One of the most common causes of hearing loss and tinnitus is exposure to loud noise. Other common causes include infections, birth defects, genetics and reaction to drugs (especially chemotherapy or drugs used for cancer treatment). For each type of hearing loss, there may be several different causes.
Causes of sensorineural hearing loss:
- Aging
- Injury
- Excessive noise exposure
- Viral infections (such as measles or mumps)
- Heredity
- Obesity
- Smoking
- Hypertension
- Shingles
- Ototoxic drugs (medications that damage hearing)
- Meningitis
- Diabetes
- Stroke
- High fever or elevated body temperature
- Ménière's disease (a disorder of the inner ear that can affect hearing and balance)
- Acoustic tumors
Causes of conductive hearing loss are typically “obstructions” such as:
- Infections of the ear canal or middle ear resulting in fluid or pus buildup
- Perforation or scarring of the eardrum
- Otosclerosis (an abnormal bone growth in the middle ear)
- Abnormal growths or tumors
- Wax buildup
- Dislocation of the middle ear bones (ossicles)
- Foreign object in the ear canal
If you have hearing loss, a hearing professional will be able to help determine the cause of your hearing loss as well as possible treatment options. Call 1-855-970-2990 or click here and we’ll help you get in touch with one near you.