Understanding Health Conditions That Can Cause Hearing Loss

At Opticare we’re not just about eyes; we’re also passionate about ears and your hearing health. Thanks to our partnership with Amplify Hearing, we’re able to offer a complimentary hearing consultation to our patients and a range of other services.

Hearing loss not only affects your ability to hear but can also have a significant impact on your psychological well-being. Feeling isolated and excluded from conversations due to hearing difficulties can lead to frustration and diminished quality of life.

In this blog, we’re going to address some health conditions that can result in hearing loss that you should be aware of, ranging from infections to autoimmune diseases.

 

Types Of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can occur for a variety of reasons, and it generally falls into three main categories. In some cases, the type of hearing loss a person has can signal a larger health concern happening in the body.

 

Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL)

The most common type results from damage to the inner ear and/or the auditory nerve. It is commonly caused by ageing (presbycusis) or exposure to loud noises (noise-induced hearing loss).

Conductive Hearing Loss (CHL)

Caused by a blockage or damage in the middle and/or outer ear, like ear wax, fluid build-up, or bone abnormality (e.g. otosclerosis).

Mixed Hearing Loss (MHL)

A combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.

 

Health Conditions That Can Cause Hearing Loss 

Middle Ear Infections (Otitis Media)

Middle ear infections are a common cause of hearing loss. These temporary infections often involve ear pain, trouble hearing, fluid build-up, or a clogged feeling in the ear.

Ear infections can have both viral and bacterial causes, including:

• Measles
• Mumps
• Flu
• Common cold
• Strep
• Meningitis
• Borreliosis (Lyme disease)
• And more

Depending on the location and the severity, ear infections can lead to sensorineural hearing loss and/or conductive hearing loss. Some infections can begin in the outer ear and spread to the middle ear, causing inflammation and fluid build-up that can interfere with sound processing.

 

Excessive Earwax (Cerumen)

Earwax is natural and generally harmless, but if too much builds up in the ear canal, it can block sound from reaching the cochlea (the hearing organ), resulting in hearing loss. Prolonged build-up can also lead to damaging ear infections.

 

Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects millions of individuals. This condition changes how the body produces or responds to insulin, a hormone necessary for converting glucose into energy, and it can also double the likelihood of hearing loss.

High blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels, including those in the inner ear, which are necessary for sound processing. This damage can cause sensorineural hearing loss.

 

Stroke

A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is disrupted, usually caused by a blood clot or a burst blood vessel. Depending on the area of the brain affected, a stroke can impair many functions, including hearing.

If the stroke damages the part of the brain responsible for processing sound, permanent hearing loss can result. In fact, stroke patients are at a 71% higher risk of SNHL compared to non-stroke patients.

 

Tumours (Acoustic Neuroma)

An acoustic neuroma is a type of non-cancerous tumour that grows in the ear and can affect hearing. Hearing loss is actually the most common symptom of acoustic neuromas, occurring in 90% of patients.

Having the tumour removed with surgery or radiotherapy may restore hearing. However, ongoing hearing issues are possible even after the tumour has been removed.

 

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

High blood pressure is a condition where the pressure of blood against the walls of your arteries is chronically elevated. Many factors contribute to this, including:

• Kidney or heart disease
• Age
• Diet
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Alcohol

Over time, the extra pressure caused by hypertension can damage blood vessels throughout the body, including those in the ears. Prolonged periods of high blood pressure greatly increases the risk of permanent sensorineural hearing loss.

 

Otosclerosis

Otosclerosis is a rare medical condition that causes conductive hearing loss (involving the middle ear) and makes it harder for tiny bones in the middle ear to move. This condition is genetic and is more common in women than men. The symptoms include tinnitus, dizziness, or hearing hissing or roaring sounds.

 

Ménière’s Disease

This is an inner ear problem. The cause of Ménière’s Disease is not known. It usually starts in people between 30 to 50 years old. A person with this disease will often have sensorineural hearing loss. Dizziness and ringing in the ear are also common, alongside sensitivity to loud noises. The hearing loss comes and goes, but over time some loss becomes permanent.

 

Medications (Ototoxicity)

Ototoxicity, literally meaning ear poisoning, refers to the damaging effect that certain medications can have on the inner ear, resulting in permanent sensorineural hearing loss. There are over 200 known ototoxic medications, some of which include:

• Certain antibiotics (aminoglycosides, vancomycin)
• Some antidepressants (sertraline, fluoxetine)
• Chemotherapy drugs (carboplatin, cisplatin)
• NSAIDs (aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen)
• Quinine-based medications

Ototoxic hearing loss is permanent, but recognising the warning signs and consulting your doctor to manage medications can help minimise the risk of additional damage.

 

Traumatic Injuries

Traumatic injuries, particularly those involving the head or ears, can lead to hearing loss. This can include falling and hitting your head, blunt force trauma to the face, exposure to extremely loud sounds, and more. Even minor trauma can have long-lasting effects on hearing if not promptly treated.

Other forms of trauma-induced hearing loss include:

• Acoustic Trauma: Direct exposure to loud sounds like gunfire or explosions, which can cause instant noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Head injuries, even without damage to the ears, can cause hearing loss due to brain or auditory nerve damage.
• Barotrauma: Injury to the middle and/or inner ear caused by changes in air pressure.

Hearing loss caused by traumatic injuries can be sensorineural, conductive, or mixed, depending on the injury’s nature.

 

If you think your hearing may have deteriorated, it is important to have it checked professionally as soon as possible. Our audiologist will be able to advise you on how you can look after your valuable sense of hearing now and in the future.

When you schedule a free hearing test with us at Opticare, our audiologist will thoroughly assess the health of your ears. A brief medical history will be taken, and the integrity of your ears and eardrum will be checked with an Otoscopy.

For more information about our hearing services, click here.