Hearing is an important part of everyday life. But most people don’t know when they are damaging their ears. Causes of hearing loss include infection, aging, and traumatic brain injury. But one of the most common causes is exposure to loud noises, such as firecrackers. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) can develop after one episode of strong noise exposure or after listening to very loud noises over time passed. Everyone has tiny hair cells in the inner ear (cochlea) that vibrate and send electrical signals to the auditory nerve, helping you hear. Different groups of hair cells interpret sound frequencies differently. Over time, if these hair cells are damaged or broken enough, hearing loss can result.