With 37.5 million adults reporting hearing issues, hearing loss is one of the most prevalent medical disorders in the US. There is no one type of hearing loss that applies to everyone. Each person will experience the source, intensity, and treatment differently.
Hearing loss is a broad topic with many of variations. Your hearing can deteriorate for a variety of reasons, not just with time or repeated exposure to loud noises. There is a lot more involved. There are many other causes of hearing loss, and occasionally they are unrelated to your ears.
What kinds of hearing loss are there?
Let’s establish the forms of hearing loss before talking about the unexpected causes. Three categories exist.
Damage to the inner ear, which is composed of the cochlea and semicircular canals, results in sensorineural hearing loss. The most frequent kind, sensorineural hearing loss is frequently brought on by aging, head injuries, or sickness.
Conductive hearing loss: With conductive hearing loss, sounds cannot pass the outer or middle ear. The result is a muted sound. A disease that results in fluid in the middle ear, an ear infection, or a hole in the eardrum frequently causes conductive hearing loss. The issue is frequently resolved by medicine or surgery.
When sensorineural and conductive hearing loss coexist, the condition is referred to as mixed hearing loss.
Hearing aids that you can buy over the counter or from your doctor are used to treat sensorineural hearing loss. There are over-the-ear, in-ear, and in-canal options available. Bone conduction, air conduction, and bone-anchored hearing devices are all effective treatments for conductive hearing loss that isn’t improving with medical intervention.
7 factors that may harm your hearing without your knowledge
Your hearing may occasionally deteriorate gradually over time. It happens so gradually that you could not even realize it. Or you handle so effectively that you fail to notice the warnings. Subtle symptoms of hearing loss include asking someone to repeat themselves, needing to crank up the volume, and having trouble making conversions.
To assist your doctor in determining the reason of your hearing loss, keep in mind this list of potential causes.
Infections
Infections, both bacterial and viral, can damage your hearing. Simple conditions like a cold or an ear infection can make it difficult to hear, affect your balance, or cause tinnitus. The good news is that this kind of hearing loss frequently lasts only a short while. The likelihood that the hearing loss will be permanent decreases the sooner you seek treatment.
The infection’s origin determines the kind of hearing loss. Although conductive and mixed hearing loss are also possible, virus-induced hearing loss often affects the sensorineural system. Middle ear bacterial infections typically cause conductive hearing loss. The inflammatory response of our body might cause an accumulation of fluid or mucus behind the eardrum, which will obstruct hearing. Medication can usually be used to solve problems.
head injury
I use the term “head trauma” to describe injuries to the brain or ear structures. Your eardrum or canal could be damaged by a blow to the head, a foreign item in your ear, or an accident. Auditory impulses that are typically transmitted from the ear to the brain by vibrations are hampered when your eardrum, the membrane in the ear that keeps bacteria out, is torn. Hearing loss from an eardrum rupture is transient.
Your eardrum or inner ear can be harmed by a variety of different things. The event need not necessarily be serious. Even seemingly unimportant things might have an effect on your hearing. It’s crucial to discuss hearing loss with your doctor if you’ve experienced it and recall experiencing any head trauma.
Dental issuesÂ
You probably wouldn’t associate any tooth concerns with hearing problems. But the two are more connected than you would realize. Because they create inflammation and narrow your blood vessels, bacterial infections in the mouth, such as those brought on by dental infections or impacted wisdom teeth, can damage your hearing. The blood supply to vital ear hair cells and important brain regions is constrained by narrowed blood vessels. dental issuesÂ
You probably wouldn’t associate any tooth concerns with hearing problems. But the two are more connected than you would realize. Because they create inflammation and narrow your blood vessels, bacterial infections in the mouth, such as those brought on by dental infections or impacted wisdom teeth, can damage your hearing. The blood supply to vital ear hair cells and important brain regions is constrained by narrowed blood vessels.
