Common Causes of Hearing Loss You Should Know About

While there isn’t one of the five common senses that is more important than the other, it can be a frustrating experience to wake up one day without your hearing. There are various types of hearing loss, including sensorineural, conductive, and mixed hearing loss. The specifics and symptoms differ slightly, ranging from nerve damage to the inner ear to hair cell damage, and obstruction.

Most importantly, hearing loss is more common than you may think, and it can affect anyone. Hearing affects your overall health, safety, and wellness, meaning that it should be taken seriously. Here are some common causes of hearing loss you ought to know about so you can protect your ears wherever possible.

Physical Injury

When the delicate parts of any organ are injured, the damage automatically reduces the organ’s efficiency. Severe injuries such as head trauma, for instance, can damage the nerves that serve the ears, leading to hearing loss. Damage to the middle ear or a punctured eardrum will also have the same effect.

Noise Pollution

If you are a fan of loud music, it’s important to be careful. Regular exposure to loud sounds can cause damage to the sensitive parts of your ears, eventually leading to hearing loss. If you are a frequent user of headsets or earphones, always remember to mind the volume.

Ear Infection and Illness

Hearing loss may also be caused by certain ailments and infections. In some cases, it is caused by ototoxic medications used to treat certain medical conditions, including cancer chemotherapy drugs, loop diuretics, aminoglycoside antibiotics, and high doses of aspirin. Nonetheless, some diseases associated with causing hearing loss in rare cases include:

• Diabetes
• Meningitis
• Acoustic tumors
• Stroke
• Shingles
• Hypertension

Genetics

Some people are born without hearing. For others, hearing loss develops at some point in their lives without a specific trigger. In such a case, the condition is termed as genetic or hereditary. These hereditary cases are often a result of gene mutations and can be traced to other family members from the current or previous generation within the family tree. Over two-thirds of hereditary hearing loss cases present no symptoms.

Aging

Aging often comes with a wide range of health issues affecting different organs. Along with a change in posture, wrinkles, reduced immunity, and reduced eyesight, hearing loss is a common symptom among aging individuals.

Often, you may find yourself shouting when talking to aging individuals, or repeating your words so they can hear you better. The good thing is that as long as your auditory system is not completely damaged, the condition can be treated or corrected. For instance, you can improve your hearing at any age with today’s hearing aids. In a nutshell, common treatment approaches for hearing loss include:

• Hearing aids
• Surgery
• Cochlear implants
• Wax blockage removal

Being unable to hear clearly or at all can be a frustrating experience for anyone. While some of these causes could be beyond your control, there are measures you can take to protect your hearing. The above are just a few things you should know about what causes hearing loss.