Causes of hearing loss...

Long term exposure to environmental noise, genetic factors, disease processes affecting the ear, medication and physical trauma can all lead to hearing loss.

Long term exposure to environmental noise - people living near airports or freeways are exposed to levels of noise that can, over time, lead to degraded hearing. So can using an iPod, more on noise ...

Genetic - Hearing loss can be inherited from your parents, more on genetic...

Disease or illness - there are many diseases and illnesses that can lead to hearing loss, more on disease ...

Medications - some can cause irreversible damage to the ear, more on medication ...

Physical trauma

• There can be damage either to the ear itself or to the brain centers that process the aural information conveyed by the ears.
• People who sustain head injury are especially vulnerable to hearing loss or tinnitus, either temporary or permanent.
• Exposure to very loud noise (90 dB or more, such as jet engines at close range) can cause progressive hearing loss. Exposure to a single event of extremely loud noise (such as explosions) can also cause temporary or permanent hearing loss.