The underlying basis of noise-related hearing loss may seem well-founded. A fairly clear-cut cause-and-effect relationship is suggested by the name, after all. The common understanding is simply that loud noises damage the hearing mechanisms in the ear, leading to long-term and irreversible hearing loss.
And while that’s accurate, the mechanisms underpinning that cause haven’t always been so well understood. That’s improving, thanks to emerging research into the role of zinc management after exposure to loud sounds. Hearing loss and zinc regulation have an important connection according to this research.
What is zinc? And how does it impact hearing loss?
Zinc is a commonplace mineral. The majority of people have an abundance of zinc in their bodies, performing distinct and essential functions. Zinc helps your brain interpret chemical signals and is connected to immune system functions. With a few exceptions, the vast majority of people get enough zinc from their food every day.
At first glance, it may be difficult to see the connection between hearing loss and zinc. After all, it isn’t instantly obvious what role zinc plays in your hearing. However, a unique experiment has shed some light on what’s happening.
Researchers performed some analysis on mice that were exposed to loud sound. When exposed to loud noises, the same thing happens to mice as happens to humans: the delicate parts of the ear become damaged. For humans, sound will initially become temporarily muffled. As an individual is regularly exposed to loud sound, this damage will become more severe and lasting. This damage can’t be healed in either humans or mice.
After taking some blood samples from the mice, some intriguing results in terms of free-floating zinc were revealed.
Is hearing loss caused or helped by zinc?
Scientists now have a better understanding of how the symptoms of noise-related hearing loss occur because of these results. Typically, zinc in the body is molecularly bound. During the experiment, researchers noticed that zinc became free-floating after the ears were exposed to loud noises and sound-related stresses. Zinc most likely responds the same way in humans.
This zinc de-regulation winds up doing cellular damage to the inner ear, especially to the parts of the inner ear responsible for clear hearing. This is the mechanism that scientists now think results in the type of damage that causes noise-related hearing loss.
How to manage hearing loss
In the future, this type of understanding might help scientists prevent noise-related hearing loss from ever occurring, even in those individuals who are frequently subjected to loud noises. Regrettably, these advancements are likely still some ways off. But there are still other ways to safeguard your ears.
So, you may be wondering: how can I prevent noise-related hearing loss?
Here are a few measures you can take to safeguard your hearing:
- Routinely check in with your hearing specialist: Discovering damage as early as possible can help decrease long-term damage, and coming in to see us for a routine hearing test is the best way to do that.
- Limit your exposure to loud sounds: Sporting events, concerts, and jet engines fall into this category. But there are some more commonplace noises that can cause hearing loss that might be surprising, including things like a leaf blower, traffic, or individuals speaking loudly in a bustling office.
- Wear ear protection: Ear muffs and ear plugs can help your ears manage loud settings that you can’t, or don’t want to avoid. If you go to that concert, for example, wear a set of ear plugs to ensure you can still hear, but that your ears don’t become irreversibly damaged as a result.
Understand the causes, protect your ears
Can you reverse noise-induced hearing loss? Sadly no. This kind of hearing loss and tinnitus can’t be cured, though it can be managed quite effectively. Strategies developed to keep your hearing safe will be more successful the better you understand the mechanisms behind hearing loss.
Even though this research is promising, we still have a ways to go. But we seem to be getting closer to understanding. Your immediate role is to get your hearing evaluated and use hearing protection.