On Instagram, Dr Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of True Medical, looks back on the sound shock to which host Bruno Guillon was a victim live on Fun Radio. After a very intense noise, the right reflex is simple: if hearing symptoms appear, you must consult quickly.
What is acute acoustic trauma?
Acute acoustic trauma can occur after sudden exposure to very intense noise. Dr Gérald Kierzek cites two telling examples: a powerful feedback effect or a technical bug in headphones, two possible situations in a radio studio.
In the case of Bruno Guillon, his eardrums would have been affected and he would have immediately left the microphone before being placed on sick leave. These elements do not constitute, in themselves, a medical diagnosis but they can alert you to the risks of sound trauma.
On a medical level, a sound shock can lead to damage to the eardrum, but also to the inner ear, particularly to the cells of the cochlea. The signs that should alert you after sudden exposure to noise include:
-
Sudden hearing loss
total or partial; -
Tinnitus after acoustic trauma
like whistling or buzzing sounds; -
Hyperacusis after a sound shock
that is to say a painful hypersensitivity to everyday sounds; - A feeling of blocked ear or cottony.
These symptoms do not always prove the seriousness of the attack, but they warrant an evaluation. The challenge is to check the condition of the ear, measure hearing if necessary and avoid trivializing a sudden decline in hearing.
When to consult and what treatment to consider?
Our expert emphasizes the urgent nature of the situation. The important nuance is as follows: after a sound shock followed by hearing symptoms, it is necessary to consult quickly, without waiting several daysideally from a doctor or ENT specialist. In the event of sudden significant deafness, or in a worrying traumatic context, Health Insurance recommends resorting to emergencies, or even calling 15 or 112 depending on the situation.
Dr. Kierzek also mentions corticosteroids to reduce inflammation of the inner ear. It is indeed an option frequently cited in the management of acute sound trauma or sudden deafness, but it depends on the examination, the severity of the symptoms and the contraindications. In other words, corticosteroids should not not be started without medical advice.
Sound rest can also be part of the treatment. Here again, it is not necessarily a question of locking oneself in absolute silence: the course of action must be adapted by the healthcare professional, particularly if tinnitus is present.
“It can take several days or several weeks and then sometimes there can be after-effects.”
The development may be favorable, but it is not guaranteed. Decreased hearing, tinnitus or hypersensitivity to noise may regress, persist or leave after-effects depending on the intensity of the shock and the treatment.
To limit daily risk, the main advice remains toavoid high volumesespecially through headphones, and to reduce exposure when the sound becomes uncomfortable. The doctor puts it simply: noise that is too loud can damage the ear during an acute shock, but repeated exposure to high volume is also harmful to hearing.