5 Everyday Causes of Hearing Loss

Have you heard that hearing loss affects one in five Americans? And it’s not only the elderly who are at risk. The 48 million people in the United States with such severe hearing impairment that it interferes with communication include kids as young as 12, a new study published in Archives of Internal Medicine found. “It’s a pretty shocking number,” far exceeding earlier estimates of 21 to 29 million, lead study researcher Frank R. Lin, MD, PhD, of Johns Hopkins University said. 

Women are significantly less likely to suffer from hearing impairment than men are. While the reason for the gender gap isn’t yet known, the female hormone estrogen may help protect the inner ear—a theory the scientists plan to investigate in future studies. The study also found that rates of hearing loss double with each decade of age. To check your hearing, click here for an online test from American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

Explore the ear in 3D.

Here’s a look at five everyday causes of hearing loss.

Personal Audio Devices

College students, particularly men, often turn up the volume on MP3 players and iPods to hazardous levels that can permanently damage hearing, according to a new study to be presented at the ASHA conference this week. Another recent study found a 30 percent rise in hearing loss in teens, compared to a group tested about a decade earlier. Those most likely to have impairments were boys who reported using MP3 players. The average MP3 player can reach a literally deafening 115 decibels at maximum volume. Exposure to 100 decibels can damage hearing in as little as 15 minutes, according to American Academy of Otolaryngology, as can prolonged exposure to 85 decibels. Warning signs of audio overload include ringing in the ears after exposure to loud noise and trouble hearing that may seem temporary, but, over time, leads to permanent hearing loss.

Secondhand Smoke

Exposure to secondhand smoke nearly doubles the risk of hearing loss in teens, a NYU School of Medicine study reported in July. What’s particularly frightening about this, the researchers said, is that more than half of all kids in the U.S. are exposed to tobacco fumes, often in their homes. In the study, teens who were exposed to secondhand smoke performed worse on every sound frequency tested, especially those important to understanding conversation. Earlier research shows that smoking also magnifies the threat of losing your hearing, offering yet another reason to kick the habit.

Read about celebrities who managed to quit smoking.

Medication Side Effects 

More than 200 prescription or over-the-counter drugs are “ototoxic,” meaning that they can damage hearing, sometimes permanently, reports the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). These include aminoglycoside antibiotics, such as gentamicin (family history may increase susceptibility), streptomycin, and kanamycin; aspirin (in large doses), loop diuretics (used for heart and kidney problems), such as lasix or ethacrynic acid, and certain chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin and carboplatin.

Infections 

Middle ear infections can cause long-term hearing loss and rupture of the eardrum, if untreated. Among the symptoms of an infection are diminished hearing, ear pain, a feeling of fullness in the ear, and drainage of pus or blood from the ear. Ear infections are one of the most common illnesses in kids and often clear up in a week or two, but in some cases, they last longer and become chronic, creating the risk of hearing loss. Other infectious diseases that can damage hearing include chickenpox, scarlet fever, meningitis, and mumps.

Head or Ear Injuries

Trauma to the head or ear can cause sudden permanent or temporary hearing loss. Forces that can harm hearing include dramatic change in air pressure, such as occurs when you’re scuba diving (barotrauma); sports-related concussions, traumatic brain injury or other blows to the head, which can rupture the eardrum, damage ear nerves, or dislocate bones in the ear; or pushing an object, such as a Q-tip, too far into the ear, causing perforated eardrum. Extremely loud noise, such as an explosion, can also cause sudden hearing loss known as acoustic trauma.

Find natural relief options for ringing in the ears.

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