Hearing loss is quite a common condition. In fact, it is the third most reported physical ailment in this country (after arthritis and heart disease), and the number one cause of disability in active duty military personnel. But what causes hearing loss and how is it treated? Essentially, hearing loss is caused by sound signals no longer being able to get to the brain. This can be because there is damage to the hair cells found in the inner ear or to the auditory nerve (known as sensorineural hearing loss), or it can be caused by blockages between the inner and outer ear (known as conductive hearing loss).
Understanding What Causes Hearing Loss and How Is it Treated:
Unfortunately, the question on what causes hearing loss and how is it treated is very difficult to answer, mainly because there are so many different possibilities out there. Some of the most common causes of sensorineural hearing loss are:
- Age (known as presbycusis)
- Exposure to loud noises, particularly common in certain work environments, but also in people who use headphones to listen to loud music
- Genetic factors
- Viral infections, such as measles or mumps, which affect the inner ear or auditory nerve
- Meniere’s disease
- Acoustic neuroma
- Meningitis
- Encephalitis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Head injuries
- Autoimmune diseases
- Ear malformations
- Stroke
- Treatment and medication for certain illnesses, such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and antibiotics
- Diabetes
- Chronic kidney disease
Conductive hearing loss, unlike sensorineural hearing loss, is not always permanent, although it can be. Common causes include:
- A perforated eardrum
- Otosclerosis
- Hearing bone damage
- Eustachian tube swelling
- Ear malformations
- Eustachian tube dysfunction
- Foreign bodies in the ear
In terms of treatment, the right form will depend on the cause of the hearing loss. Hence, common treatments are:
- Removing built-up earwax
- Antibiotics
- Surgery
- Hearing aids
- Learning sign language
- Learning to lip read
If you notice that you have hearing loss, it is important not to panic. In many cases, this is of a temporary nature or, if it is permanent, the decline will be incredibly slow, giving you plenty of time to get used to treatment options, such as hearing aids. However, even if your hearing loss is sudden and permanent, help is out there to help you retain your quality of life. Being deaf, even profoundly deaf, no longer means that you cannot live a fulfilling life.
At the same time, it is important to recognize that there is a degree of discrimination against those who are deaf. In fact, the more profound the hearing loss, the more likely that the affected individuals will earn less than their peers. Hence, one form of treatment against hearing loss is to raise awareness that not being able to hear does not mean you have less mental capacity as well. Breaking through the stigma of classing deafness as stupidity (not being able to speak, something common with congenital deafness, is actually called ‘dumbness’) is a major step forward that will improve not just your quality of life, but also that of countless others.
