The first signs of hearing damage are often a beeping, hissing or ringing in your ears, a dull feeling where sounds seem muffled after loud noise, and difficulty following a conversation when there is a lot of noise around you. Take these signs seriously. They can be temporary, but hearing damage caused by noise is often permanent.
Please note. This article is general information, not medical advice. It is based on Thuisarts.nl, the Dutch patient information website of GPs, on Stichting Hoormij, the Dutch association for people with hearing loss, and on the NVAB, the Netherlands Society of Occupational Medicine. If you have symptoms or are unsure, contact your GP (huisarts).
You do not pay for custom earplugs online. A partner hearing care professional takes the impressions of your ears. The ear impressions are included in the price and you pay at the hearing centre.
How noise causes hearing damage
Your inner ear contains tiny hair cells that turn sound into signals for your brain. According to Hoormij, the vibrations of loud noise can damage these tiny hairs. Because they are so small, they cannot be repaired. That is why hearing damage is (almost) always permanent.
Thuisarts describes two ways in which it happens. It can happen suddenly, through an explosion, a firework bang or a gunshot. But usually it happens slowly, when you often listen to loud music without protection or work in noise every day. That gradual course is what makes it tricky. The Nationale Hoorstichting (Dutch National Hearing Foundation) notes that many employees only realise how poor their hearing is when the damage is already far advanced. How loud is too loud is explained in decibels and hearing damage explained. How long you can be exposed to a certain noise without protection is shown in our noise calculator.
Five signs to watch out for
1. Ringing, beeping or humming
You hear a sound that is not there, such as a beep, a hiss or a hum. After a night of loud music, Hoormij calls that a disco ear. The beep usually goes away again, but it can also stay. A sound in your ear that does not go away is called ringing in the ears or tinnitus. Read more about it in preventing tinnitus.
2. Muffled hearing after a night out
You come home from a concert or party and everything sounds as if you have cotton wool in your ears. Thuisarts names this deaf feeling, where sounds seem muffled, as one of the first things you notice. According to Hoormij, a feeling of pressure or pain in your ears also points to overload.
3. Difficulty with conversations in noisy places
According to Thuisarts, most people with hearing damage caused by noise mainly hear the high tones less well. You notice this especially when you talk to someone while there are a lot of other sounds, such as at a birthday party, in a café or in a meeting. In a quiet room it often still works. Phone calls can also become harder.
4. Other people say you do not hear well
People around you sometimes notice it before you do. They think the TV is too loud or that you often ask what was said. Thuisarts names that as a reason to make an appointment with your GP or to take a hearing test.
5. Loud sounds suddenly bother you
You hear soft sounds less well, while loud sounds actually become unpleasant. Thuisarts also mentions that you can become oversensitive to normal sounds.
A short self-check
The NVAB guideline advises company doctors to ask about these kinds of symptoms before a hearing test. You can ask yourself the same questions. If you recognise one or more of them, have your hearing tested.
- Do you find it harder to hear than you used to?
- Do you hear a beep or hiss in your ears more often or for longer?
- Does a conversation in a noisy room take more effort?
- Does a conversation in a quiet room take more effort?
- Have you often been in noise lately, at work or in your free time?
These questions do not give a diagnosis. Only a hearing test, for example with an audiogram, shows how your hearing is doing.
When should you see your GP?
| Situation | What do you do? |
|---|---|
| You suddenly become deaf in one ear, or suddenly hear much worse with it | Call your GP or the out-of-hours GP service (huisartsenspoedpost) straight away |
| You hear poorly after an accident or a hard blow to your head or ear | Call your GP or the out-of-hours GP service straight away |
| You hear poorly and it bothers you, or other people say you do not hear well | Make an appointment with your GP on a working day or go to a hearing centre |
| Ringing in the ears with pain, dizziness or other symptoms | Make an appointment with your GP |
| You work in noise and notice one of the signs | Report it and ask for a hearing test through your employer or the company doctor (bedrijfsarts) |
With sudden deafness in one ear, speed is important. Thuisarts writes that quick treatment can sometimes help your hearing come back. For persistent or serious symptoms, Hoormij always advises seeing your GP first. Your GP can refer you to an ENT doctor (ear, nose and throat specialist) or a hearing care professional if needed.
