An 18-year-old boy suffered temporary hearing loss after listening to hundreds of cicadas for several hours during a camping trip.
The teenager, identified only by his surname Wang, was camping in a forest in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, China.
Wang noticed that the cicadas became much louder around noon. However, he stayed in the forest until evening.
He later developed tinnitus, a ringing or buzzing sound in the ears. He also felt pressure and fullness inside his ears.
When the cicadas began to go quiet, Wang realised that he could no longer hear birds chirping. He could not even hear notifications from his phone.
Fearing that he might lose his hearing completely, Wang rushed to the hospital. Doctors examined him and found swelling in both ears.
They gave him medicine to reduce the swelling and advised him to avoid loud noises for at least 14 days. His hearing returned to normal after two weeks.
“Many people mistakenly think that the sounds of nature are harmless to the ears,” Li Ji, a senior doctor in the otorhinolaryngology (Ear, Nose and Throat) department of Ningbo University No 1 Affiliated Hospital, explained.
Cicadas are known as the loudest insects in the world. The sound of one cicada rarely goes above 70 decibels, so it is unlikely to cause hearing damage.
However, hundreds of cicadas making noise together can exceed 85 decibels. Sounds above this level can damage a person’s hearing, especially after long exposure.
“The hair cells in the cochlea can develop oedema due to the irritation from loud noises for a relatively short duration. They typically recover after avoiding the noisy environment and resting for 1-2 weeks,” Dr. Li explained. “However, if the hair cells become necrotic, they cannot regenerate. The resulting hearing impairment is permanent and irreversible, forcing the patient to rely on hearing aids for auditory assistance.”
