When you consider the causes of hearing loss, you probably think aging, loud music, ear injury, viral infections, meningitis, and acoustic tumors. However, there are some causes of hearing loss that may come as a surprise.
Airbags
An airbag has the potential to save your life in a car accident. However, it also increases your risk of developing traumatic sensorineural hearing loss. In the event of an accident, gas quickly fills up the bag. The bag inflates in time to cushion the occupant of the vehicle and to protect them from harm.
Regrettably, a brief, loud noise accompanies the bag inflation spreading intense sound waves throughout the vehicle. The event has the potential to reach 150 to 170 decibels causing the sensory hair cells in the inner ear to flatten against the fluid. The result can be hearing loss or tinnitus.
Q-Tips
Yes, a familiar household product can cause hearing loss! The purpose of a cotton swab is to clean the outermost portion of the ear. Q-Tips are not for cleaning the inside of the ear from wax build-up. Sticking the swab deep into your ear can cause many problems, including hearing loss. It can rupture your eardrum and strip your ears of earwax, which is essential for the health of your ears.
A Q-Tip can push the wax deeper into your ear, defeating the whole purpose of using it! Be safe and have a hearing healthcare professional safely remove the wax for you.
Viagra
Putting a spark into your love life is not the only thing the little blue pill can do. Viagra can damage your hearing. Research indicates that men who take Viagra are twice as likely to endure hearing loss than those who do not take the pill. The mechanism of increasing blood flow to specific tissues in the body can be harmful to the ear. The increase in blood flow pressure can cause hearing loss.
Smoking
Hearing loss is yet another great reason to kick the tobacco habit. The list of reasons not to smoke is endless, and now it seems that smoking can affect your ability to hear. A study shows that the number of cigarettes one smokes combined with the number of years a person smokes increases the chances of hearing problems. Worse, cigarette smoke makes noise-induced hearing loss worse.
Medications
An alarming number of prescription and over-the-counter medications known as ototoxic medications can cause hearing loss, tinnitus, or balance problems. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association estimates that there are currently over 200 ototoxic medicines available today.
The hearing loss associated with these medications may be temporary or permanent, depending upon the particular drug. If you have concerns regarding a medication, discuss them with a physician or hearing healthcare professional.
Take Care Of Your Hearing
Hearing loss, no matter what the cause, is a serious matter. If you are having hearing problems or balance issues, please schedule a hearing evaluation with a hearing healthcare professional today. These professionals can diagnose and treat your problem while helping you enjoy a better quality of life.
