The underlying basis of noise-induced hearing loss might seem well-founded. After all, the name itself conveys a fairly direct cause-and-effect relationship. Our basic understanding is that irreversible hearing damage is a result of exposure to overly loud sound over a long period of time.
And while that’s true, the mechanisms underpinning that cause haven’t always been so well understood. But because of recent research, we’re gaining a greater understanding of noise-induced hearing loss, including the role of zinc intake after being exposed to loud noises. Hearing loss and zinc management have a significant link according to this research.
What is zinc? And how does it impact hearing impairment?
Zinc is a mineral needed for executing necessary bodily functions and the majority of individuals have an abundance of it. Healthy amounts of zinc are linked to a well-functioning immune system and play a role in how well your brain translates chemical signals. In most cases, a person’s diet provides plenty of zinc.
The link between zinc and hearing loss may, at first sight, be difficult to recognize. The link between zinc and hearing isn’t, after all, immediately obvious. However, a unique experiment has shed some light on what’s happening.
Researchers engaged in some analysis on mice that were exposed to loud noise. When exposed to loud noises, the same thing happens to mice as happens to humans: the fragile parts of the ear are damaged. For humans, sound will initially become impermanently muffled. As a person is continually exposed to loud noise, this damage will become more serious 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.
Does zinc help or cause hearing loss?
Because of this result, scientists now better understand how noise-induced hearing loss symptoms happen. Normally, when zinc is in the body, it’s bound molecularly. During the experiment, researchers noticed that zinc became free-floating when the ears were exposed to loud noises and sound-related stresses. Zinc most likely responds the same way in humans.
This zinc de-regulation ends up causing 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 believe results in the kind of damage that causes noise-related hearing loss.
How to manage hearing loss
As scientists reach a greater understanding of this, they might be able to formulate novel methods to prevent hearing loss in people who are regularly subjected to loud noise. However, it may be some time before those developments become a viable reality. But that doesn’t mean your ears are defenseless.
So, you may be wondering: how can I prevent noise-induced hearing loss?
Here are a few measures you can take to protect your hearing:
- Limit your exposure to loud noises: This clearly includes noises such as jet engines, concerts, or sporting events. 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 talking loudly in a busy office.
- Regularly check in with your hearing specialist: Undergoing a hearing screening (and regularly checking in with us) can help detect damage early.
- Use ear protection: Ear muffs and ear plugs can help your ears manage loud settings that you can’t, or don’t want to stay away from. If you attend 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.
Safeguard your ears by understanding causes
Can noise-related hearing loss be cured? Unfortunately not. Although you can effectively treat this type of hearing loss and any related tinnitus, it can’t be cured. Better understanding the causes of hearing loss and the mechanisms by which hearing loss works can help hearing specialists (and you) develop better techniques and treatments tailored to keep your hearing safe.
This research is likely just the first step in a longer process. But we appear to be getting closer to understanding. Your direct role is to get your hearing evaluated and use hearing protection.