Do you work in noise?
According to the Dutch Working Conditions Decree (Arbobesluit), your employer must inform you about how signs of hearing damage can be detected and reported. Above 80 dB(A) you are entitled to a hearing test under certain conditions, and above 85 dB(A) always. Read more in what the Dutch Working Conditions Act (Arbowet) says about hearing protection at work.
How to protect your hearing
Thuisarts and Hoormij give similar advice.
- Wear earplugs at concerts, festivals and in clubs, preferably with a music filter.
- Do not stand right next to the speakers.
- Turn on the volume limiter on your phone, headphones or earbuds.
- After a long time in loud noise, spend some time somewhere quiet.
- Also protect your ears when motorcycling, doing DIY and in noise at work.
- Have your hearing tested regularly, so you notice in time if your hearing gets worse.
Hearing protection you will actually wear
Protection only helps if you wear it. A custom earplug is made from an impression of your ear and has an interchangeable filter. That way you choose the attenuation that suits the situation.
- For nights out and concerts, a flat DM filter in earplugs for music.
- For work in construction and industry, a DI filter in earplugs for construction.
- For everyday use, a DR filter in earplugs for general use.
- For shooting and fireworks around you, a DIM filter for impulse noise.
All filters are on the filter page. Browse the custom earplugs collection or design your own pair. You have your ear impressions taken at a partner hearing centre, which you can find through Find a hearing centre. For teams working in noise, see Audibling Business and industry and construction.
Frequently asked questions
Does muffled hearing after a concert go away by itself?
Often it does. According to Thuisarts, hearing less well can be brief, but it can also last longer. Hoormij warns that a beep after a night out can become permanent. If it continues, contact your GP.
Can hearing damage recover?
According to Hoormij, damage to the hair cells in your inner ear is (almost) always permanent. That is why prevention is so important. With sudden deafness in one ear, quick treatment can sometimes help. In that case, call your GP straight away.
How do I get my hearing tested?
Thuisarts refers to the Nationale Hoortest (national hearing test) for adults and OorCheck for young people. You can also go to your GP or a hearing care professional. If you work in noise, ask your employer about a hearing test.
Is hearing protection still useful if I already have hearing damage?
Yes. Hearing protection does not repair anything, but it helps prevent further damage from noise. Thuisarts also advises protecting your ears from loud sounds if you have ringing in your ears.
Sources
- Thuisarts.nl, Ik wil mijn oren beschermen tegen hard geluid (protecting your ears from loud noise, in Dutch) (accessed 4 October 2026)
- Thuisarts.nl, Ik hoor slecht (poor hearing, in Dutch) (accessed 4 October 2026)
- Thuisarts.nl, Ik ben opeens doof aan 1 oor (sudden deafness in one ear, in Dutch)
- Thuisarts.nl, Ik heb last van oorsuizen (ringing in the ears, in Dutch)
- Hoormij, Hoe voorkom ik gehoorschade? (how do I prevent hearing damage, in Dutch)
- Hoormij, Alles over tinnitus (all about tinnitus, in Dutch)
- Hoormij, Tinnitus en voor onderzoek naar de KNO-arts (tinnitus and seeing an ENT doctor, in Dutch)
- NVAB, Multidisciplinaire richtlijn Preventie beroepsslechthorendheid (guideline on preventing occupational hearing loss, 2006), appendix 4, PDF in Dutch
- Nationale Hoorstichting, Preventie van gehoorschade op de werkvloer (preventing hearing damage in the workplace, 2014, in Dutch)
- Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit (Dutch Working Conditions Decree), articles 6.10 and 6.11, via wetten.overheid.nl (in Dutch)
Last updated 7 October 2026.
More articles
Go to the guides →
Design your earplugs
Choose your colour and filter online. The ear impressions are included in the price and you pay at the hearing centre.