It may seem as if the causes of noise-induced hearing loss are functionally well-understood. A fairly obvious cause-and-effect connection is suggested by the name, after all. The universal understanding is simply that loud sounds damage the hearing mechanisms in the ear, causing long-term and irreversible hearing loss.
Though we’ve recognized this for some time now, we haven’t entirely understood the inherent mechanisms behind it. That’s changing, thanks to new research into the role of zinc regulation after exposure to loud sounds. This research suggests that there’s an important connection between zinc and hearing loss.
What is zinc? And how does it affect hearing impairment?
Zinc is a mineral required for executing necessary bodily functions and the majority of people have plenty of it. Zinc helps your brain translate chemical signals and is linked to immune system functions. In most cases, a person’s diet provides enough zinc.
The connection between zinc and hearing loss might, at first glance, be difficult to identify. The link between zinc and hearing isn’t, after all, immediately apparent. A new experiment has begun to expose what’s going on, however.
Researchers did some analysis on mice that were exposed to loud noise. In mice, as with humans, the sensitive mechanisms of the ear become damaged when exposed to loud noise. For humans, sound will initially become impermanently muffled. This will become more serious and more permanent as persistent noise exposure continues. In both mice and humans, the body is not capable of healing or repairing this damage.
Researchers also took blood samples from the mice and observed some interesting results in terms of free-floating zinc.
Is hearing loss caused or helped by zinc?
Scientists now have a better understanding of how the symptoms of noise-related hearing loss happen because of this research. Usually, when zinc is in the body, it’s bound molecularly. Researchers discovered zinc in free-floating form after the experiment’s mice were subjected to loud noise. It’s likely the same thing occurs in humans.
This zinc de-regulation ends up doing cellular damage to the inner ear, particularly to the parts of the inner ear responsible for clear hearing. This is the mechanism that scientists now believe results in the kind of damage that causes noise-related hearing loss.
How to manage hearing loss
In the future, this sort of understanding may help scientists prevent noise-related hearing loss from ever occurring, even in those people who are frequently subjected to loud noises. Unfortunately, these advancements are likely still some ways off. But that doesn’t mean your ears can’t be protected.
So, you might be asking: how can I prevent noise-related hearing loss?
There are several strategies you may utilize to protect your ears:
- Routinely check in with your hearing specialist: Discovering damage as early as possible can help reduce long-term damage, and coming in to see us for a routine hearing test is the best way to do that.
- Wear ear protection: Ear muffs and ear plugs can help your ears manage noisy environments that you can’t, or don’t want to avoid. If you attend that concert, for example, wear a set of ear plugs to ensure you can still hear, but that your ears don’t become permanently damaged as a consequence.
- Regulate your exposure to loud sounds: Sporting events, concerts, and jet engines come under this category. But there are some more commonplace noises that can cause hearing loss that might be surprising, including things like a leaf blower, traffic, or individuals talking loudly in a bustling office.
Safeguard your ears by understanding causes
Can you cure noise-related hearing loss? Regrettably not. This form of hearing loss and tinnitus can’t be cured, though it can be managed quite successfully. Better understanding the causes of hearing loss and the mechanisms by which hearing loss works can help hearing specialists (and you) formulate better techniques and treatments designed to keep your hearing safe.
This research is most likely just the first step in a longer undertaking. But every bit helps. On a personal level, it’s essential to take steps to protect your hearing and check in with your hearing specialist.