Common Causes of Hearing Loss

By the time you turn 65, you have a 50/50 shot at dealing with hearing loss. The hearing organs in your area are sensitive and can get damaged. Plus, everything from certain illnesses and medications to what you do for work can affect your hearing.

Fortunately, knowing the most common causes of hearing loss can help you defend against them. That’s why Anil K. Gupta, MD, and our team at Gupta ENT Center built this guide. Here, we explore the leading reasons people have trouble hearing — and what you can do about them. In fact, if you’re having trouble hearing, don’t hesitate to visit our office in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Leading causes

Across the United States, three causes top the list when it comes to hearing loss:

• Aging
• Genetics
• Ear damage

Let’s look at aging first. As you get older, the structures in your inner ear that help you hear start to degenerate. The hearing nerves and structures in your inner ear don’t work as well as they used to, making it increasingly difficult to hear clearly. As we mentioned earlier, about half of people will notice hearing difficulties by their 65th birthday. 

But even young people can have trouble hearing. In many of those cases, genetics or ear damage comes into play.

Your genes could be directly to blame for your hearing loss, as is the case with babies whose cochlea doesn’t develop the way it should. Genetics can also affect how your body responds to certain medications, making hearing loss a side effect. 

Finally, damage to your ear impacts your ability to hear. Overly loud sounds damage the tiny hairs in your inner ear that help you hear, and those hairs don’t grow back. Working in a loud environment or regularly listening to headphones turned all the way up can contribute to this type of hearing loss. 

These are just the three most common causes of hearing loss, though. Earwax buildup, irregular bone growth in your ear, and other problems can all impact your hearing. 

Ultimately, a variety of factors can contribute to hearing loss. Here at Gupta ENT Center, Dr. Gupta can help you figure out what’s going on with your ears.

Protecting your hearing

If you think you might be losing your hearing, don’t wait to visit us. Not only can Dr. Gupta help you hear better, but he can also help to identify what’s causing your hearing loss. This way, you can make modifications to prevent it from getting worse. That could be wearing earphones at work or modifying your medication, for example. 

As a general rule, you should also take steps to prevent ear damage in your daily life. This means wearing ear protection in overly loud areas and cleaning your ears the right way. Dr. Gupta can advise you on any specific actions you should take to protect your ears. 

To find out what could be causing your hearing loss and to prevent it from getting worse, call our office at (248) 308-5971 to schedule your appointment today.