There are many different causes of hearing loss. One thing is for sure our ears were not designed for the excessively loud world we live in. That’s why the number one cause of hearing loss is completely preventable, avoid loud noise.
The most common causes of sensorineural hearing loss:
- Exposure to excessive loud noise.
- Illness, diseases or viruses: including recent research showing a link between Covid-19 and hearing loss.
- Bertain medications are ototoxic and can lead to hearing loss.
- Deteriorating hearing due family history, noise exposure, or age.
The most common causes of conductive hearing loss:
- Ear infections, otitis media
- Trauma to the ear, a head injury for example
- Ear disease such as otosclerosis, cholestatoma.
- Damage to the middle ear and/or ear drum from contact with a foreign object (cotton swabs, bobby pins, etc.).
How to protect your hearing:
- Wear hearing protection when around loud sounds. There are different types of hearing protection such as foam earplugs, earmuffs and custom hearing protection devices. Contact your local audiologist for custom hearing protection devices.
- Turn down the volume when listening to the radio, the TV, MP3 player, or anything through ear buds and headphones.
- Walk away from the noise.
- And, other than hearing protection, do not put anything in your ear!
