There are various types of trauma that can cause hearing loss. In some cases that could be trauma to the ears. In other cases, traumatic brain injury (TBI) can cause short term or long term hearing loss.

In some cases, the primary cause of hearing loss might be age. However, it’s quite difficult to differentiate between age-related hearing loss and noise-induced hearing loss. In many cases, there is no functional difference.

Birth defects or congenital issues are the most common causes of hearing loss in younger people, including infants and children. That said, some issues may not develop into a noticeable problem until later in life.

Hearing relies on the passage of air vibrations through your outer ear to your middle ear and ear canal. If something obstructs your ear at any point along that pathway, hearing impairment can result. Hearing can usually be restored if the obstructions are removed.

Your ears can be prone to both primary and secondary infections. Severe or chronic ear infections can cause damage to your hearing ability, in some cases resulting in hearing loss.

Perhaps the most common cause of chronic hearing loss is damage to the ears due to overly loud noise. Sounds above an 85 dB threshold can cause slow, permanent degradation in your ability to hear.