The underlying basis of noise-related hearing loss may seem well-founded. 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 accurate, the mechanisms behind that cause haven’t always been so well established. But because of recent research, we’re developing a greater understanding of noise-related hearing loss, and this includes the role of zinc intake after being exposed to loud sounds. Hearing loss and zinc regulation have an important connection according to this research.
How is hearing impairment impacted by zinc?
Zinc is a mineral needed for carrying out necessary bodily functions and most individuals have an abundance of it. Healthy levels of zinc are linked to a well-functioning immune system and play a part in how well your brain interprets chemical signals. With a few exceptions, most people get plenty of zinc from their food every day.
At first, it may be difficult to see the relationship between hearing loss and zinc. The link between zinc and hearing isn’t, after all, immediately apparent. However, a novel experiment has shed some light on what’s happening.
Researchers exposed mice to loud sounds and conducted a few analyses afterward. When exposed to loud noises, the same thing happens to mice as happens to humans: the delicate parts of the ear are damaged. For humans, sound will initially become temporarily muffled. As an individual is continually exposed to loud sound, this damage will become more extreme 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?
Scientists now have a better picture of how the symptoms of noise-induced hearing loss occur because of these results. Typically, zinc in the body is molecularly bound. During the experiment, researchers observed that zinc became free-floating after the ears were exposed to loud noises and sound-induced stresses. It’s likely the same thing happens in humans.
This zinc de-regulation ends up doing cellular damage to the inner ear, specifically to the parts of the inner ear in control of clear hearing. Scientists are now thinking that this is one of the mechanisms that produces hearing damage related to noise exposure.
How to treat hearing loss
As scientists gain a greater understanding of this, they may be able to formulate novel approaches to prevent hearing loss in individuals who are frequently exposed to loud noise. However, it might be some time before those developments become a viable reality. But there are still other ways to protect your ears.
So, you might be wondering: how can I prevent noise-related hearing loss?
Here are a few measures you can take to protect your hearing:
- Regularly check in with your hearing specialist: Undergoing a hearing test (and regularly checking in with us) can help detect damage early.
- 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 stay away from. A pair of earplugs can, for example, 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 sounds: This clearly includes noises like jet engines, concerts, or sporting events. But there are some more commonplace noises that can cause hearing loss that might be surprising, including things like a leaf blower, traffic, or individuals talking loudly in a bustling office.
Safeguard your ears by understanding causes
Can noise-related hearing loss be cured? Regrettably not. This type of hearing loss and tinnitus can’t be cured, though it can be managed very effectively. Strategies developed to keep your hearing safe will be more successful the better you understand the mechanisms behind hearing loss.
This research is probably just the first step in a longer undertaking. But we appear to be getting closer to understanding. On an individual level, it’s essential to take measures to safeguard your hearing and check in with your hearing specialist.