Hearing Loss: Causes, Treatments, and What You Can Do

When your ears stop picking up sounds the way they used to, you’re not just dealing with a minor annoyance—you’re facing hearing loss, a condition where the ability to detect or understand sound is reduced, often due to aging, noise exposure, or medical issues. Also known as sensorineural or conductive hearing impairment, it doesn’t always come with a warning.

Hearing loss isn’t one thing. It can be caused by years of loud music or factory noise—noise-induced hearing loss, damage from prolonged exposure to loud sounds that kills off delicate hair cells in the inner ear. Or it can sneak up as you age, called presbycusis, the gradual decline in hearing that affects most people over 65. Sometimes, it’s tied to medications, ear infections, or even genetics. And it often comes with tinnitus, a ringing, buzzing, or hissing sound in the ears with no outside source, which makes daily life even harder.

Most people assume hearing loss means you need hearing aids. But that’s not always the first step. Some cases respond to simple fixes—like removing earwax buildup or switching meds that hurt your ears. Others need a full hearing test, followed by tailored solutions: digital hearing aids, cochlear implants, or even assistive listening devices for phones and TV. The key? Don’t wait until you’re struggling in conversations. If you’re asking people to repeat themselves, turning up the TV too loud, or avoiding social events because you can’t follow along, it’s time to check it out.

What you’ll find below isn’t just a list of articles. It’s a collection of real, practical insights—from how certain antibiotics might affect your hearing, to what drugs increase your risk of cognitive decline that’s linked to untreated hearing loss, to how managing fluid retention can indirectly help ear function. These aren’t theoretical ideas. They’re things people actually deal with. And they’re all connected to how your ears work, what breaks them, and what can help you keep listening to the world around you.