- Gradual decline due to aging inner ear structures
- Typically affects high-frequency sounds first (e.g., children’s voices, birdsong)
- Often runs in families
🩺 Not reversible, but manageable with hearing aids or assistive devices.
2. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
- Caused by loud noises — concerts, power tools, headphones at high volume
- Damages hair cells in the cochlea (inner ear)
- Can happen suddenly (explosion) or over time
🔊 Prevention tip: Follow the 60/60 rule — listen at 60% volume for no more than 60 minutes at a time.
🛑 Once damaged, these cells don’t regenerate.
3. Earwax Buildup (Cerumen Impaction)
- One of the few reversible causes of hearing loss
- Excess wax blocks sound waves from reaching the eardrum
- May cause muffled hearing, earache, or tinnitus
✅ Safe treatments:
- Ear drops (mineral oil, baby oil, or over-the-counter wax softeners)
- Irrigation by a healthcare provider
- Manual removal by an ENT specialist
🚫 Never use cotton swabs, bobby pins, or ear candles — they push wax deeper and risk injury.
4. Ear Infections (Otitis Media)
- Common in children, but adults get them too
- Fluid builds up behind the eardrum, blocking sound
- Often follows colds or allergies
💊 Usually resolves with time or antibiotics; hearing returns once fluid clears.
5. Inner Ear or Nerve Damage
- Includes conditions like:
- Sensorineural hearing loss (cochlear damage)
- Acoustic neuroma (benign tumor on auditory nerve)
- Meniere’s disease (vertigo + hearing fluctuations)
🩺 Requires diagnosis via hearing test (audiogram) and sometimes imaging.
