Sophie Okolo, MPH

Have you ever considered that you could be putting yourself at risk of hearing loss? Most people don’t consider hearing loss to be anything other than something that either you’re born with or something that you get when you are in your old age. There are certain lifestyle choices, however, that can make you more vulnerable to losing your hearing, because just like anything else you’re hearing is important.

Age-related deterioration in your hearing is a common cause of hearing loss all around the globe, but there are so many other things that could be causing damage. Hopefully you are getting regularly tested at your local hearing center, but if you’ve never been to a hearing center before, you wouldn’t know what to expect. When you think about the hearing loss risk factors, it’s likely that you’re picturing people who are spending a lot of time standing next to a boom box at a concert or are in an old age home. However, there are other things to consider and that’s why we’ve put together a list of hearing loss risk factors that you need to be aware of.

• Exposure to loud noise. As we just said, you have to think about if you’re standing next to a boom box on a regular basis, you’re going to damage your hearing with that base. But it’s actually the most well known risk factor for hearing loss. Exposure to loud sound, such as explosive noises in a war zone or even from a jet engine or a motorcycle, can cause damage to the little cells in your ears, known as cilia. In the end, damage is the result of long term exposure to loud noises, so if you are putting your music up to the loudest possible level and you are listening through headphones, that’s going to cause some damage to your hearing.
  
• Your genetics are a consideration. If you have a parent or a grandparent who has been profoundly deaf, then there is a good chance that you are going to be dealing with that yourself at some stage. Being aware of the risk factors in your genetics is important as are our regular hearing tests to determine whether your hearing loss is happening early or starting late.
  
• Chronic stress. We’re not necessarily talking about the stress that your children cause, but chronic stress can put you at a higher risk for hearing related issues such as tinnitus. The lack of oxygen that comes into your ears can damage your inner ear. When we’re stressed, we temporarily divert oxygen to our muscles. This can cause some long term damage and you may not even know it’s happening until it’s too late.
  
• There are some medications that have hearing loss as a side effect. Hopefully your doctor has explained this to you. If you are on medication right now, that has it as a side effect. But there is evidence that there are some chemotherapy drugs or even erectile dysfunction drugs that can damage your inner ear. Speak to your doctor if this is going to happen to you and get an appointment at a hearing center.