The underlying foundation of noise-induced hearing loss may seem well-founded. A fairly obvious cause-and-effect relationship is indicated by the name, after all. The universal 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 true, the mechanisms underpinning that cause haven’t always been so well understood. That’s changing, thanks to new research into the role of zinc regulation after exposure to loud noises. This research reveals that there’s an important link between zinc and hearing loss.
How is hearing loss affected by zinc?
Zinc is a mineral required for carrying out necessary bodily functions and most individuals have plenty of it. Healthy amounts of zinc are associated with 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.
At first glance, it might be challenging to determine the relationship between hearing loss and zinc. After all, it’s not immediately clear what role zinc plays in your hearing. A new experiment has started to reveal what’s going on, however.
Researchers exposed mice to loud sounds and performed a few analyses afterward. When exposed to loud sounds, the same thing happens to mice as happens to humans: the delicate parts of the ear are damaged. In humans, this might first be experienced as a temporary muffling of sound. As a person is continually exposed to loud noise, this damage will become more extreme and lasting. In both mice and humans, the body isn’t able to heal or repair this damage.
After taking some blood samples from the mice, some fascinating results in terms of free-floating zinc were revealed.
Is hearing loss caused or helped by zinc?
Because of this research, scientists now better understand how noise-induced hearing loss symptoms occur. Usually, zinc in the body is molecularly bound. Researchers detected zinc in free-floating form after the experiment’s mice were subjected 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, 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-induced hearing loss.
Treating hearing loss
As scientists gain 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 can’t be protected.
So, how can you protect yourself from noise-related hearing loss?
Here are a few steps you can take to protect your hearing:
- Use hearing protection: Ear muffs and ear plugs can help your ears cope with loud environments that you can’t, or don’t want to avoid. A set of earplugs can, for instance, allow you to go to that loud concert and still be able to hear the music but also offer some protection against irreversible hearing loss.
- Consistently check in with your hearing specialist: Getting a hearing test (and regularly checking in with us) can help identify damage early.
- Limit your exposure to loud sounds: This clearly includes noises such as jet engines, concerts, or sporting events. But most individuals would also be surprised to discover that everyday noises like chatty offices, traffic, or lawnmowers can also lead to hearing damage.
Understand the causes, safeguard your ears
Can you cure noise-related hearing loss? Sadly no. Even though you can successfully 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 designed to keep your hearing safe.
This research is probably 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 tested and use ear protection.
