How Can Inner Ear Damage Affect Hearing?

The two most common causes of hearing loss are advancing age and exposure to loud noises. Both these causes share something in common: the mechanism behind them is damage to the inner ear. This post reviews how we hear, how the inner ear can be damaged and how this type of damage can be prevented.

How Do We Hear?

The outer ear captures soundwaves from your environment, which travel down the ear canal, leading to the eardrum. When the soundwave hits the eardrum, a vibration is created that passes through three tiny bones in the middle ear called the malleus, incus and stapes. This vibration then reaches the fluid-filled cochlea in the inner ear, which causes the fluid to move. This movement activates the tiny hair cells that line the cochlea, called stereocilia, creating an electrical impulse. This electrical impulse travels via the auditory nerve to the brain, which interprets it as sound.

How Can the Inner Ear Can Be Damaged?

Stereocilia are very delicate and can be easily damaged by a number of factors, including aging, noise exposure and inadequate oxygen levels from a lack of blood supply.

If loud sounds pass through the ears, it can damage or destroy the stereocilia. This noise exposure can be due to a lifetime of moderate noise exposure or a single excessively loud sound. Sounds at 85 dB, about the volume of highway traffic, take eight hours or more of continuous exposure to cause damage, while sounds at 140 dB, the volume of a shotgun blast, can cause damage instantaneously.

In a similar vein, lack of blood supply due to cardiovascular disease or ototoxic medications can damage or destroy the stereocilia and lead to hearing loss. This is because the cells are deprived of the necessary oxygen.

How Can I Prevent Inner Ear Damage?

Fortunately, you can prevent inner ear damage caused by loud noises by wearing hearing protection when attending loud events like concerts and sports games. You can also practice safe listening when wearing earbuds or headphones by following the 60/60 rule, which states you should listen at no more than 60% of your device’s maximum volume for no more than 60 minutes at a time.

You can also protect your inner ears by being mindful of your overall health. See your doctor for an annual physical so you can be monitored for cardiovascular disease and take medications as directed. If your medications are causing hearing problems, talk to your physician about alternatives.

To learn more or to schedule an appointment with a hearing expert, call The Audiology Offices today.