It might seem as though the causes of noise-induced hearing loss are functionally well-established. A fairly clear-cut cause-and-effect connection is suggested by the name, after all. The common 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 behind that cause haven’t always been so well established. But because of new research, we’re developing a greater understanding of noise-induced hearing loss, and this includes the role of zinc intake after being exposed to loud noises. This research reveals that there’s an important connection between zinc and hearing loss.
What is zinc? And how does it impact hearing impairment?
Zinc is a mineral needed for carrying out necessary bodily functions and most people have plenty of it. Healthy amounts 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, the vast majority of people get enough zinc from their food every day.
At first, it might be difficult to see the connection between hearing loss and zinc. The link between zinc and hearing isn’t, after all, immediately obvious. 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 sensitive parts of the ear are damaged. In humans, this might first be experienced as a temporary muffling of sound. As an individual is regularly exposed to loud noise, this damage will become more severe and lasting. This damage can’t be cured in either humans or mice.
After taking some blood samples from the mice, some fascinating results in terms of free-floating zinc were discovered.
Does zinc help or cause hearing loss?
Scientists now have a better picture of how the symptoms of noise-related hearing loss occur because of this research. Usually, when zinc is in the body, it’s bound molecularly. Researchers detected 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 delicate portions of the inner ear that are essential in order to hear clearly. Scientists are now thinking that this is one of the mechanisms that produces hearing damage due to noise exposure.
Managing hearing loss
In the future, this sort of understanding may help scientists prevent noise-induced hearing loss from ever occurring, even in those individuals who are often subjected to loud noises. However, it might be some time before those advancements become a viable reality. But that doesn’t mean your ears can’t be protected.
So, how can you protect yourself from noise-induced hearing loss?
There are several strategies you may use to safeguard your ears:
- Routinely check in with your hearing specialist: Detecting damage as early as possible can help minimize long-term damage, and coming in to see us for a regular hearing test is the best way to do that.
- Use ear 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. A pair of earplugs can, for instance, allow you to go to that loud concert and still be capable of hearing the music but also offer some protection against irreversible hearing loss.
- Regulate your exposure to loud noises: This clearly includes noises such as jet engines, concerts, or sporting events. But most people would also be surprised to discover that everyday sounds like chatty offices, traffic, or lawnmowers can also lead to hearing damage.
Safeguard your ears by understanding causes
Can you cure noise-related hearing loss? Unfortunately not. Although you can effectively treat this type of hearing loss and any related tinnitus, it has no cure. Strategies created to keep your hearing safe will be more effective the better you understand the mechanisms behind hearing loss.
Even though this research is encouraging, we still have a ways to go. But we seem to be getting closer to understanding. Your immediate role is to get your hearing tested and use hearing protection.
