What Causes Deafness?

Did you know that there are around 12 million adults in the UK alone with a hearing loss greater than 25 dBHL? Hearing loss varies in severity and there are a variety of conditions and factors that can cause deafness.

Deafness refers to the total or partial inability to hear and occurs when one or more parts of the ear don’t function properly. It’s important to distinguish between the different levels of hearing loss.

• Hearing loss: This is a reduced ability to hear sounds in the same way as other people.

• Deafness: This occurs when a person can’t understand speech through hearing, even when the sound is amplified.

• Profound deafness: This refers to a total lack of hearing. An individual with profound deafness is unable to detect sound at all.

There are also four levels of deafness:

• Mild deafness or mild hearing loss: The person can only detect sounds between 25 and 29 decibels (dB). They may find it hard to understand the words other people are saying, especially if there’s a lot of background noise.

• Moderate deafness or moderate hearing loss: The person can only detect sounds between 40 and 69 dB. Following a conversation is very difficult without using a hearing aid.

• Severe deafness or hearing loss: People with severe hearing loss or deafness cannot hear sounds lower than 70-94 dB, and tend to rely on hearing aids or cochlear implants to communicate.

• Profound deafness: Those with profound deafness can’t hear sounds below 90 dB, meaning speech and other noises can’t be understood, even when sounds are amplified. A lot of people with profound deafness can’t hear at all, and generally communicate using sign language or by lip-reading.

What is the most common cause of deafness?

Age-related hearing loss and exposure to loud noises - such as explosions, live music, gunshots and firecrackers - are the most common causes of deafness. However, as each person’s hearing is different, there are a number of external factors and other causes of deafness or hearing loss.

Genetic factors

Hereditary deafness is an inherited condition that is either present at birth or develops throughout a person’s life. It’s caused by gene mutations that can result in hearing loss, meaning individuals are predisposed to the condition. Examples include Pendred syndrome and otosclerosis.

Certain medications

Ototoxic drugs, such as certain NSAIDs and cancer medications, water pills and diuretics, and some antibiotics such as aminoglycosides, can cause hearing loss or deafness. 

Trauma

Injuries caused by trauma such as changes in air pressure, a hole in or perforation of the eardrum, or head injuries like skull fractures or a traumatic brain injury can also cause hearing loss.

Certain diseases

There are a variety of diseases that can cause hearing loss, including bacterial meningitis, mumps, herpes, Lyme disease and Meniere’s disease.

Other causes

There are a variety of other causes of deafness, including:

• viral infections and other ear conditions, such as impacted earwax

• abnormal bone growths or tumours, such as an acoustic neuroma

• exposure to certain toxic chemicals

• smoking

• nutritional deficiencies

• obesity

Unfortunately, you can’t reverse most types of hearing loss (such as from deafness or profound hearing loss). That’s because the delicate hair cells in your ear (which detect sounds) are already damaged. However, a hearing specialist can help to improve what you hear with the use of hearing aids. 

If you’re concerned about deafness, there are several ways to protect your hearing, such as taking breaks from loud noises or reducing your exposure to them, wearing hearing protection aids such as ear plugs, and avoiding risky activities like using power tools or shooting.