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Hearing loss is a common problem that affects millions of people around the world. It can be caused by various factors, including ageing, exposure to loud noise, ear infections, genetics, and certain medications. 

The good news is that hearing loss can sometimes be prevented by taking certain measures. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at the causes of hearing loss and how to prevent it.

How hearing loss affects the ear

There is no single cause of hearing loss; it can come as a result of various factors that affect the outer, middle, or inner ear. Where your hearing loss occurs determines the type of hearing loss you’re experiencing, the severity and the best method of management.

Outer ear hearing loss

When the outer ear is damaged or blocked, sound waves cannot reach the eardrum effectively, resulting in hearing loss. This can be caused by earwax buildup, ear infection, or damage to the pinna or ear canal. In most cases, ear wax removal, surgery or hearing aids can help restore hearing loss caused by issues in the outer ear.

Middle ear hearing loss

The middle ear includes the eardrum and three small bones that amplify and transmit sound waves to the inner ear. When the middle ear is damaged or obstructed, sound waves cannot be transmitted effectively, leading to a loss of hearing. 

This can be caused by an ear infection, fluid buildup or damage to the eardrum or bones. In some cases, medication or surgery may be needed to treat middle ear problems and restore hearing.

Inner ear hearing loss

The inner ear contains the cochlea, a spiral-shaped organ that converts sound waves into electrical signals that are then sent to the brain. When the hair cells in the cochlea are damaged or destroyed, the electrical signals cannot be transmitted effectively, resulting in hearing loss. 

This can be caused by ageing, exposure to loud noise, certain medications and genetic characteristics. Hearing aids or cochlear implants are often recommended to help people with inner ear hearing loss.

What causes hearing loss?

One of the most common causes of hearing loss is ageing, which leads to a gradual decline in a person’s ability to hear, known as presbycusis. This type of hearing loss affects both ears equally and typically starts around the age of 60. 

As we age, the hair cells in the inner ear that are responsible for detecting sound waves become damaged, leading to reduced sensitivity to high-frequency sounds.

If you’re hearing muffled sounds, a high-pitched ringing in the ear or are finding conversations challenging to keep up with when in noisy environments, you could be experiencing a loss of hearing capacity. 

Book an appointment for a full diagnostic hearing assessment where our expert audiologist will test your hearing capacity and assist you in finding the right solution for better hearing.

Exposure to loud noise is another leading cause of hearing loss, particularly in occupational settings. Prolonged exposure to noise levels above 85 decibels can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss. 

This can be caused by exposure to noise from machinery, power tools, or loud music, and can affect people of all ages. In addition to damaging the hair cells in the inner ear, exposure to loud noise can also damage the auditory nerve, which carries electrical signals from the ear to the brain.

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 aims to protect workers from excessive noise whilst at work and helps to protect against work-related hearing loss. This regulation requires employers to prevent risk and exposure to excessive noise and provide protective wear where necessary. We offer custom-made hearing protection earplugs to comfortably protect employees hearing whilst working in noisy environments.

Other causes of hearing loss include:

• Ear infections can cause temporary hearing loss if not treated promptly. Chronic ear infections can also lead to permanent hearing loss.
• Some types of hearing loss are caused by genetic factors which can be passed down from parents to their children.
• Certain medications, such as antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, and some pain relievers, can cause hearing loss as a side effect, known as ototoxicity.
• Chronic illnesses such as diabetes can also lead to a loss of hearing capacity when managed poorly or left untreated.

How to prevent hearing loss

While some causes of hearing loss, such as ageing and genetic factors, are beyond our control, there are several steps we can take to prevent or reduce the risk of hearing loss.

Wear hearing protection when exposed to noise

One of the best ways to safeguard your hearing is to protect your ears from loud noise. This includes avoiding prolonged exposure to noise levels above 85 decibels, which can be harmful to your hearing. 

When you’re exposed to loud noise, such as when attending a concert or working with noisy equipment, it’s important to wear custom earplugs or ear defenders to reduce the risk of long-lasting hearing damage.

