There are a number of risk factors for hearing loss that may surprise you.
Factors such as old age, exposure to excessive noise or brain injury may be more obvious reasons for hearing impairment. Audio Help Hearing Centers in New York City and Stamford, Connecticut offers the following information on why other less obvious risks should also be considered.
Adolescence Obesity
A recent study found that obese adolescents have a significantly higher rate of high-frequency hearing loss (HFHL) than their normal-weight peers. Research found that more than 14% of adolescent males and more than 8% of adolescent females had high-frequency hearing loss. While just 5.4% of normal weight adolescents in the study had HFHL, 17.9% of obese adolescents had the impairment.
Chronic stress
Individuals with chronic stress have a greater chance of developing hearing loss. A stressed body will send oxygen to muscles that may need it, which decreases the amount of blood circulating to the inner ear. The body doesn’t always repair this imbalance after cases of acute stress.
Sleep apnea
Evidence is growing to show that sleep apnea is connected to hearing loss. Although it’s not certain why the two are linked, professionals surmise that sleep apnea reduces the blood supply to the inner ear, a delicate system that relies upon proper circulation. Years of loud snoring could also be a potential cause of hearing damage.
Vaping
It’s well documented that nicotine is not good for our hearing. Although the overall impact to our health of e-cigarettes remains largely unknown, exposure to nicotine through vaping restricts blood flow to the inner ear. There, tiny hair cells – responsible for interpreting sound on its way to the brain – can be damaged, resulting in permanent hearing loss.
To learn more about services available at Audio Help, call us at 888-290-1194 or schedule an appointment online.
