Health One Family Medicine

Hearing Loss – Causes and Symptoms

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Hearing loss is the third major health issue in America, and it can greatly affect the quality of relationships and life in general. According to reports, more than 45 million Americans suffer from hearing loss. Today’s modern life has added a plethora of elements in our lives that are ear-damaging including loud music through headphones as well as certain medications with side effects.

Common Causes of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can occur due to numerous factors. The following are some of the major causes:

Aging

Age is a major reason for hearing loss. It affects one out of three individuals between the ages of 65 and 74. Once the individuals cross the age of 75, the number of people affected from hearing loss increases.  

Loud Noises

Continuous loud noises can also result in hearing loss. According to reports by Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 22 million workers in U.S. get exposed to harmful loud noises on their jobs. This includes, but is not limited to, farmers, factory workers, miners, soldiers, construction workers and carpenters.  

Medications

There are some medicines that can lead to hearing problems. About 200 drugs have been recorded to trigger hearing imbalance as a side effect, including:

  • Certain erectile dysfunction drugs
  • Some malaria medications
  • Loop diuretics
  • Aspirin
  • Chemotherapy drugs
  • Various antibiotics

Illnesses 

Some disorders such as diabetes, high levels of blood pressure, and heart disease can affect the ability to hear as they interfere with the blood supply to the ears.  

Trauma

Some people suffer from hearing problems after a trauma such as a punctured eardrum or a skull fracture.

Infection

Ear wax and ear infection blocks ear canals and results in hearing loss or impairment.  

Symptoms of Hearing Loss

There are various symptoms of hearing loss, including:

  • Ringing in your ear or tinnitus
  • Frequent exhaustion after social events
  • Asking others to repeat what they said
  • Problems hearing on phone
  • Thinking others are mumbling
  • Not properly understanding what others are saying, especially when it’s noisy
  • Increasing the volume of radio or television

Individuals suffering from high frequency hearing loss often have trouble hearing the following sounds:

  • Birds singing
  • Beeping on microwave or timers
  • Turn signal in the car
  • Some consonant sounds like p, f, th, v, f, sh, s
  • Voices of children and females

There can be several other symptoms depending on the level of hearing loss being experienced by the individual.

Hearing loss can become permanent which makes it essential to be careful and protect your natural asset. Taking precautions like wearing earplugs or mufflers if your job involved loud sounds, or even if you are in some noisy place can help in protecting your ears. In majority of the cases, the hearing slowly fades away making it difficult to notice. As long as people can still hear things, they assume their ears are fine. It is essential that you notice these symptoms and get your ears checked to prevent potential hearing loss problems. Book your appointment today or learn more ways to protect your ears by consulting the experts at http://www.healthonemedicine.com/.