Is Hearing Loss Genetic?
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There are several reasons people can suffer from hearing loss, from external factors like loud noises and ear infections to internal factors like aging and genetics. An estimated 500 children are born with some degree of deafness in Australia. In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island residents are more likely to experience some form of hearing loss than non-Indigenous Australians. 10 Australians. However, genetics aren't the only contributing factor to hearing loss. Other reasons for hearing loss include:
- Constant exposure to very loud noises
- Aging leads to cell deterioration
- Medical conditions, for example hearing loss as a result of meningitis or the growth of a tumor around the ear that is blocking sound.
Genetic causes are only 50% of the cause of childhood deafness. Other factors include premature birth, infections during pregnancy, or infections in childhood. It is estimated that 35.55% of age-related hearing loss is genetic. Interestingly, the fact that parents are deaf does not necessarily mean that their child is deaf too. In fact, only 1 in 10 deaf children have deaf parents.
In addition, genetic mutations can also lead to various non-hearing-related disorders that can affect hearing, such as deformation of the inner, middle or outer ear.
Clinical characteristics that determine hearing loss to be related to hereditary decomposition include:
- Abnormalities of the inner, middle, and outer ear
- Malfunction of the structure of the inner ear, including the cochlea or auditory nerve.
- Dysfunction at the level of the eighth cranial nerve, the auditory brain cell or the cerebral cortex.
If you think you may have hearing loss, it is best to have a hearing test like at Hearing Check done to you today to keep your listening skills confident and secure of your hearing abilities!
