As we get older, many experience hearing loss. As Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary reports, about one in three people over the age of 60, and about half of those older than 75, have hearing loss that interferes with interpersonal communication.
If you are fortunate to live a long life, in all likelihood you are going to lose some of your hearing.
In addition to age, myriad of environmental, genetic and medical conditions cause hearing loss as well. These same conditions can cause a ringing in the ear called tinnitus.
We should be vigilant in eliminating activity that contributes to hearing loss.
It is also important that early on, children have their hearing tested. Impaired hearing can contribute to a delay in learning and language development and to social and emotional problems.
We need to protect our ears and our hearing. It may be that the majority of our kids today are subjecting themselves to noise that is so loud that it damages sensitive structures within the ear that are vital to hearing.
When our ears and ear canals are subject to noise at decibel levels (with the decibel being the unit in which sound is measured) of 85 or higher, it can result in hearing loss.
A decibel level of 85 or higher? Think of the noise you hear when you are near a horn honking, construction machinery banging and clanging, fire engine sirens screaming and amplifiers and speakers blaring at a rock concert â€" or you are amid the eruption of fan emotion and cheering at a packed sports venue, or you are plugged in to what is emanating from an iPod player when the volume is turned all the way up.
How do you protect yourself from noise induced hearing loss, or NIHL? Turn down the volume on your ipod player and break up your listening sessions â€" don’t listen for hours on end. Consider earplugs or noise canceling headphones when you are going to be in an 85-decibel plus environment.
One of the best promotions ever for the value of noise canceling headphones was that too-cute-for words image of New Orleans Saints quarterback, Drew Brees, standing on the field and holding aloft his one-year old son, Baylen, minutes after the Saints had defeated the Indianapolis Colts in the 2010 Super Bowl. Amid all the thunderous noise, little Baylen’s ears and hearing were protected, because his mother, Brittany Brees, had made sure â€" as she does for all Saints games her son attends â€" that he was wearing a special model of noise muffling headphones made for children from infancy through teen years.
Hearing loss is also sometimes caused, curiously enough, by a substance that is good for the ear and keeps it healthy and working well: ear wax.
Also known by its medical term, “cerumen,†ear wax protects the ear canal; it helps keep the canal clean and lubricated and protects the canal from bacteria, insects, water and fungi.
Sometimes, though, ear wax can build up and block the ear canal and even become impacted. This can result in impaired hearing.
Most people have heard by now that trying to remove ear wax with a cotton swab isn’t effective â€" and it can actually be harmful, pushing the wax deeper into the ear and damaging the ear drum either through pushing wax against it or through the drum’s contact with the swab itself.
The preferred method of ear wax removal is to use a wax softener, such as Debrox, a foaming agent that is squirted into the ear and which softens and loosens the wax, which then can be removed through a gentle flushing with warm water.
Another cause of temporary hearing loss is swimmer’s ear, an infection that can cause temporary hearing loss. Swimmer’s ear â€" technically known as otitis externa â€" is caused by water that remains in the ear, often after swimming, and in which bacteria breeds and then creates itching and pain.
The best recommended initial treatment for swimmer’s ear is not antibiotics, even though bacteria is the foundation of the problem. The infection can heal with a regimen of keeping the ear dry (this is a method of prevention and treatment), applying ear drops and holding a heating pad (set on low temperature or covered in a towel) lightly against the outside of the infected ear.
Antibiotics, in general, should only be used where no other solution exists, as they can contribute to the creation of bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics.
Temporary hearing loss sometimes also results from colds, upper respiratory infections and allergies. When afflicted with any of these ailments, mucous can build up in the ear canals and inhibit hearing.
However, again, this impairment is temporary, and as the mucous goes away, normal hearing returns.
Other forms of hearing loss are more serious.
Meningitis, mumps, measles, chickenpox and any number of other childhood diseases can damage the inner ear and ear canal.
People with untreated high blood pressure may have reduced blood flow to the ears, which can cause hearing loss.
Head trauma and other injuries can weaken our hearing ability.
If you are experiencing prolonged hearing loss, it is important that you see your primary care physician, who may in turn refer you to an otolaryngologist, a medical doctor who specializes in the ear, nose and throat.
As in all aspects of one’s health, in taking care of your hearing, you need to be attuned to your body, live a healthful life and don’t delay in seeking medical help when things are not working properly.
Steve Bernardi is a compounding pharmacist and Dr. Gary Kracoff is a registered pharmacist and a naturopathic doctor at Johnson Compounding and Wellness Center in Waltham, Mass. (www.naturalcompounder.com). Readers with questions about natural or homeopathic medicine, compounded medications, or health in general can e-mail steveandgary@naturalcompounder.com or call 781-893-3870.
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