The Medical issues that are causing hearing loss

Posted by HearingAids on October 31, 2011 under Hearing Loss | Be the First to Comment

Ever wonder what exactly makes your ears hear the sounds around you? There is a simple answer to that question and it is hair. There are tiny hairs that are inside your ear. These hairs pick up the sound waves around you, changing them into signals that are sent through your nerves to relay the data to your brain, allowing it to interpret the sound.

Losing these hairs means losing your hearing. When these hair cells get damaged and are unable to re-grow due to age or other issues, your hearing loss can become permanent.

There are other reasons that hearing loss can occur. It is not just the concerts, not just the damaging of the hair, but health reasons. These health reasons can actually be large factors in hearing loss.

Back in 2001 the Population Health program faculty at Wisconsin University produced a study called “The Association between cardiovascular disease and cochlear function in older adults.” In this study they found that individuals who exercised at least once a week saw a 32 percent reduction in the risk of suffering from hearing loss compared to those who did not exercise.

In creating this study Wisconsin University discovered that hearing loss was appearing in nearly 80% of those who may have suffered from a heart attack.

But that is not the only reason people have hearing loss. Other reasons include your family history, repeated exposure to loud noises (i.e. stock car racing, concerts and construction equipment) and smoking.

Since hearing loss can be related to health issues, it’s important to know these health issues and be prepared for them. Health related hearing loss issues include:

Blood

• Slow or poor blood flow to the ear
• High blood pressure
• Those with Sickle Cell Disease could also experience sensorineural hearing loss or deafness but in most cases hearing has returned.

Diabetes

• Recently the National Institutes of Health funded a study where it was discovered that hearing loss is nearly two times as common in the adults tested with diabetes than those who do not have it.
• Screenings for diabetes typically do not include hearing tests. If you have diabetes you should have your audiologist do a screening to see if you are having any kind of hearing loss.
• According to the study, the reason that hearing loss can occur with diabetes is found by the damaging of the nerves and blood vessels of the inner ear.

Meningitis

• It has been found that bacterial or fungal meningitis attacks, covering the brain and spinal cord, have caused high loss of hearing. It’s recommended you get tested once you’ve entered into the recovery period.

Ototoxic Drugs

• Any ototoxic drug has the potential of causing temporary or permanent hearing loss in individuals.
• There are approximately 200 or more over the counter drugs that are ototoxic. Check with your doctor if you are taking any of these and seem to be experiencing hearing loss.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

• Evidence of this link comes from many sources, including a recent study that was published in the Archives of Neurology. This study showed that older adults who are developing dementia with some form of hearing loss, actually have the chance of the hearing loss to become more severe as they go along.
• According to this study, for every 10 decibels of hearing loss, the extra risk of developing Alzheimer’s increased by nearly 20%.

Arthritis

• Arthritis and vasculitis are associated with some hearing loss. Conditions include rheumatoid, lupus erythematous and many others.

Kidney Disease

• The inner ear and the kidney are both very similar. Both can be irritated by some medications.
• In some cases, if something is bothering the kidneys it can also bother the ear at the same time, causing some hearing loss

Cancer

• Cancer in the ear or head will cause hearing loss
• Chemotherapy and radiation could also cause hearing loss. If you are receiving or planning to receive chemo, check with your audiologist before, during and after your treatment.

Tinnitus

• You will commonly hear a ringing noise with Tinnitus. This is one of the few that can be treated.

Meniere’s Disease

• Meniere’s disease is a disorder of the inner ear. The cause is still unknown. It typically affects individuals between the ages of 20 and 50 years old. One of the most common side effects is dizziness, resulting from the inner ear. Usually only one ear is involved, but in some cases both ears could be effected. If you are experiencing this, it is highly recommended that you visit a physician for a balance test known as videonystagmograph.

In all cases, contact your local audiologist to get your hearing tested.

Sources: Better Hearing Institute, Allegiance Health, betterhearing.org, medlineplus.com and hearflorida.com