Is Hearing Loss Inevitable As We Age?

What can I do to prevent hearing loss as I get older? I have a family history of hearing loss and wonder if I can do anything to avoid it.

Hearing loss isn’t inevitable for everyone. The main causes of hearing loss fall into three categories – age, genetics and environment. We can’t change our age or the genes we’re born with, but we can do our best to maintain a healthy environment for our ears.

The most common preventable cause is noise exposure over many years. The noise causing eventual hearing loss can be as slight as the sound someone is exposed to when working around computer printers or fans daily for years. Some careers come with specific hazards, like the buzzing of a dentist’s tools or the noise encountered when working in a factory or production area for many years. Recreational noise exposure includes shooting guns, working on car motors, woodworking, loud vacuums and hair dryers, concerts and loud music through headphones, and many other noisy hobbies and interests.

Other controllable factors in hearing loss may be infections, trauma and certain medical conditions. Repeated ear infections, or even a rare condition called “sudden hearing loss” can lead to temporary or permanent drops in hearing. Similarly, physical trauma (like a car crash or concussion) or barotrauma (like a change in pressure during an airplane descent) can also lead to inner ear injury and hearing loss. Rarely, some illnesses (diabetes, kidney failure, Meniere’s disease, etc.) as well as some medications (high doses of antibiotics, chemotherapy and some other drugs) can affect hearing. If you notice hearing loss after any of these events, make sure to tell your doctor.

A major factor in hearing loss is your family predisposition. If you have a family history of hearing loss, it’s possible to lose hearing even if you protect yourself.

Age, of course, is a main factor in hearing loss. For most of us, our hearing will decline as we age. Having said all this, some people in their 90s and even 100s have very little hearing loss.

One important factor in diagnosing hearing loss is to have a baseline hearing evaluation. If you haven’t had one, ask your primary care doctor to refer you to an audiologist for that test. If you have hearing loss now, you may want to have yearly hearing checks to monitor if there is a gradual decrease over time. If you have significant hearing loss, you may be a candidate for hearing aids or other assistive devices.

For some patients with severe to profound hearing loss, cochlear implants are a surgery that can restore hearing. In the long run, promising research is being doneon stem cell treatments and gene therapies. Our hope is that someday most, if not all, hearing loss will be treatable.