Medical concerns that can affect your hearing.

July 20, 2016

Medical concerns that can affect your hearing.

If you are experiencing hearing loss one of the first places to investigate should be medical concerns that can affect your hearing. Not all hearing loss is noise induced or age related. It may be related to medical concerns and should be checked out.

Hearing Loss

When it comes to Hearing Loss, Where do you start?

The first place to start to investigate your hearing loss should be through a medical check-up or investigative check-up through your health care provider.

Some medical concerns such as:

  • Diabetes
  • Hypertension or high blood pressure
  • Poor circulation
  • Medications such as some chemotherapy drugs can dramatically affect your hearing.

A family history of hearing loss along with your exposure to loud noises should all be investigated as possible causes or influences on your hearing loss. Damage to the auditory nerve as well as any damage to the brain should also be investigated.

You may need an adjustment in your lifestyle for concerns such as smoking or decreasing the risk of diabetes or hypertension. You may need to start treatment for some of these health challenges.

What else affects Hearing Loss?

You may have outer or middle ear problems. These can be temporary and easily remedied or you may need treatment or intervention. Maybe you have a wax build up that can be removed by your health care provider. Maybe you have an ear infection or fluid build up or have even suffered a punctured eardrum. These can be treated and mostly likely a punctured ear drum will heal when treated.Hearing Loss

You may have a malformed ear canal or middle ear structure. Tumours may have formed and are interfering with your hearing or there may be a foreign body lodged in the ear. There may be a hereditary cause such as Otosclerosis where a bony growth forms around a small bone in the middle ear, preventing it from vibrating.

Where can you go for help when it comes to Hearing Loss?

Your health care provider may refer you to an ENT or Ear, Nose & Throat Specialist or Otolaryngologist who can access you for any physical damage or change that may be causing hearing loss to occur.

You may also be referred to an Audiologist who can do an evaluation of your hearing and make suggestions for hearing devices if needed to improve your hearing.

An Audiologist may suggest a variety of options such as:

  • Hearing Aids
  • Cochlear Implants
  • Bone Anchored Hearing Systems or
  • Assistive listening devices that can amplify the sounds you want to hear.

Whatever the cause of your hearing loss is, be sure to investigate and look at all possible causes. Your hearing is far too important to be left to chance.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *