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Believe it or not, there are numerous causes of hearing loss. The ear is a delicate organ that various extraneous factors can harm. A variety of infections, malfunctions, or trauma are capable of causing partial or total hearing loss. However, being an extremely complex and tricky system, the ear can also respond to seemingly unrelated factors.
Let’s look at the most common causes first.
Common causes of hearing loss
There are many causes of hearing loss, but the most common include:
Age-related hearing loss. This type of hearing loss is called presbycusis and is caused by damage to the tiny hair cells in your inner ear that detect sound vibrations. The damage can be caused by loud noises or other factors like genetics and aging. Presbycusis often occurs gradually over time and worsens gradually as well.
Genetic hearing loss. People can be born with a genetic condition that causes them to lose their hearing early in life, sometimes before ten years old. Genetic conditions associated with hearing loss include Usher syndrome and Pendred syndrome. Some people may have inherited both conditions from their parents.
Stranger causes of hearing loss
Aside from the common causes of hearing impairment, some things could cause you to lose your hearing which are some unknown causes. These causes are not often discussed, but they are essential to change your lifestyle or be aware that these things could lead to you losing your hearing.
Smoking
Most everyone knows that smoking can lead to lung conditions or asthma, but not many people know that smoking or spending time around smokers can increase your risk of losing your hearing by over 70%. The more you smoke, the more likely you can sustain hearing damage.
High blood pressure
High blood pressure, also referred to as hypertension, affects millions of people every year. It is a massive epidemic and can cause serious side effects if not adequately treated or taken care of. One of the symptoms of untreated high blood pressure is that it can cause you to lose your hearing. This is much more prevalent in people in the age range between 45 and 65. Loss of hearing can happen quickly if you have untreated high blood pressure, so it is essential to get on medication to manage your high blood pressure and decrease your risk of this and other severe side effects.
Diabetes
Diabetes is another one of those chronic illnesses that are currently affecting millions of Americans alone. It is not as commonly discussed as many of the other symptoms of diabetes are, but this disease can cause you to lose your hearing rapidly and severely. If you have diabetes and start to hear ringing in your ears or notice that your hearing is fading, you must talk to your doctor or audiologist immediately.
On top of the medical issues mentioned above that can cause you to lose your hearing; more environmental factors could happen and play into it that you should be aware of. These factors include:
- Being hit by a deployed airbag after getting into an accident
- Contracting the shingles
- Contracting the measles
- Sustaining an injury to the head
Is it time to test your hearing?
If you have noticed that your world is sounding more distant or muffled and you feel as though you cannot hear as well as you maybe once could, it is essential to contact our team for a hearing test. Though no cure is 100% effective, there are treatment options that are highly effective in getting you to hear again. Many things can cause you to lose your hearing, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.
Contact us today if you’ve noticed changes in your hearing and struggle with communication. We provide comprehensive hearing health services, and we’re here to help!