Have you noticed that you the sound of your child screaming as she breaks down and has a tantrum in full view of the whole grocery store is a little muffled? Are you constantly asking colleagues to repeat themselves when they’re speaking to you? Are you worried and wondering what has caused your hearing to deteriorate? Check out this guide to the most common causes of hearing degradation and loss. Oh, and see an ENT!
Waxy Build-Up
If your hearing is a little more muffled than it used to be and this condition has come on very suddenly, it could be something as simple as your ears being too waxy. If that’s the case, syringing your ears, or even better, having a professional do it for you, should solve the problem. After that, try to be more diligent about keeping your ears clean. A little wax is fine, even beneficial, but too much can cause problems.
Otosclerosis
Otosclerosis is a disease that takes hold in the middle ear and makes it more difficult for the organ’s bones to move, causing a kind of conductive hearing loss that can only be treated with surgery.
You’re Getting Older
If you’re getting older, then, unfortunately, it might just be that your hearing is starting to degrade. This happens often to people over the age of 70, in particular, but it can happen to younger people if they’ve been exposed to loud noise for much of their life. If that’s the case, then you probably need a hearing aid to help you hear better. Check out these features of hearing aids to see which ones would suit you best. Also, don’t worry about wearing an aid – most of them are small and pretty invisible these days!
Extremely Loud Noises
Extremely loud noises cannot only cause ear conditions like tinnitus – they can cause permanent hearing loss too! Generally, this will happen over a period of time, but a huge explosion, for example, could cause the loss of hearing with immediate effect. The only thing you can do to protect your ears if you work with or experience loud noises regularly, is to wear the proper ear protection. Also, don’t turn your headphones up to the max!
Ménière’s Disease
Another ailment of the inner ear, this disease has no known cause and generally shows up between the ages of 30 and 50. If you have this disease, you may experience dizziness and ringing sounds in the ear as well as hearing loss, which may or may not come back. Visiting an ENT is essential.
Head Injuries
If you’ve recently hit your head, then it could cause your hearing to degrade or even vanish altogether. Sometimes, this will be temporary, but if you’ve experienced a traumatic brain injury, there is a chance it could be permanent too.
You’re Taking Medication
Some medications, including certain chemotherapy drugs, aspirin in large quantities and even some antibiotics can cause you to lose your hearing. If this happens, see a doctor immediately because the damage can be minimized!
Like I said at the top of the post, if you experience hearing loss for whatever reason, see a good ENT as soon as possible – your hearing could depend on it!
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