The underlying foundation of noise-related hearing loss may seem well-understood. A fairly clear-cut cause-and-effect connection is suggested by the name, after all. The universal understanding is simply that loud noises damage the hearing mechanisms in the ear, resulting in long-term and irreversible hearing loss.
Though we’ve recognized this for some time now, we haven’t perfectly understood the underlying mechanisms behind it. That’s changing, thanks to emerging research into the role of zinc regulation after exposure to loud noises. Hearing loss and zinc regulation have a significant link according to this research.
How is hearing impairment affected by zinc?
Zinc is a commonplace mineral. The majority of individuals have an abundance of zinc in their bodies, carrying out distinct and essential functions. Zinc helps your brain translate chemical signals and is linked to immune system functions. In most cases, a person’s diet supplies enough zinc.
At first, it may be challenging to determine the association between hearing loss and zinc. The connection between zinc and hearing isn’t, after all, immediately obvious. A new experiment has started to expose what’s going on, however.
Researchers did some analysis on mice that were exposed to loud noise. When exposed to loud noises, the same thing happens to mice as happens to humans: the fragile parts of the ear become damaged. For humans, sound will initially become impermanently muffled. This will become more acute and more permanent as chronic noise exposure continues. This damage can’t be healed in either humans or mice.
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 have a better understanding of how noise-induced hearing loss symptoms occur. Usually, when zinc is in the body, it’s bound molecularly. Researchers detected zinc in free-floating form when the experiment’s mice were exposed to loud noise. Zinc most likely behaves the same way in humans.
The free-floating zinc causes damage to fragile parts of the inner ear that are crucial in order to hear clearly. Scientists are now thinking that this is one of the mechanisms that causes hearing damage related to noise exposure.
Treating hearing loss
Over time, this type of understanding might help scientists prevent noise-induced hearing loss from ever happening, even in those people who are frequently exposed to loud noises. Unfortunately, these advancements are likely still some ways off. But there are still other ways to safeguard your ears.
So, how can you safeguard yourself from noise-induced hearing loss?
There are a number of approaches you may utilize to protect your ears:
- Wear ear protection: If there are noisy settings you want to be in, or merely can’t avoid, ear plugs and ear muffs can help decrease the damage. A pair of earplugs can, for example, 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.
- Regulate your exposure to loud noises: Sporting events, concerts, and jet engines fall into this category. But many individuals would also be surprised to learn that everyday noises like chatty offices, traffic, or leaf blowers can also result in hearing damage.
- Regularly check in with your hearing specialist: Undergoing a hearing screening (and regularly checking in with us) can help detect damage early.
Protect your ears by understanding causes
Can you cure noise-related hearing loss? Sadly no. This type of hearing loss and tinnitus cannot 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 techniques and treatments tailored to keep your hearing safe.
Even though this research is encouraging, we still have a ways to go. But we appear to be getting closer to understanding. Your direct role is to get your hearing evaluated and use ear protection.