Causes of Hearing Loss
Some causes of hearing loss may be irreversible and permanent; however, some others may be partially or fully reversible and temporary.
The common permanent and irreversible causes of hearing loss are as follows:
Congenital hearing loss: Congenital implies present at birth. This kind of hearing loss may be due to some anatomical deformity or some physiological defect.
Medical issues arising in young age: Some illnesses which occur at an early age e.g., jaundice, meningitis, etc. can cause permanent damage to the inner ear and cause hearing loss.
Hereditary: Hearing loss may also be as a result of one’s genetic make-up, i.e., one may be more susceptible to deterioration from aging or ear damage from sound.
Aging: Degeneration of inner ear structures occurs as age advances.
Exposure to Loud noise: Long standing exposure to loud sounds or sudden short loud blasts of noise e.g., gun shot, can permanently damage the cells of the inner ear. These also include listening to loud music.
Occupational hearing loss: Hearing loss may be the result of exposure to loud noise which is a part of the working environment, such as industrial work or construction.
Medication: Some drugs are ototoxic in nature, i.e., they are administered to individuals with life threatening conditions but have ototoxicity as a side effect.
Some illnesses: Diseases or illnesses that result in high fever, such as meningitis, may damage the cochlea.
Hearing loss due to central issues: Certain hearing losses may be caused due to the brain or the pathways that connect the ear to the brain.
Other common partially or fully reversible and temporary causes of hearing losses are listed below:
Gradual build- up of earwax: The natural mechanism of the cells of the ear canal keep the ears clean by regularly secreting cerumen and pushing it out, however accumulation of cerumen over a period of time may happen either by itself or when the ear wax gets pushed deeper in the ear canal wherein the cells that help to get rid of the wax are absent.
In such cases, the cerumen can block the ear canal and prevent conduction of sound energy to the ear drum. In such cases removal of wax by a specialist can restore hearing back to normal.
Ear infection: Ear infections are serious and need treatments as soon as possible. Ear infections may be present in the outer ear or the middle ear. Mostly, hearing loss associated with an infection is reversible, if the infection is left untreated for a long period of time, may become permanent.
Growths: Tumorous or bony growths in the ear or the even the brain may cause hearing loss, where in it is best to sought medical advice at the earliest as these may life threatening implications.
Ruptured eardrum: Perforation or rupture or hole in the ear drum may happen due to physical damage, sudden loud blast of noise, sudden changes in pressure or infection in the middle ear. Medical &/or surgical intervention in such cases is the first line of treatment.