Most of us understand the most commonly-known causes of hearing loss: loud noises, excessive ear wax, aging… but there are some other causes of hearing loss you may not have known about. Here are five links to hearing loss that you may not have expected.
Medical Drugs: Antibiotics and Over-the-Counter
Ototoxic drugs, such as NSAIDS (anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen, acetaminophen and aspirin) as well as some antibiotics, have been known to cause damage to the inner ear cells for quite some time. This damage can be temporary or permanent, and other symptoms of ototoxic medications are vertigo, dizziness and tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
Doctors first noticed the phenomenon of ototoxicity with the development of the antibiotic streptomycin, used to treat tuberculosis. While it often cured patients of the disease, they were left with irreversible hearing loss as a result. Since then, hearing loss has been a common side effect of the aminoglycoside class of antibiotics.
Stress
Everyone knows that chronic stress can cause health problems, and now we know that stress can even affect hearing! Since hearing loss can be caused by various health issues, many of which can be caused by stress (high blood pressure, heart disease, etc), it follows that stress can be a cause of hearing loss as well. It becomes a vicious cycle: stress leads to sickness, which leads to more stress, more sickness hearing loss, more stress….
Obesity
Like stress, obesity can cause a host of health issues, many of which are connected to hearing damage in one form or another. Researchers have found a correlation between higher waist circumference and the likelihood of hearing problems. They think that extra weight can put strain on the delicate capillaries all over the body, and which the inner ear relies on for good hearing. When the delicate hair cells of the inner ear do not receive enough blood flow and oxygen, they can die, causing irreversible hearing loss.
Diabetes
The American Diabetes Association estimated that in 2012 30 million people had diabetes, and another 86 million were pre-diabetic with high blood glucose numbers. Diabetics are twice as likely as non-diabetics to have hearing loss, so this can be a cause for concern on a number of levels. If you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, don’t forget to have an annual hearing screening to catch any issues early on. You can also protect your hearing by staying away from very loud noises and turning down the volume on your music.
Heart Disease
Since heart disease can cause changes in blood flow to all parts of the body, the small capillaries can be most affected. The capillaries of the inner ear provide vital oxygen and blood flow to the delicate inner ear hair cells, and these cells can die if they do not get enough oxygen. These hair cells serve to communicate information from outward sounds to the brain, and once they die they do not regenerate, so this causes permanent hearing damage.
Just a few more reasons to take care of your overall health—it can affect everything—including hearing health!
Here at California Hearing Center we are committed to your hearing health. Call us today to set up an appointment for a hearing screening.
TWO LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU BETTER
San Mateo
88 N. San Mateo Drive
San Mateo, California, 94401
Phone: (650) 342-9449
Fax: (650) 342-4435
Email: info@calhearing.com
San Carlos
1008 Laurel Street
San Carlos, California, 94070
Phone: (650) 342-9449
Fax: (650) 342-4435
Email: info@calhearing.com