OUR VALLEY SANTA CLARITA
HEALTH
Why Am I Losing
My Hearing?
Hearing loss is a major public health issue that is now the third most common physical condition after arthritis and heart
disease. The three types of hearing loss — sensorineural (inner ear damage), conductive (outer or middle ear damage),
and mixed (inner, and outer or middle ear damage) — can happen to anyone at any age for a number of reasons. Here are
some of the most common reasons why you might be experiencing hearing loss:
• Noise — Injury to the delicate hair cells in your ears, from sudden or prolonged exposure to loud noises, can result in
temporary or permanent hearing loss.
• Trauma — An object inserted into the ear, viral infection, explosion, or pressure differences (think plane travel or scuba
diving), can cause trauma to the eardrum.
• Presbycusis — Age-related hearing loss occurs in one out of three people over the age of 60 and in two-thirds of people
over the age of 70.
• Ototoxicity — Although a medication’s benefits typically outweigh the risks, such as chemotherapy to treat cancer,
medications can cause hearing loss.
• Fluid — Abnormal fluid in the middle or inner ear can cause hearing loss and other symptoms like ringing in the ears,
vertigo and/or nausea and vomiting.
• Wax — Wax lubricates, protects and helps keep ears clean, but too much can impede hearing.
• Diabetes — The circulatory issues that diabetics face due to glucose overload also means they are more likely to suffer
from hearing loss.
• Otosclerosis — A hereditary disorder causing progressive deafness due to overgrowth of bone in the inner ear, it may be
accompanied by ringing in the ears.
If you or a loved one may be experiencing hearing loss and want to learn more, please contact our experts at Nola
Aronson’s Advanced Audiology, (661) 505-1135. If you have questions you’d like to “Ask the Audiologist”, please email
[email protected].
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