Hearing loss is a common condition in millions of Americans, brought upon by several causes. You may think that hearing loss is solely caused by loud concerts, certain careers using loud machinery, or irresponsible use of earphones. While those are certainly sources of noise-induced hearing loss, a major cause of loss of hearing, they are not the only sources.

There are many other causes of hearing loss, with each affecting particular areas of the ear. Ear infections, birth defects, tumors, diseases, head trauma, and neurological conditions can all be causes of hearing loss. The degree of hearing loss depends on the seriousness of the condition or trauma, and the area affected depends on the type of loss. The complexity surrounding hearing loss demands that you work closely with a hearing specialist at all stages so that your care is properly tailored to your specific needs. Here are the different causes of hearing loss discussed in a bit more depth. Inform yourself about hearing loss now so you can be better positioned to act if you or a loved one starts experiencing symptoms.

• Hearing-induced. Loud, sudden noises and years of bad choices with regard to sounds and music can lead to hearing loss that can never be cured. You can try to live with the hearing loss by using hearing aids, but the damage is already done to the nerves and cannot be reversed.


• Ear infections. This can cause temporary loss of hearing, mostly affecting the middle ear. The middle ear lining generally swells and perhaps even produces puss to fight the infection. The fluid can cause the small bones within the ear to not function properly, causing temporary loss of hearing. A related condition is thick fluid in the ears of newborns. The thick fluid may necessitate drainage or even ear tubes in young children. It is fairly common and treatable.


• Birth defects. Some defects show up externally, while many occur within the inner ear. In a variety of ways, the body can grow improperly and make it difficult to hear in newborns. Many defects can be treated with surgery.


• Tumors. Whether cancerous or not cancerous, tumors within the middle ear can sometimes lead to hearing loss. There are a variety of types of tumors that can cause the loss of hearing.


• Diseases. A hereditary disease sometimes found in the middle ear is otosclerosis, which causes a new bone to form around the tiny bones in the middle ear. This blockage prevents proper function of the bones. It can be treated with surgery.


• Head Trauma. Certain head injuries, most commonly those that cause concussions, can create inner ear hearing loss, both temporary or permanent.


• Neurological conditions. A variety of neurological conditions can block the signals being transmitted from the inner ear to the brain, causing hearing loss. These may not be treatable.


• Growths in the ear. This moves beyond the blockage caused by earwax. While technically earwax can cause the loss of hearing, it is only temporary and likely never rises to a severe enough level to create such a noticeable difference.

This list of possible causes of hearing loss should demonstrate that you would be best served by working closely with a hearing specialist, receiving a hearing test, and determining the next step to take with an expert. The loss of hearing is a complex condition and brought upon by several distinct sources.