Hearing Damage from Changing Batteries in CO Detector and the Test Alarm Going Off?

[Eukalyptus]

Hi, today I was inserting new batteries in my CO detector when it went off briefly as a test. According to the manufacturer, the sound intensity is 85 dB at 10 ft, but given I was holding it 0.5 to 1 feet from my face, I received about a 110 dB dose. The beep was very high pitched and lasted for 1-2 seconds. Now I know the exposure limit for 110 dB is 30 seconds, but my right ear immediately went a bit deaf upon hearing the beep, and my hearing is still muffled after 1 hour.

My question is, does frequency of the sound affect exposure limit, and have I caused lasting damage or will I sleep it off?

Three years ago I screwed up my hearing real bad by first standing next to a shotgun without sufficient hearing protection, causing muffled hearing for 2 weeks, then by sleeping next to fireworks, muffling my ears for a good 1.5 months.

 

[billie48]

Welcome to the forum. I have similar experience on exposing to these high pitch alarm from detectors in close distance. In my case I was trying to fix a faulty smoke alarm but silly enough to not knowing that such close exposure can be damaging to the ears. But I am not too sure if this was the reason alone as the ringing didn't start until a month later after I came back from a flight experiencing some baro-pressure adjustment issue. It is likely and it has been promoted by some members here that tinnitus-causing damages can be cumulative by various factors, and then suddenly it hits the threshold or limit and bang tinnitus starts.

My question is, does frequency of the sound affect exposure limit, and have I caused lasting damage or will I sleep it off?

Frequency of the sound does afffect exposure limit. There are sites listing various noises/sounds and their respective dbs and how much exposure before damage is done. Here is one such site:

http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/education/information-center/decibel-exposure-time-guidelines/

 

[linearb]

I've been blasted by these a bunch of times for short periods. I think you're fine.

 

[Digital Doc]

Frequency does not effect the exposure limit; it is based on db's.

My CO detector went off in the Fall, and they are quite loud. I could not get the battery out fast enough, as it was going off for a low battery indicator.

Will have to see what happens with your hearing, and the muffled/full sensation.

 

[CMIH]

I strongly recommend wearing earplugs before you do anything with a smoke detector or carbon monoxide detector.

Regarding the frequency, I'm pretty sure that if you're exposed to a noise/tone loud enough to damage your hearing, the hair cells that will be damaged are the ones that respond to the frequency ("pitch")/frequencies of the noise/tone. I'm not sure what happens in the case of being close to a sudden strong blast like a shotgun. Maybe the same thing.

 

[whatdidyousay]

Smoke detectors seem to wildly vary in volume levels. One of them upstairs is way louder than the others. I took a dedicated decibel meter up there and held it from below and the sound readings were around 105 dB from 3 meters away or so. So it'd probably be 115 115 - 120 dB while holding it to change batteries. It's still in the 80s dB from a couple rooms away if the doors are open.