The underlying basis of noise-related hearing loss may seem well-founded. After all, the name itself conveys a fairly direct cause-and-effect relationship. The universal understanding is simply that loud noises damage the hearing mechanisms in the ear, resulting in long-term and irreversible hearing loss.
And while that’s accurate, the mechanisms underpinning that cause haven’t always been so well understood. But because of recent research, we’re developing a greater understanding of noise-induced hearing loss, including the role of zinc intake after being exposed to loud noises. Hearing loss and zinc regulation have an important connection according to this research.
How is hearing loss impacted by zinc?
Zinc is a mineral needed for executing necessary bodily functions and most individuals have plenty of it. Healthy amounts of zinc are linked to a well-functioning immune system and play a part in how well your brain translates chemical signals. With a few exceptions, most individuals receive plenty of zinc from their food every day.
At first, it might be difficult to determine the association between hearing loss and zinc. The relationship between zinc and hearing isn’t, after all, instantly 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 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 regularly exposed to loud sound, this damage will become more severe and lasting. This damage can’t be healed in either humans or mice.
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 result, scientists now better understand how noise-induced hearing loss symptoms occur. Normally, when zinc is in the body, it’s bound molecularly. During the experiment, researchers observed that zinc became free-floating when the ears were subjected to loud noises and sound-related stresses. It’s likely the same thing occurs in humans.
This zinc de-regulation ends up doing cellular damage to the inner ear, especially to the parts of the inner ear in control of clear hearing. Scientists are now thinking that this is one of the mechanisms that causes hearing damage due to noise exposure.
How to treat hearing loss
As scientists gain a greater understanding of this, they may be able to formulate novel ways to prevent hearing loss in people who are regularly exposed to loud noise. However, it may be some time before those advancements become a viable reality. But there are still other ways to protect your ears.
So, how can you safeguard yourself from noise-related hearing loss?
Here are a few measures you can take to safeguard your hearing:
- Routinely check in with your hearing specialist: Discovering 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: If there are noisy settings you want to be in, or merely can’t stay away from, ear plugs and ear muffs can help decrease the damage. A pair of earplugs can, for example, allow you to attend that loud concert and still be capable of hearing the music but also provide some protection against irreversible hearing loss.
- Limit your exposure to loud sounds: Sporting events, concerts, and jet engines belong to this category. But there are some more commonplace noises that can cause hearing loss that may be surprising, and that includes things like a leaf blower, traffic, or individuals talking loudly in a busy office.
Understand the causes, protect your ears
Can noise-related hearing loss be reversed? Unfortunately not. This type of hearing loss and tinnitus can’t be cured, though it can be managed quite effectively. Better understanding the causes of hearing loss and the mechanisms by which hearing loss functions can help hearing specialists (and you) formulate better strategies and treatments designed to keep your hearing safe.
This research is likely just the first step in a longer undertaking. But every bit helps. Your direct role is to get your hearing examined and use hearing protection.
