposure was one-time and for a short duration, it could be temporary. However, many prof rock musicians after long and chronic exposures to their own music and with walls of 10,000 watt Marhsall amps, have SIGNIFICANT permanant hearing damage. Check out any extended interviews with a member of the Who, etc. They've been profoundly affected. A member of my network of friends met up with Roger Daltrey and he has some trouble with hearing normal conversation.

Here's another link regarding 'Loud music and deafness':

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/coleman005/Deafness.htm

"When people say they are are used to loud music they are actually saying that some of the nerve cells responsible for their hearing have died. Sadly, the cells do not regenerate. The music fans are being deafened. The ear does have an auto-protect mechanism where the stapedius muscle contracts and reduces the energy reaching the nerve cells. This gives rise to temporary deafness ( Temporary Threshold Shift). The danger of this effect is that it gives a false sense of security - "Oh, I've had this before, it'll be better in the morning." There is substantial proof that this is in fact a warning sign.


Sound levels at gigs are often set by someone who has already been deafened and is incapable of judging a safe level. Most audio engineers would not admit to having a hearing disability because they would soon find themselves out of work.


Advice
... Don't be afraid to walk out of a loud gig if it is uncomfortable. Phone the organiser afterwards to complain.
... Wear ear protectors. You love music so don't let anyone deprive you of it.


Hearing damage is related to the loudness of the sound and the length of exposure to it. Musicians are in a vulnerable position as they experience both. The following is a list of musicians who have experienced hearing problems, as far as I can tell, as a result of exposure to loud music. This probably represents just the tip of an iceberg.


Neil Young
John Entwhistle
Jeff Beck (Yardbirds)
Thom Yorke (Radiohead)
George Harrison
Cher
Francis Rossi (Status Quo)
Barbra Streisand
Englebert Humperdinck
Sting
Lemmy (Motorhead)
Bono (U2)
Ozzy Osborne
Kathy Peck (the Contractions)
Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü)
Pete Townshend (The Who)
Eric Clapton
George Martin
Phil Collins
Elton John
Huey Lewis
Charle Haden
John Lee Hooker
Thurston Moore
Dave Swarbrick
Joey Kramer (Aerosmith)
Lee Renaldo (Sonic Youth) "

It will make your box fall out.