Many people may think that hearing loss is most often present at birth due to heredity or genetic disorders, but most cases of hearing loss occur during the persons life. How do you lose your hearing in childhood and adulthood?
One of the most common causes of hearing loss is exposure to noise. Hearing loss may be considered to be related to aging, but even hearing loss associated with aging is often due to exposure to noise during the persons life. Even normal levels of noise can lead to hearing loss.
As young as late adolescence and early adulthood, people can begin to have hearing loss due to noise exposure. Often this hearing loss gradually worsens slowly over the persons adulthood. The slight decrease in hearing loss may not be noticeable.
Some occupations have high risk of hearing loss. If the work environment has a high level of noise, employees can develop hearing loss due to the noise. Hearing loss from a work environment is called occupational hearing loss.
Manufacturing and woodworking employees may experience hearing loss if they do not wear protection like earplugs. Musicians are at high risk for hearing loss.
Ear infections do not usually cause hearing loss, but a severe ear infection can cause permanent damage. Recurrent or untreated ear infections can lead to hearing loss.
A genetic disease called otosclerosis causes sponge-like bony growths that can cause hearing loss. The growths can be in either the middle or inner ear.
Head injuries can damage the inner ear or auditory nerve. This trauma can cause hearing loss or deafness. Possible causes of this head trauma are interpersonal violence or car accidents.
An eardrum can become perforated due to sudden changes in air pressure from being close to an explosion or the insertion of an object into the ear canal. Most ruptured eardrums heal without treatment, but severe ruptures may require surgery to repair the eardrum and restore hearing.
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