What Causes Hearing Loss?

Often overlooked, hearing loss is a serious issue and a common problem in the United States. According to recent findings, hearing loss is the third most common physical health condition in the United States after arthritis and heart disease. Unfortunately, while diseases such as arthritis and heart disease are kept in the limelight, hearing loss is discussed not as much as it should be.

Hearing Loss in the United States in 2015:

Here are a few facts about the condition:

• A massive 48 million Americans report some scale of hearing loss. This is equal to 20% of the entire US population;
• By the age of 65, one in every third person reports the inability to hear properly;
• Out of every 1000 school children, 30 suffer from hearing issues.

The findings mentioned above go on to show just how serious an issue hearing loss is. In addition, the numbers are set to grow if precautionary measures are not taken in due time.

5 Common Causes

Here are the five most common factors that cause this particular physical condition to occur in the first place:

1. Genetics:

Unfortunate as it may sound, hearing issues are almost unavoidable in some cases. The reason behind this miserable physical condition is often a time genetics. According to experts, if the parents of an individual suffered from hearing issues, there is a high probability that the child too might suffer from hearing issues at some point in his or her life.

2. Noise:

The leading cause behind hearing loss, exposure to excessive noise can be avoided before it causes serious trouble. Individuals working in an industrial job or those who are exposed to loud music where noise levels are quite high are vulnerable to hearing loss. This is the core reason experts recommend individuals limit themselves to a maximum noise level of 90dBA.

3. Excessive Ear-Wax Buildup:

While hearing loss caused from genetics is unavoidable, the condition can also stem from a buildup of ear-wax. To know whether you are suffering from hearing issues due to ear-wax buildup, experts recommend a simple diagnostics test that determines the cause behind the issue. Once the ear-wax that has been built up is diagnosed as the cause, steps can be taken to resolve the issue.

4. Diseases:

Hearing loss can be caused by some diseases as well. Several types of bacterial infections, diseases such as strokes or diabetes, or ear infections can cause hearing problems or lead to complete deafness.

5. Time:

Dubbed as the ultimate healer for several problems in life, time can actually make things worse when it comes to hearing problems. Ear damage that starts from a young age builds up over time and in turn leads to increased hearing issues.  Once damaged, the ear nerves reconnect in a different manner later that ultimately reduces the probability of curing the problem and being able to hear properly in the future.