Causes of Loss
Hearing loss is invisible and almost always painless. There are no physical warning signs, except for the occasional cases of ringing in the ears, called “tinnitus.” Most hearing losses develop over a period of 25 to 30 years, often getting gradually worse with age. Between ages 45 and 60, there can be enough deterioration to interfere with communication.
Researchers believe that hearing loss in older adults is the result of two or more causes. These may include:
- Exposure to loud noise
- Family history
- The natural aging process
In most of these cases, there is damage to the microscopic hair cells (cilia) in the inner ear – causing irreversible hearing loss. For the vast majority of individuals with nerve damage (also known as “sensorineural” hearing loss), the damaged hair cells will function again if vigorously stimulated with amplification.
Only about five percent of all hearing losses are the result of structural damage to the ear. This type of loss is called a conductive hearing loss. Common causes are:
- Impacted wax
- Perforated eardrum
- Middle ear effusion (escape of fluid into the middle ear behind the eardrum)
- Otosclerosis (a condition in which the bones of the middle ear become immobile because of bony growth)
- Cholesteatoma (accumulation of tissue in the middle ear caused by repeated middle ear infections)
- Congenital anomalies
Other causes of hearing loss include:
- Ototoxic drugs (certain antibiotics)
- Viral and toxic illness
- Disturbances of fluid in the inner ear