Maintain good ear hygiene and care

Incorporating safe ear hygiene into your routine can also help prevent hearing loss. This means avoiding the use of cotton swabs or inserting other objects into your ears, which can damage the delicate skin and push earwax deep into the ear canal. 

Instead, use a damp cloth or tissue to clean the outer ear and let the body naturally expel excess earwax. If your ears are uncomfortable and itchy, and you feel your hearing has decreased, this could be a sign that you need your ears professionally cleaned. 

The safest and most effective way to clean your ears is to book an appointment for ear wax removal. We offer both ear irrigation and microsuction to remove wax buildup, alleviating discomfort and improving your hearing capacity.

Adopt a healthy lifestyle

Finally, adopting a healthy lifestyle can be a key factor in preventing hearing loss. This includes eating a balanced diet that is rich in vitamins and minerals that are important for hearing health, such as zinc, vitamin A, and magnesium. 

Regular exercise is great for improving blood flow to the ears and reducing the risk of hearing loss. Additionally, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can help protect your hearing and overall health. Managing chronic illnesses such as diabetes will also help prevent long-term hearing loss.

Book routine hearing assessments

A hugely important step in protecting your hearing and ear health is to book regular hearing screenings. Doing so will allow us to detect hearing loss early on and ensure you’re given prompt treatment and management. 

If you are at risk of hearing loss due to age, noise exposure, or other factors, consider getting your hearing tested regularly by one of our expert audiologists. Routine checkups can help identify any hearing problems early on and allow for early intervention and treatment.

If you’re unsure if you need a hearing test, you can use our free online hearing test which takes as little as 5 minutes, all you need is a stable internet connection and headphones. This will give you an indication of your hearing but does not give an accurate hearing test. If it shows you may have a degree of hearing loss you should book in for a hearing test with an audiologist. 

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Ear health often goes dismissed and unthought of – until you find yourself with intense pressure in the ear, swelling and other uncomfortable symptoms and sensations. This can happen to anyone and is usually caused by poor ear health care.

However, caring for your ear health and hearing can be simplified. Here are our tips for keeping your ears healthy and preventing hearing loss and infection.

Stop using cotton buds

When the inner ear itch occurs, the first thing many of us reach for is a cotton bud even when most of us understand the complications that using cotton buds can cause! Using a cotton bud to clean or itch the inside of the ear can cause damage to the delicate ear canal.

Ears have self-cleaning mechanisms, and using a cotton swab can disrupt the ear’s natural cleaning process and push earwax deep into the ear causing it to compact into a hard, uncomfortable mass. It’s not recommended for any item to be put in your ear because of this.

Not only can ear wax build up cause pressure and discomfort within the ear, it can also cause temporary hearing loss. If you think you’re experiencing a loss of hearing and have itchy ears or pressure within the inner ear, it’s likely time for an ear wax removal.

Next time you experience an ear itch that can’t be ignored, rather than reaching for a cotton bud, make an appointment with your local audiologist for ear wax removal. A much safer and more effective way of cleaning out your ears, removing wax build up and getting rid of that annoying itch. 

Keep your ears dry

Bacteria thrive in warm, damp environments and your ears fit this exact description after baths, showers and swimming sessions. Keen swimmers will know the importance of drying their ears thoroughly when they get wet, as prolonged wetness can lead to an infection called “swimmer’s ear”, otherwise known as otitis externa. 

Otitis externa occurs when water lingers in the outer ear canal for a long period of time, creating the perfect environment for bacteria to grow, leading to painful earaches, swelling and a feeling of pressure within the ear.

After you’ve finished showering, bathing or swimming, always make sure to drain the ear of excess water and dry the outside of the ear thoroughly and gently. The most effective way to drain the ear of excess water is to tilt the head and pull the ear in different directions to encourage the water to leave the ear.

Alternatively, if you’re swimming frequently you may want to consider investing in some swimming plugs. We offer custom-made ear plugs that come in a variety of colours and are made out of a special buoyant material in case they are dropped in the water. Taking an impression of your unique ear shape creates swimming plugs that ensure your comfort and ear health.

