Am I At Risk Of Losing My Hearing?

Are you 65 years of age or older?

Do you have a job where loud noise is a regular part of the working environment, such as farming, construction or factory work?

Are you exposed to explosive noises, such as from firearms and jet engines?

Are you engage in snowmobiling or motorcycling?

Do you listen to music that is extremely loud?

Do you clean your ears with cotton swabs or some other object?

Do you have accumulated earwax in the ear canal?

Do you have a family history of hearing loss?

Do you often have ear infections that are sometimes accompanied by high fever?

Do you use medications such as the antibiotic gentamicin or sildenafil (Viagra)?

Based on your answers you have a low risk of hearing loss. Hearing loss is a medical condition that is characterized by partial or total inability to hear. Hearing loss is a common problem that gradually occurs with age. About a third of Americans between the ages of 65 and 75 have some degree of hearing loss. The aging process causes degenerative changes in certain parts of your inner ear. These changes lead to inefficient transmission of sound signals to the brain resulting in hearing loss. Damage to the inner ear can also occur due to severe infections accompanied by fever.

Based on your answers you have a moderate risk of hearing loss. Hearing loss is a health condition that occurs when your ear does not function properly. Hearing loss can significantly affect the quality of your life. In terms of frequency, hearing loss is the third health problem in the United States. It is usually the result of damage to the inner ear. The impaired function of the inner ear can often be caused by prolonged exposure to loud noise. People who do jobs where loud noise is a regular part of the work environment have a higher risk of hearing loss (agricultural, construction or factory work).

Based on your answers you have a high risk of hearing loss. Hearing loss is a medical condition that refers to a reduced inability to hear sounds. Hearing loss can be a hereditary disease. In a large number of cases, excessive accumulation of earwax can temporarily reduce the conduction of sounds through the ear canal. Also a common cause of hearing loss is a ruptured eardrum. Sudden changes in pressure, poking of the eardrum with an object, and loud noise can cause the eardrum to rupture. If left untreated, infections of the outer, middle and inner ear can lead to varying degrees of hearing loss.