You may have heard about hearing loss, one of the most common medical conditions, especially in the United States. Hearing loss doesn’t happen just because you are exposed to loud noises. It usually occurs gradually because of habits you build over time. The severity and treatment will differ from one person to another, impact on your hearing.
Less-known things affecting your hearing
Hearing can degrade slowly as you age, but it is also affected by factors such as your lifestyle or job type. Hearing loss has signs, but they can be subtle, and most people often miss them. For example, the signs can increase the volume or ask people to repeat themselves more often.
Viral or bacterial infection
Did you realize that viral or bacterial infections can lead to hearing loss? These infections can affect your hearing, throw off your balance, and even lead to tinnitus. The good news is that this type of hearing loss is often temporary with prompt and proper treatment.
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Head trauma
Most people thought that head trauma only affects the brain inside. However, head trauma can impact your hearing as well. Anything that damages your ears or brain can affect your hearing, such as a blow to the head, getting foreign objects inside your ears, or an accident that damages your canal or eardrum.
Diabetes
Diabetes can affect your hearing. It’s a fact! Diabetes can raise the chances of experiencing hearing loss by causing damage to the nerve cells in your ears. Low blood sugar can also compromise the signals from your ears to your brain, affecting your hearing. While diabetes is not the primary cause of hearing loss, it certainly has the potential to impact your hearing in specific situations.
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is frequently underestimated, but recent research has revealed its connection to a higher prevalence of hearing loss. This correlation is attributed to reduced blood flow in the inner ears.
High blood pressure
Blood flow plays a significant role in healthy hearing, as ear structures are sensitive to changes in blood flow. Hence, high blood pressure can affect your hearing because your heart and blood vessels are overworked. It overwhelms ear structures with blood, often causing temporary hearing loss that goes away once your blood pressure returns to normal.