Prevent and treat ear infections

Ear infections are uncomfortable and painful and can leave a lasting impact on your overall ear health and hearing ability if left untreated. Thankfully ear infections can be prevented, and should you ever have an ear infection, they can be easily treated. 

The best way to prevent an ear infection is to keep your ears dry after being submerged in water, keep earphones and ear plugs clean and avoid putting foreign objects in the ear canal (such as cotton swabs or fingers).

Ear infection can be located in the ear canal (outer ear infection) or  behind the eardrum (middle ear infection) and the type of ear infection will determine the method of treatment. In adults, if an ear infection doesn’t begin to resolve itself after 3 days, it’s recommended to see your GP. 

The most common treatments for ear infections include:

• Antibiotic eardrops to treat bacterial infections
• Steroid eardrops to reduce swelling
• Antifungal eardrops which treat fungal ear infections
• Oral antibiotics for severe outer ear infections

Wear hearing protection

Hearing protection can protect the ear’s delicate cellular structures and help prevent hearing loss that isn’t related to age or health complications. Being exposed to high levels of noise for a prolonged period of time can cause irreversible damage to the ears, leading to permanent hearing loss.

Those who work in noisy environments, have a hobby that exposes them to high levels of noise or work as a musician or performer can all benefit from using hearing protection or ear plugs. Here at Harley Street Hearing, we produce custom-made ear plugs that provide effective noise isolation, hearing protection and comfort.

The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 aims to protect workers from excessive noise in the workplace by introducing requirements that enforce employers to take action to protect their employees’ hearing. 

We are also the providers of the Musicians’ Hearing Health Scheme, which in partnership with Help Musicians’ UK gives all professional musicians in the UK affordable access to specialist hearing assessments and custom-made hearing protection. 

Our audiologists take a moulding of your unique ear structure to produce high-quality ear plugs that evenly reduce noise whilst maintaining its clarity and can help with hearing your instrument more clearly whilst performing with others. Learn more about our ear plugs for musicians here.

Have routine hearing tests and assessments

If you suspect you’re experiencing a loss of hearing, it’s important to get yourself booked into our hearing clinic for a hearing assessment or hearing test. Hearing loss can be caused by a number of factors ranging from age, physical abnormalities within the ear, exposure to loud noises and ear infections. 

Conductive hearing loss is often caused by an obstruction or a trauma of the outer or middle ear. Sensorineural hearing loss will mean there’s a problem with the tiny hair cells in the inner ear or the auditory nerve which delivers sounds to the brain. And finally, mixed hearing loss is caused by a combination of both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.

Our expert audiologists can assess your hearing and determine the cause of your hearing loss and work with you to devise the next steps to managing your hearing loss. If your hearing loss is caused by a build-up of ear wax, an ear wax removal appointment is recommended. However, if you’ll more likely benefit from hearing aids we’ll talk you through your options. 

Manage and reduce stress

This can surprise many, but stress can cause severe and irreversible damage to your ear’s health and hearing ability. Managing and reducing stress is certainly easier said than done, but has countless benefits for your overall physical and mental health.

A natural part of the body’s response to stress is to release hormones called cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones temporarily affect your hearing ability which is completely normal and unharmful for short periods of time. However, over prolonged periods, elevated levels of cortisol and adrenaline can damage the delicate cells inside the ear and cause permanent hearing loss. 

The most effective way to manage stress will differ from person to person. Many people find introducing daily exercise, reducing caffeine intake and practising meditation an effective way to manage feelings of stress. If you’re struggling to cope with feelings of anxiety and stress, always talk to your local GP.

Concerns with your ear health?

If you have concerns about your ear health and hearing ability, contact our friendly team to book a hearing assessment, ear wax removal or hearing test. If you’re experiencing hearing loss, we can help you find the root cause and improve your range of hearing.

