Ear fatigue, also known as listener fatigue or listening fatigue, does not seem to have a general or clinical definition; instead, when talking about ear fatigue, most are talking about a series of symptoms after prolonged exposure to auditory stimulus, especially loud auditory stimulus. The symptoms can include tiredness, discomfort, pain and a loss of auditory sensitivity. Although it has been mostly unrecognized clinically, save for a few studies, ear fatigue is a known phenomena in the world of people who work closely with audio, such as music producers, and hard of hearing people.
The causes of ear fatigue are not fully known and understood, but there are a few theories. For people who are hard of hearing, the main theory is that the brain must work harder to make sense of the information it receives from the hairs of the inner ear, and that ear fatigue is the brain’s way of communicating that it needs a break from the sound.
For people with normal hearing levels, the theory is that ear fatigue is caused by a mix of the ear dealing with a temporary threshold shift and general fatigue. Temporary threshold shift is an “upward shift in the threshold of human hearing,” which is when a sound is too loud for the auditory system and so, to protect itself from damage, it reduces the sensitivity of the ears. The dangers of that, however, are that continual exposure to loud sounds can cause the shift to become permanent, which is what hearing loss is. According to healthyhearing.com, frequent or increasing episodes of listening fatigue can be an early symptom of hearing loss as well.
So how can those who experience ear fatigue recover? The general consensus seems to be to turn down or keep volumes lower, if possible; take breaks from sound frequently; and eliminate background noise.
If one is dealing with ear fatigue on a daily basis, know that there is a community to help. This community is available mostly online, through a variety of forums discussing music, hearing and ear fatigue. More results can be quickly found with a google search of “ear fatigue forums” or “ear fatigue message boards.” Rest and recovery is important for those dealing with ear fatigue but if one is experiencing prolonged symptoms or worsening symptoms, it may be best to see a doctor or other medical professionals who deal with hearing, such as an otolaryngologist or audiologist.
