Hearing loss: What are the causes?

We speak to all manner of people during free hearing tests about their hearing loss and we often get asked how they have contracted the condition.

That fact is, and this is something we tell our patients, a deterioration of hearing can happen for a variety of reasons.

Some of these are simply unavoidable and will occur naturally but, with others, there are things that people can put in place even if their hearing has already started to decline.

Digital hearing aids can help you recover your ability to hear, but it's also important to do everything you can in terms of lifestyle and protection too, otherwise things could deteriorate further.

Acoustic trauma

Firstly, a major cause of hearing loss for many people is acoustic trauma, which is essentially just listening to things at too loud a volume.

This, when done over a long period of time, can cause a great deal of damage to hearing and it's something that you need to give considerable thought to.

When at work, protectors should be worn if you are regularly exposed to loud noises while in leisure, turning down the TV or personal stereo can work wonders.

Conductive

This occurs when noises are blocked from entering the ear due to a build-up, usually because of ear wax or an infection.

It's much more treatable than long term issues such as acoustic but can be just as damaging if left for too long as it can cause permanent damage to parts of the ear vital for hearing.

Old age

Finally, one of the most common and the most unavoidable causes of hearing loss is just old age.

After years of use and wear and tear, like anything else your hearing organs can become damaged and their effectiveness may become limited.

Sadly, as much as many of us may want to, there's no cure for old age and there isn't a magic way of stopping it affecting your hearing.

It is however important to do what you can to try and prevent, or at least limit, the onset of deafness.