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Our ears are complex and delicate structures, and we often take our hearing for granted. Hearing loss can be experienced by anyone of any age, from young children to adults and elders.

Although hearing loss isn’t always preventable, there are ways you can care for your ears and general health that can help reduce the risk of hearing loss and slow or stop the deterioration.

What is hearing loss?

Someone experiencing a hearing loss will have a reduced ability to hear sounds that would otherwise be heard normally. The NHS defines hearing loss as the result of sound signals not reaching the brain.

Hearing loss is measured using decibels (dB), and the quietest sounds or the lowest level of decibel you can hear determines whether you are experiencing a mild, moderate, severe or profound hearing loss. According to the British Society of Audiology, the hearing loss ranges are defined as:

• Mild hearing loss is 21-40 dB
• Moderate hearing loss is 41-70 dB
• Severe hearing loss is 71-95 dB
• Profound hearing loss is in excess of 95 dB

By visiting a clinical audiologist they can test your ears and explain your level of hearing loss on an audiogram, known as a Pure Tone Audiogram.

What are the different types of hearing loss?

There are two different types of hearing loss; sensorineural hearing loss and conductive hearing loss. You can also experience hearing loss caused by both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. Each of these hearing loss types is caused by different factors.

Sensorineural hearing loss results from a problem with the auditory nerve or damage to the sensitive hair cells inside the inner ear. Sensorineural hearing loss occurs naturally as we age or as a result of an injury.

Conductive hearing loss often happens because of trauma or obstruction to the outer or middle ear caused by ear wax build-up, infection or malformation of the ear and ear canal.

Age is recognised to be the biggest reason we experience hearing loss, and on average people begin to experience hearing loss from the age of 40. There are habits you can introduce into your daily routine to protect your hearing and prevent further hearing loss.

How to protect your hearing

Hearing loss isn’t always avoidable, however there are things you can do to protect your hearing and ear health. Although there is no way to cure hearing loss, following our suggested steps can help you prolong your hearing health and become more aware of how to protect your ears.

Reduce your exposure to loud noises

The number one way to protect your ears from hearing loss is to reduce your exposure to loud noises. Loud noises over 70 dB can cause damage to your hearing when exposed for a long period of time, whereas loud noises of 120 dB and above can cause immediate harm to your ears.

Examples of everyday noises and their measured loudness in decibels are:

• Ticking watch is 20 dB
• Normal conversion is 60 dB
• Washing machine is 70 dB
• City traffic inside the car is 85 dB
• Maximum volume on personal listening devices is 110 dB

Being mindful of the volume while watching television and listening to personal music devices can help protect your hearing and reduce your exposure to loud noises. When travelling long distances in a car that is susceptible to road noise, we recommend taking regular breaks and avoiding turning up the radio volume to cover the road noise.

Wear ear protection in noisy environments

To help reduce your exposure to loud noises, we always recommend the use of ear protection. Those who work with heavy, loud machinery are required to wear ear protection as part of their work’s health and safety regulations procedure.

The most common hearing protection equipment options are ear defenders that sit over the ear like headphones or foam earplugs that are inserted into the ear flat and expand outwards to fill the cavity and block excessive noise. Both are effective at protecting the ears from hearing damage caused by prolonged exposure to noise provided the user inserts them correctly.

Wearing earplugs whilst swimming

If you’re a keen swimmer, you’ll likely be no stranger to swimmer’s ear. Swimmer’s ear, otherwise known as otitis externa, is a bacterial infection that occurs when water has lingered in the outer ear for a long period of time. Wearing earplugs whilst swimming can help prevent excess water from entering the ear and help prevent ear infections that follow.

If you find wearing earplugs uncomfortable whilst swimming, make sure to thoroughly clean and dry the ear when you exit the pool. Pulling the ear lobe in different directions and moving the head back and forth can help drain the ear canal of water. Follow up by gently drying the outer ear with a clean towel, but do not insert the towel into the ear.

Custom-made swimming plugs can be made for you to be a perfect fit for your individual ear shape.

