Hearing loss is one of the most common medical conditions in the United States, with 37.5 million adults reporting hearing troubles. There’s no one-size-fits-all instance of hearing loss. The source, severity and treatment will differ from person to person.
With so much variation, hearing loss is a big topic. It isn’t just aging or prolonged exposure to loud noises that can degrade your hearing. There’s much more to it. Hearing loss can happen for many reasons, and sometimes it stems from things that have nothing to do with your ears.
Before discussing the surprising sources of hearing loss, let’s establish the types. There are three categories.
Sensorineural hearing loss: This type involves damage to the inner ear, which is made up of the cochlea and semicircular canals. Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type, often caused by aging, head trauma or illness.
Conductive hearing loss: The sounds can’t get past the outer or middle ear with conductive hearing loss. This makes things sound muffled. Conductive hearing loss is often caused by illness that leads to fluid in the middle ear; an ear infection; or a hole in the eardrum. Medication or surgery can often solve the problem.
Mixed hearing loss: This type describes an instance in which sensorineural and conductive hearing loss occur together.
7 things that can affect your hearing without you even knowing
Sometimes, your hearing can degrade slowly over time. So slowly that you might not even notice it. Or, you manage well enough that you miss the signs. The signs of hearing loss are subtle, like having to turn up the volume, asking people to repeat themselves and having a hard time having conversions.
Remember this list of possible causes to help your doctor find the source of your hearing loss.
Infections
Both viral and bacterial infections can impair your hearing. Something as simple as a cold or an ear infection can muffle your hearing, impair your balance or result in tinnitus. The good news is that this type of hearing loss is often only temporary. The sooner you seek treatment, the less likely the hearing loss will be permanent.
The type of hearing loss depends on the source of the infection. Generally, virus-induced hearing loss is sensorineural, though conductive and mixed hearing loss is possible. Bacterial infections of the middle ear are generally conductive hearing loss. Our body’s inflammatory response can result in fluid or mucus buildup behind the eardrum and muffle the hearing. Most cases can be resolved with medication.
Head trauma
When I say head trauma, I’m referring to anything that damages the structures of the ears or brain. That may be a blow to the head, a foreign object in your ear or an accident that damages your eardrum or canal. When something ruptures your eardrum (the membrane in the ear that keeps bacteria out), auditory signals that are usually transferred through vibrations are hindered from the ear to the brain. In the case of a ruptured eardrum, hearing loss is temporary.
It doesn’t always have to be a significant occurrence to damage your eardrum or inner ear. Even things that don’t seem like a big deal can impact your hearing. If you’ve noticed hearing loss and remember any head trauma, bringing it up with your doctor is important.