The condition can be fatal if left untreated, but the tetanus vaccine and improvements in treatment mean deaths from tetanus are now very rare in the UK. In 2013, there were only seven recorded cases of tetanus in England and Wales, and no deaths.
Sound pressure is measured in decibels (dB). Like a temperature scale, the decibel scale goes below zero. The average person can hear sounds down to about 0 dB, the level of rustling leaves. Some people with very good hearing can hear sounds down to -15 dB. If a sound reaches 85 dB or stronger, it can cause permanent damage to your hearing. The amount of time you listen to a sound affects how much damage it will cause.
Sudden hearing loss, the rapid loss of 30 decibels or more of hearing ability, can happen over several hours or up to 3 days. (A normal conversation is 60 decibels.) Sudden hearing loss usually affects only one ear. Although there are up to 3 new cases per every 10,000 people each year, doctors are not able to discover the cause in most cases. Illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes put ears at risk by interfering with the ears' blood supply.