What Causes Hearing Loss?

Author: Sam Jones
Published: June 23, 2016
Last reviewed by: Beth Newbould
Last reviewed: February 18, 2026

Do you know what causes hearing loss?

Did you know that 11 million people in the UK are living with hearing loss? Action on Hearing Loss predicts that this number is likely to rise to 15.6 million by 2035. Hearing loss is a growing public health concern, yet many people remain unaware that their hearing is impaired.

Hearing loss

Our ears contain several thousands of tiny hair cells in the inner ear that convert sound waves to electrical signals to the brain, giving us our sense of hearing. These cells are delicate, and long-term exposure to high decibel noises can damage them. The damage is irreversible, leading to gradual but permanent hearing impairment.

Since the process is so slow, many people do not even realise that they have a hearing problem. Furthermore, even after acknowledging hearing loss, for a variety of reasons many people still do not seek help, which leaves their hearing to deteriorate further. Studies have shown that people wait for an average of seven years before acting on their hearing loss, despite the fact that the sooner it is addressed, the more your hearing can be preserved.

Causes

There are a range of factors that can lead to hearing loss, including:

  • Exposure to loud noises is a common cause of hearing loss. This is usually a gradual process where continuous exposure to high decibel noises leads to deterioration of hearing. However, a single, extremely loud burst of sound can also trigger hearing loss (although this is less common).
  • Presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, is another cause, where the hair cells naturally deteriorate as a person ages. From the age of 40 years many people start losing a small amount of their hearing, and by age 80 many people face significant hearing loss.
  • Head trauma or viral infections (such as mumps, measles or rubella) can lead to hearing loss.
  • Certain diseases such as meningitis and encephalitis can affect a person’s hearing.
  • Conductive hearing loss caused by blockages is also common, though it’s usually temporary. This can be because of:
    • Excessive wax build-up
    • A foreign body getting trapped in the ear
    • A perforated eardrum
    • Swelling or dysfunction of the Eustachian tube (which maintains the balance of pressure in the ear)

What does hearing loss sound like?

Hearing loss does not necessarily just make the world ‘quieter’. Even mild hearing loss can make it difficult for an individual to pick out important cues in speech, especially in a noisy environment.

Because of the significant impact that hearing loss can have on a person’s quality of life, Leightons want to help everyone better understand the issue, so we decided to let people experience hearing loss for themselves. Watch the video here.

Getting help

As hearing loss is usually a gradual process, it’s something that may not be detected until it’s too late. However, it can progressively impact your quality of life in various ways. The good news is that you don’t have to live with hearing loss.

At Leightons Opticians & Hearing Care we offer a free hearing assessment, which will help us understand the extent of your hearing loss. Should hearing aids be required, we can recommend the aids that best suit the level of your hearing loss as well as your lifestyle. We have a wide range of digital hearing aids from some of the best manufacturers in the world, such as Oticon, Phonak, Widex and ReSound.

To book your free hearing assessment, call us on 0800 40 20 20, book an appointment online or visit your local branch.

Try our Free Online Hearing Test

For immediate, discreet audiogram results from home. Use our quick 5 minute online hearing test to find out about your hearing health.


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How do hearing amplifiers work?
Hearing amplification devices increase the volume and might make it easier for you to hear sounds louder. Yet they not a prescribed product and do not match your individual needs. Hearing loss is extremely common – millions of people in the UK live with a hearing loss, so you’re not alone. At Leightons Opticians & Hearing Care, our expert audiologists will help you identify the best device for you, in most cases this is a Hearing Aid. What is a hearing amplifier? Much like a tiny PA system, hearing amplification devices use microphones to capture and amplify all sounds around you, before delivering it to your ear at an adequate and audible volume level. What kind of devices are available? There are plenty of hearing amplifiers designed to help you while on the telephone, watching TV, and for in-person conversations. However, these devices amplify all sounds equally and aren’t designed to support hearing loss. For an all‑round solution that adapts to your personal hearing needs, a hearing aid is often the most effective option. Our expert audiologists can assess your hearing and guide you towards the most suitable hearing aid for your lifestyle and needs. What’s the difference between a hearing aid and a hearing amplifier? All hearing aids use amplification, however, hearing aids are regulated medical devices carefully programmed and tailored to fit the hearing loss of a particular individual. This makes them more suitable for moderate to severe hearing loss. Hearing amplifiers are not medical devices and are not designed to diagnose, treat or manage hearing loss. They don’t adapt to your individual needs, meaning they offer volume without improving clarity or understanding. What are induction loops? An induction loop is an older technology system designed to help hearing aid users to hear more clearly in some specific environments. You’ll often find them in places like meeting rooms, theatres, banks, and cinemas.  Here’s how it works:  A thin cable is installed around a room or designated listening area  The system creates a magnetic field that carries speech or important sound  When you switch your hearing aid or ALDs to the T (telecoil) setting, you can hear the sound closer to you and more clear with less background noise  Induction loops can make a huge difference to day‑to‑day listening comfort. Our audiologists can help you understand how loops - and other assistive listening devices - can work with Hearing Aids.  What is Auracast? Auracast is a new Bluetooth audio technology designed to make listening more inclusive. It allows one device to broadcast high-quality sound to multiple compatible hearing aids, earbuds, or headphones at the same time, without the need for pairing. Developed with the hearing aid industry for assistive listening, Auracast could mean easier access to shared audio in public spaces such as train stations and lecture theatres. For people with hearing loss, it’s a positive step towards clearer sound and greater confidence in everyday situations. Leightons free hearing test Leightons Opticians & Hearing Care offers a free hearing test in all branches. We provide a comprehensive hearing check carried out by our experts – professionally trained hearing aid audiologists registered with the HCPC (Health & Care Professions Council), with some even members of the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists. Book your free hearing test now You can book an appointment online or you can call us on 0800 40 20 20 to arrange a free hearing test at your nearest Leightons branch. Alternatively, you can take the test at home. This involves the same experienced, professional audiologist you would see in branch coming to your home to carry out your hearing test with specialist portable equipment.
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