Causes of hearing loss – 18 causes of hearing loss
If you have recently been diagnosed with hearing loss and are looking for the cause of hearing loss, we will introduce you to all the causes of hearing loss in adults as well as the diseases that cause hearing loss.
Definition of hearing loss and deafness
According to the World Health Organization, if a person has a hearing threshold of 20 dB or better in both ears as a result of an audiometry test in the audiometry test series, they have normal hearing, and if the person’s hearing is greater than this value, they are said to have hearing loss. Hearing loss can be mild, moderate, severe or profound and can affect one or both ears, causing difficulty hearing speech or quiet sounds. “Hard of hearing” refers to people who have mild to severe hearing loss. People who are hard of hearing usually communicate through spoken language and can benefit from hearing aids, cochlear implants and other assistive devices. “Deaf” people are people who have a predominantly profound hearing loss, meaning they have little or no hearing. They often use sign language to communicate.Key facts about hearing loss
According to the World Health Organization, nearly 2.5 billion people are expected to have some degree of hearing loss by 2050, and at least 700 million will need hearing rehabilitation. More than 1 billion young people are at risk of preventable permanent hearing loss due to exposure to loud noise.What causes hearing loss?
The causes of hearing loss are various substances and diseases that can cause hearing loss in adults, which we will discuss below.- Damage to the sensory cells of the inner ear
- Aging
- Clogging of the ear with wax
- Exposure to loud noises
- Ototoxic medications
- Ear infections
- Rupture of the eardrum
- Otosclerosis
- Meniere’s disease
- Autoimmune disease of the ear
- Sudden hearing loss
- Acoustic neuroma
- Physical injury to the head
- Delayed hereditary hearing loss
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Heart disease
- Stress
Damage to the hair cells of the inner ear
Aging and loud noises It can cause the hair cells or nerve cells in the cochlea, which send sound signals to the brain, to wear out. Damaged or missing hair cells or nerve cells do not send electrical signals well. This causes hearing loss. Factors that can damage or destroy the hair and nerve cells in the inner ear include:- Aging. The sensitive cells in the inner ear deteriorate over time, and damage to the sensitive cells in the ear can cause hearing loss. Loud noise. Exposure to loud noises can damage the cells in the inner ear. Damage can occur from being around loud noises over time. Or the injury can be caused by a short but loud explosion, such as a gunshot. Recreational noises can also cause hearing loss.
- Inheritance. Genes vary from person to person, making one person more sensitive to loud noises and factors that damage the sensitive cells in the inner ear.
- Some medications