Refrain from inserting objects into the ear

We understand the temptation of wanting to stick a cotton bud in your ear to scratch an itch or to clean out a wax-filled ear canal, but this can be extremely damaging to the health of your ears.

Using cotton buds or “ear buds” to clean the ear is counterproductive as it will push ear wax deeper into the ear canal, leading to compaction of the ear wax which can cause pain, discomfort and difficulty hearing.

Rather than sticking foreign objects into your ears such as hairpins, pens and fingers to relieve the ears, consider booking yourself in for ear wax removal.

Treat ear infections promptly

Ear infections can lead to hearing loss when left untreated. In some cases, ear infections may resolve themselves within a matter of days and the pain can be managed with over-the-counter pain relief medication.

Whereas with most ear infections,  you will likely be prescribed antibiotic eardrops, oral antibiotics, steroid eardrops or antifungal eardrops depending on the type of infection and the severity.

If you suspect that you have an ear infection, or notice swelling around the ear, fluid discharging from the ear canal or are experiencing dizziness and hearing loss, seek advice from your GP.

Managing diabetes and general health

Studies have shown that people who live with diabetes are twice as likely to experience hearing loss compared to those who do not have diabetes. This is because high blood sugar levels can damage the delicate blood vessels within the inner ear, and low blood sugar levels can cause damage to the nerves and disrupt how the nerve signals to the brain.

Keeping on top of your blood sugar levels and ensuring they’re as close to your target level as possible will help prevent possible hearing loss associated with diabetes. If you have concerns about diabetes or blood sugar management, contact your GP for advice.

Signs you’re experiencing hearing loss

Unsure if you’re experiencing hearing loss? Hearing loss that happens over time can be hard to recognise, however there are some signs and symptoms of hearing loss you can look out for.

Decreased balance and stability

Have you noticed feelings of dizziness or are you finding yourself unsteady on your feet? This can be a sign of hearing loss. Our ears play a big part in our ability to balance, from our innate understanding of where we are, how to remain upright and how to prevent ourselves from falling over.

If you’re experiencing moments of dizziness or you feel your ability to stay balanced has changed, it’s important to speak to a clinical audiologist who can help perform comprehensive audio vestibular diagnostic tests.

We offer this service via referral at our Balance Centre where our expert clinicians have worked with a range of balance disorders including BPPV, vestibular neuritis/labyrinthitis, vestibular migraine, meniere’s disease, superior semicircular canal dehiscence and central vestibular disorders. Click here to learn more about the service and our Balance Centre.

Turning the volume up higher than usual

It’s easy to miss this sign because it can happen gradually over time, and often people don’t realise how loud their television or radio is until someone else comments on the volume!

One big indicator of decreasing hearing ability is needing to turn up the volume; if this sounds familiar or you’ve noticed you’re unable to hear the television or radio like you used to, be sure to get in touch and book a hearing test.

Difficulty focusing on a conversation in noisy environments

Are you struggling to keep up with the conversation in noisy environments or when there’s background noise? Or are you finding yourself having to ask someone to repeat themselves multiple times before you’re able to hear or understand them? This can also be a sign of hearing loss.

Background noise accompanied by hearing loss can make hearing the finer sounds of speech more challenging, leading to difficulty understanding conversations and needing others to repeat themselves or speak louder and slower. If you’re experiencing this, consider booking a hearing assessment.

Living with hearing loss

Hearing aid technology has become incredibly advanced over the years, and it’s becoming more advanced and useful for those who live with a hearing loss, making it possible to hear those speaking at the side, behind you and in background noise.

Once you’ve been diagnosed with a hearing loss, we work with you to assess which hearing aid would best suit your lifestyle, ear anatomy and level of hearing loss.

We offer many different types of hearing aids, from the classic and easily accessible behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid to invisible and discreet options. There is also the only truly invisible hearing aid Lyric, which is worn 24/7 and available on a subscription basis.

Interested in updating your current hearing aids or in need of a hearing test and consultation? Get in touch with our friendly and expert team to book an appointment and find out more.

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