The underlying basis of noise-induced hearing loss might seem well-understood. A fairly clear-cut cause-and-effect relationship is indicated by the name, after all. Our fundamental understanding is that irreversible hearing damage is caused by exposure to overly loud sound over a long period of time.
And while that’s relevant, the mechanisms underpinning that cause haven’t always been so well understood. That’s changing, thanks to new research into the role of zinc management after exposure to loud noises. Hearing loss and zinc management have an important link according to this research.
How is hearing impairment impacted by zinc?
Zinc is a mineral needed for carrying out necessary bodily functions and the majority of people have an abundance of it. Healthy levels of zinc are associated with a well-functioning immune system and play a part in how well your brain translates chemical signals. With a few exceptions, most individuals get plenty of zinc from their food every day.
At first, it might be challenging to determine the connection between hearing loss and zinc. The connection between zinc and hearing isn’t, after all, instantly apparent. However, a unique experiment has shed some light on what’s going on.
Researchers exposed mice to loud noises and conducted a few analyses afterward. In mice, as with humans, the fragile mechanisms of the ear become damaged when exposed to loud noise. For humans, sound will initially become impermanently muffled. As an individual is regularly exposed to loud sound, this damage will become more extreme and lasting. This damage can’t be cured 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?
Because of this result, scientists now have a better understanding of how noise-related hearing loss symptoms happen. Normally, when zinc is in the body, it’s bound molecularly. Researchers detected zinc in free-floating form when the experiment’s mice were exposed to loud noise. Zinc most likely responds the same way in humans.
This zinc de-regulation ends up causing cellular damage to the inner ear, particularly 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-induced hearing loss.
Managing hearing loss
As scientists reach a better understanding of this, they might be able to formulate novel ways to prevent hearing loss in individuals who are regularly exposed to loud noise. Unfortunately, these developments are likely still some ways off. But there are still other ways to protect your ears.
So, you may be asking: 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: Undergoing a hearing screening (and routinely checking in with us) can help identify damage early.
- Limit your exposure to loud noises: Sporting events, concerts, and jet engines fall into this category. But there are some more commonplace noises that can cause hearing loss that may be surprising, including things like a leaf blower, traffic, or people speaking loudly in a bustling office.
- Use ear protection: If there are noisy settings you want to be in, or simply can’t avoid, ear plugs and ear muffs can help lessen the damage. If you attend that concert, for example, use 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, safeguard your ears
Can noise-induced hearing loss be cured? Sadly no. Although you can successfully treat this form of hearing loss and any associated tinnitus, it can’t be cured. 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. On an individual level, it’s important to take steps to safeguard your hearing and check in with your hearing specialist.