About 20% of all Americans have some form of hearing loss. Most hearing loss is age-related, but there are other things that can cause people to experience a loss of hearing. Here are three common reasons for hearing loss.
1. Injury
When someone has a traumatic brain injury, it can affect their hearing. This can occur when part of the inner ear gets damaged during trauma. Skull fractures and concussions can also injure the ear and cause a loss of hearing. Some other types of injuries that can cause hearing loss include the following:
- Putting a cotton-tipped swab or another object too deeply into the ear
- Changes in air pressure that cause the eardrum to rupture
- If the outer ear or ear canal gets cut, burned, or frostbitten
In some instances, hearing loss caused by an injury to the ear can be reversed with surgery, but this is not always the case.
2. Exposure to Loud Noise
Noise is measured by decibels and anything over 85 decibels can cause permanent damage, resulting in a loss of hearing. Some things that are 85 decibels and over include the following:
- An idling bulldozer — 85 dB
- Riding a Motorcycle — 97 dB
- Rock concert — 103 dB
- Ambulance siren — 109
Hearing these noises for a very brief time will probably not cause hearing loss. However, repeated exposure to anything over 85 dB can cause a loss of hearing. The louder something is, the more quickly it will start to cause a permanent loss.
For example, you can safely be exposed to noise while riding a motorcycle for 30 minutes before it causes permanent damage. Compare this to an ambulance siren, which you can only safely listen to for 2 minutes before it causes damage. Some people are exposed to loud noises for years and their hearing suffers the consequences.
3. Sickness and Disease
Some illnesses and diseases also negatively affect the hearing. This is due to the fact that some diseases cause fluid buildup in the ears or abnormal growths inside the ear. Some disease that often cause hearing loss include the following:
- Otosclerosis
- Ménière's disease
- Usher's syndrome
- Acoustic neuroma
- Mumps
- Meningitis
- Diabetes
Other health-related issues that can cause hearing loss include hypertension, obesity, stroke, and viral infections. Also, according to one study, people who smoke cigarettes are much more likely to have a loss of hearing compared to people who don't smoke. This is largely due to the fact that smoke and nicotine irritates the lining of the middle ear.
If you have or think you might have some form of hearing loss, contact a company that can check you for hearing loss and provide you with hearing aids if the loss is permanent.
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