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What are the Most Common Causes of Cochlear Damage?

Connie Whitesell
Connie Whitesell

Perhaps the most common cause of injury to the cochlea is exposure to loud noise. This may be sudden, such as the sound of an explosion, or continuous, such as the ongoing noise encountered by heavy equipment operators, airport personnel, machine shop workers or soldiers deployed to battle zones. It is important for the ears to be protected when one is working in such an environment. Noise-related damage can also result from frequent exposure to loud music. An understanding of how sounds are detected makes it easier to understand how noise-related injuries occur.

The cochlea, located in the inner ear, is the main organ of hearing. It is coiled into a spiral shape and lined with hair cells. These are covered with tiny hair-like structures called cilia.

Exposure to loud noises is the most common cause of damage to the cochlea.
Exposure to loud noises is the most common cause of damage to the cochlea.

Sound waves entering the ear cause the cilia to sway back and forth, much as sea grass sways with the changing ocean currents. This movement sends signals to the brain via the auditory nerve, which interprets the signals as sound. The cilia can be easily damaged, which may cause the hair cells to die. The result is hearing loss or ringing in the ear that cannot be reversed.

Exposure to loud noises, such as from loud music, can damage hearing over time.
Exposure to loud noises, such as from loud music, can damage hearing over time.

Normal aging can bring about gradual, partial hearing loss. This results from accumulated wear and tear on the cilia, which can become inefficient over time. In later years, high-pitched sounds may become difficult to hear, and speech can become difficult to understand. Bent or broken cilia might begin to trigger random signals, which the brain interprets as sound. This results in tinnitus, which is a ringing or roaring in the ears.

Exposure to loud noise can cause cochlear damage.
Exposure to loud noise can cause cochlear damage.

A large number of illnesses can lead to hearing loss, especially if associated with high fevers. Many childhood diseases, such as measles, mumps and chickenpox, can permanently damage the inner ear. Vaccination of young children prevents most occurrences of these diseases.

Bacterial meningitis poses a severe risk of cochlear damage, as does mononucleosis. Hearing loss in young children might not be immediately apparent; it might in fact go undiagnosed until long after onset. Premature birth, congenital syphilis and low blood oxygen are all associated with increased risk of permanent damage to the inner ear in infants.

Bacterial meningitis poses a severe risk of cochlear damage, as does mononucleosis.
Bacterial meningitis poses a severe risk of cochlear damage, as does mononucleosis.

Other health problems might bring about hearing loss, as well. Untreated high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease, for example, can compromise blood flow to the inner ear, resulting in cochlear damage. Tumors of the inner ear, which are common in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), pose a clear risk for cochlear damage.

Finally, the cochlea can be injured by certain drug regimens as well. For example, high doses of aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be associated with acute cochlear damage. Other commonly used medications sometimes associated with hearing loss include antibiotics, antihistamines, anti-convulsants, anti-depressants and anti-psychotics.

Ear plugs can help prevent trauma from loud noises that over time can cause hearing loss.
Ear plugs can help prevent trauma from loud noises that over time can cause hearing loss.

The inner ear is subject to injury from a wide array of potential insults. These are not limited to loud noises but include many common illnesses, health conditions and medications. It is impossible to predict what might prove dangerous for a specific individual. For this reason, changes in hearing should always be reported to a health care professional.

Discussion Comments

Ana1234

@Fa5t3r - I only wish that they had that technology available today. I always thought it was a bitter irony that certain musicians eventually went deaf, but apparently it's extremely common and no one talks about it.

It's almost inevitable if you perform live, even if it's only classical music, because the sound has to be so much louder on the stage in order to reach the audience. Which makes sense, but also makes me very sad for them.

Fa5t3r

@irontoenail - Well, it is extremely common to have cochlear damage when you get older these days, but the leading cause is people turning up their headphones too loud. They don't realize how damaging that can be.

And it's not just a case of losing your hearing. It can also lead to tinnitus, which is not something I would wish on anyone. I read a book that went into some detail about different kinds of tinnitus and audio hallucinations and it sounded awful. It's like being in a crowded room and never being able to leave.

One good thing, though, is that there are apparently some scientists working on being able to renew the cells of the ear. So maybe one day this won't be as much of a problem.

irontoenail

When you think about the fact that all sound is basically just your ears interpreting various kinds of minute pressure, it's no wonder they eventually wear out.

I have a friend who is very paranoid about this and always wears earplugs when he goes to concerts so that he doesn't damage his hearing. I used to think he was going a little bit overboard, but these days I'm thinking about doing the same thing.

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    • Exposure to loud noises is the most common cause of damage to the cochlea.
      By: Alila Medical Media
      Exposure to loud noises is the most common cause of damage to the cochlea.
    • Exposure to loud noises, such as from loud music, can damage hearing over time.
      By: Mikael Damkier
      Exposure to loud noises, such as from loud music, can damage hearing over time.
    • Exposure to loud noise can cause cochlear damage.
      By: Susan Stevenson
      Exposure to loud noise can cause cochlear damage.
    • Bacterial meningitis poses a severe risk of cochlear damage, as does mononucleosis.
      By: rob3000
      Bacterial meningitis poses a severe risk of cochlear damage, as does mononucleosis.
    • Ear plugs can help prevent trauma from loud noises that over time can cause hearing loss.
      By: autayeu
      Ear plugs can help prevent trauma from loud noises that over time can cause hearing loss.
    • Cochlear damage may cause ringing in the ears.
      By: Von Schonertagen
      Cochlear damage may cause ringing in the ears.