The underlying foundation of noise-related hearing loss may seem well-understood. After all, the name itself indicates 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 accurate, the mechanisms behind that cause have not always been so well understood. But because of new research, we’re developing a deeper understanding of noise-induced hearing loss, including the role of zinc intake after being exposed to loud sounds. This research suggests that there’s an important link between zinc and hearing loss.
What is zinc? And how does it affect hearing impairment?
Zinc is a commonplace mineral. The majority of individuals have an abundance of zinc in their bodies, carrying out distinct and essential functions. Healthy amounts of zinc are connected with a well-functioning immune system and play a role in how well your brain translates chemical signals. In most instances, a person’s diet provides plenty of zinc.
At first, it might be difficult to determine the connection between hearing loss and zinc. 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 exposed mice to loud noises and carried out a few analyses afterward. When exposed to loud noises, the same thing happens to mice as happens to humans: the sensitive parts of the ear are damaged. In humans, this may first be experienced as a temporary muffling of sound. This will become more acute and more permanent as persistent noise exposure continues. In both mice and humans, the body isn’t able to heal or repair this damage.
Researchers also took blood samples from the mice and noticed some fascinating results in terms of free-floating zinc.
Does zinc help or cause hearing loss?
Because of this research, scientists now have a better understanding of how noise-induced hearing loss symptoms occur. Typically, zinc in the body is molecularly bound. Researchers discovered zinc in free-floating form after the experiment’s mice were exposed to loud noise. Zinc most likely responds the same way in humans.
The free-floating zinc triggers damage to fragile parts of the inner ear that are essential in order to hear clearly. Scientists are now thinking that this is one of the mechanisms that causes hearing damage related to noise exposure.
How to treat hearing loss
As scientists gain a deeper understanding of this, they may be able to develop novel ways to prevent hearing loss in individuals who are frequently exposed to loud noise. However, it might be some time before those developments become a viable reality. But that doesn’t mean your ears can’t be protected.
So, you may be asking: how can I prevent noise-related hearing loss?
Here are several steps you can take to safeguard your hearing:
- Use hearing protection: Ear muffs and ear plugs can help your ears cope with loud settings that you can’t, or don’t want to stay away from. If you attend that concert, for example, use a pair of ear plugs to ensure you can still hear, but that your ears don’t become irreversibly damaged as a consequence.
- Regulate your exposure to loud noises: This clearly includes noises like 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 people talking loudly in a bustling office.
- Consistently check in with your hearing specialist: Detecting 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.
Safeguard your ears by understanding causes
Can noise-related hearing loss be reversed? Regrettably not. Although you can successfully manage this type of hearing loss and any related tinnitus, it can’t be cured. Strategies created to keep your hearing safe will be more effective the better you understand the mechanisms behind hearing loss.
Although this research is encouraging, we still have a ways to go. But every bit helps. On a personal level, it’s important to take steps to protect your hearing and check in with your hearing specialist.
