What is hearing loss and what causes it?

Hearing loss is a reduction in your ability to hear, so you can’t hear as well. There are many different types of hearing loss, and it can be caused by many different things.

Facts about hearing loss

Hearing loss can affect people of all ages, from newborn babies to older people

People can have hearing loss in one ear or both ears

Hearing loss can be permanent or temporary, and occur suddenly or gradually

Hearing loss is different from tinnitus (ringing in the ears), but people often have both

What are the causes of hearing loss?

Hearing loss has many causes. The most common causes of hearing loss are:

Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis). This type of hearing loss occurs gradually over time as we get older, often resulting from damage to the tiny hair cells inside the cochlea (part of the inner ear). As the change happens gradually, it can take a long time for the person and their close ones to recognize the hearing loss.

Noise-induced hearing loss. Noise can cause serious damage to your ears. Depending on the loudness of the noise and the length of time you experience it, noise can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss. Some causes of noise-induced hearing loss include live concerts, listening to high sound levels with headphones, shooting, being close to power tools or loud equipment, motorcycling, snowmobiling, or working in noisy places such as construction sites and cafés.

Trauma. Head trauma or acoustic trauma can cause permanent hearing loss.
Head trauma can come from any accident which involves a blow to the head (e.g., a car accident, a bike accident, falling over, etc.). Acoustic trauma results from an excessively loud sound, such as an explosion. The damage caused by acoustic trauma can include structural damage to the ear as well as noise-induced hearing loss.

Sudden hearing loss. Sudden hearing loss occurs from one moment to the next. In some cases, people wake up with hearing loss. There are some known causes of sudden hearing loss including viral infection, trauma, and diseases. However, sometimes no reason can be found. If you are experiencing sudden hearing loss seek medical advice as soon as possible.

Health factors. Several health factors increase the likelihood of acquiring hearing loss. These include diabetes, obesity, smoking, and high blood pressure. In addition, infections, disease and physical blockages can cause hearing loss, which may be temporary.

Genetic disorders. Hearing loss can be part of many disorders (e.g., Waardenburg syndrome, Usher syndrome).

Hereditary reasons. Hearing loss can be hereditary. If you have a family history of hearing loss, it is a good idea to get your hearing checked regularly.

Congenital disorders. Congenital hearing loss means that it is present at birth. Babies can be born with genetic hearing loss. Other hereditary or medically related causes of hearing loss include ear malformations.

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Is hearing loss a disability?

Hearing loss is certainly challenging and can hinder your life. If it is left untreated, hearing loss can significantly impact your quality of life. Hearing loss has been shown to affect people socially, emotionally, and cognitively.

Because hearing loss makes it harder to communicate with other people, it causes people to withdraw from social situations. This can lead to social isolation and health impacts such as cognitive decline.

Whether it is considered a disability or not often depends on the severity of the hearing loss. For most people, hearing loss is treatable with hearing aids.

Why treat hearing loss?

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Types of hearing loss

There are three main types of hearing loss that each affect the hearing system in different ways. In addition to these, there is a wide variety of ways that hearing impairments affect different people such as the level of hearing loss and type of onset.

The types of hearing loss

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What causes hearing loss in one ear?

Any of the causes of hearing loss described above can cause hearing loss in one ear. However, hearing loss can occur in one ear if that ear has been especially exposed to noise or trauma. This can be the case from shooting.

Having different levels of hearing in each of your ears is sometimes referred to as ‘unilateral or bilateral’ and ‘symmetrical or asymmetrical’ hearing loss. When you get a comprehensive hearing test, the left and right ears are tested. When the hearing loss on both sides is similar, then the hearing loss is symmetrical. However, when the hearing loss within both ears is not the same, it is considered asymmetrical.

People can also experience a sudden loss of hearing in one ear, often due to a noise event. However, this is not always the cause.

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What causes sudden hearing loss?

In addition to being caused by loud sounds, noise or trauma, sudden hearing loss can be caused by clogged ears, which stop the sound waved from reaching the inner ear. There may also not be an obvious reason for sudden hearing loss.

How to prevent hearing loss?

We can do several things to help reduce the risk of hearing loss or help prevent further damage to our hearing:

Protect your hearing with hearing protection. Loud sounds and noise can cause hearing loss. By wearing hearing protection when taking part in noisy activities, such as concerts, shooting, motorcycling, car races, etc., the sound can be reduced to safer levels. There are many types of hearing protection such as earplugs and earmuffs.

Turn the volume down. When listening to music, radio, TV, etc., it is essential to keep the volume set at safe levels. Some audio devices allow you to set max limits for the volume. If you find you turn up your music because it is noisy, you can try noise-canceling headphones instead.

Have your hearing regularly tested to monitor for hearing loss or changes in your hearing. An online hearing test can be an easy way to monitor any changes to your hearing and can indicate if you should schedule a comprehensive hearing test.

Avoid inserting things into the ear. Poking items, like cotton buds, into the ear canal can cause damage to the ear canal wall or the eardrum or cause ear wax to become impacted in the ear.

Monitor your medication. Some medications can potentially be harmful to your hearing. These are called ototoxic medications. If you are on such medication, it is crucial to monitor your hearing frequently for any changes. If possible, check with your physician about possible options that are not ototoxic.

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Test your hearing