Hearing loss is the third most common health issue in America, affecting approximately 36 million people, with numbers continually rising. When hearing loss occurs, it can significantly impact the quality of life and communication abilities.

Causes of Hearing Loss

Common causes of hearing loss include:

  • Aging
  • Exposure to loud noise
  • Medications
  • Sudden hearing loss
  • Diseases
  • Trauma (impact)
  • Earwax or infection
  • Genetic issues

Aging

Aging is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. One in three people between the ages of 65 and 74 experiences some degree of hearing loss. After the age of 75, this ratio increases to one in every two people. Research has not specifically determined why hearing diminishes with age but it may be due to lifelong exposure to noise, medications, and other damaging factors.

 

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Noise

Loud and prolonged noise can cause hearing loss. Some professions are particularly at risk, where individuals are exposed daily to harmful noise levels. For example, reports indicate that 44% of carpenters and 48% of plumbers have complaints of hearing loss. Degrees of hearing loss are also observed in individuals exposed to factory noise, military environments, and transportation. Musicians and performers are also at risk of noise-induced hearing loss.

 

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Medication

Certain medications can damage the hearing system or even affect balance. There are over 200 drugs and chemicals known to harm the hearing system, including antibiotics, aspirin, and diuretics.

 

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Sudden Hearing Loss

This type refers to a rapid reduction in hearing ability, dropping by 30 decibels or more, which can occur over several hours or days. In most cases, this type of hearing loss affects one ear and accounts for about 10 to 15 percent of all hearing loss cases.

Disease

Diseases such as cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure, and diabetes can damage the blood supply to the ears, resulting in hearing loss. Other conditions like otosclerosis and Ménière’s disease can also cause hearing loss.

Trauma (Impact)

Trauma, especially involving skull fractures or a ruptured eardrum, can lead to hearing loss.

Earwax or Infection

Blockage in the ear canal can cause hearing loss.

 

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Symptoms of Hearing Loss

In many cases, hearing loss occurs gradually, and the individual may not notice it. People with this condition might think others are speaking too softly or that the telephone is a poor communication tool. They may not realize they have hearing loss because they can still hear some sounds. In the early stages of hearing loss, high-pitched sounds like women’s and children’s voices, and sounds like the letters S and F, can be difficult to hear.

Other symptoms include:

  • Difficulty understanding phone conversations
  • Trouble hearing in the presence of background noise
  • Difficulty following conversations when multiple people speak simultaneously
  • Trouble understanding people who speak unclearly or quickly
  • Frequent complaints from others about the high volume of the television
  • Often misunderstanding conversations and giving inappropriate responses
  • Frequently asking others to repeat themselves
  • Hearing ringing, roaring, or hissing sounds in the ears, known as tinnitus

Classification of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is classified as mild, moderate, severe, or profound.

Mild Hearing Loss

Individuals may not have difficulty in one-on-one conversations but may struggle to understand speech in noisy environments.

Moderate Hearing Loss

Individuals often need words to be repeated during daily conversations and phone calls.

Severe Hearing Loss

Severe hearing loss means hearing some sounds very faintly. With this level of hearing loss, one cannot hear regular speech and only very loud sounds are audible. It varies widely among individuals of all ages and can make following conversations without a hearing aid impossible.

Profound Hearing Loss

In this degree, individuals are unable to hear others unless they speak very loudly and cannot understand speech without a hearing aid.

Types of Hearing Loss

Conductive: Occurs due to problems in the ear canal, eardrum, or middle ear and its small bones.

Sensorineural: Occurs due to issues in the inner ear (hair cells) or auditory nerve.

Mixed: A combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, meaning there are problems in the outer, middle, and inner ears or auditory nerve.

Other causes of conductive hearing loss include:

  • Malformations of the outer ear, ear canal, or middle ear
  • Presence of infection or fluid in the middle ear
  • Allergies
  • Ruptured eardrum
  • Poor function of the Eustachian tube
  • Otosclerosis
  • Presence of earwax or foreign bodies in the ear
  • Infection in the ear canal

Other factors contributing to sensorineural hearing loss:

  • Exposure to loud noise
  • Head trauma
  • Viral infections or diseases
  • Ménière’s disease
  • Tumors
  • Genetic disorders
  • Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis)