Think about the traits that have been passed along through your family. You, your mother and your grandmother might all have blue eyes. Your children might have the same curly hair as you. All of your cousins might be tall or have a similarly shaped nose. You and your siblings might even have the same freckles.
While the traits look different for every family, the reach of our genes goes beyond the surface, extending to medical conditions that can be passed from parents to their children and descendants. This even includes hearing loss; there are several heritable genetic conditions that affect our ability to hear.
This passing of genetic conditions means that disabilities and their related side effects, which includes hearing loss, can play a role in later generations’ lives. For grandparents and parents, understanding the effects that genetics might have on future generations ensures that they can also pass on the knowledge and tools to more successfully identify and deal with inherited conditions.
Never underestimate the importance of ear care, your hearing might depend on it.
Found in every single cell of the human body, genes are the most basic unit of heredity information passed down from parent to child. They form specific patterns to make up our DNA and instruct the body on how to grow and develop. Through the sharing of genetic information, parents pass on characteristics like hair and eye color, as well as physiological attributes and conditions.
Hearing loss is among the conditions that can be passed down through genetic information. It can stem from a mutation or absence of genes that affect the way the ears are physically formed, or the way they function. If more than one person in a family has genetic hearing loss, it’s known as “familial,” as it runs in the family.
If hearing loss is in the parents’ genes, their children’s hearing can be evaluated at birth to determine if a hearing loss does exist. The specifics of an inherited genetic condition will dictate when, how, and the amount of hearing loss. Hearing loss when present at birth is known as congenital hearing loss. Fifty to 60% of congenital hearing loss stem from genetic causes. ²
However, just because the genes are in your family, doesn’t necessarily mean that every family member will experience hearing loss. As with physical traits, not every family member inherits every gene. Not everyone will inherit the gene mutation or medical condition that causes hearing loss, or its effects and incidence might vary by a person’s sex. Each case is unique, but by understanding the role genetics plays in our bodies and our medical histories, we can better prepare to manage our hearing in the future..
To understand the conditions and diseases that cause hearing loss, it's important to first look at the types of hearing loss and how each affects sound processing in the body. Each type correlates to a specific region or condition and affects your hearing health in its own way. The type of hearing loss you have will also determine which treatment options are best for you.
As its name suggests, mixed hearing loss is a combination of both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. In many cases, it takes place when there is damage occurring over time as well as some trauma or disease that damages the ear. Mixed hearing loss symptoms include difficulty hearing specific consonants, tinnitus or problems understanding conversation in crowded spaces, a fullness sensation in the ears, and/or intermittent hearing loss.
Hereditary hearing loss is almost always sensorineural, not conductive or miixed.
One of the best ways to care for your ears and prevent hearing loss is to get them properly examined by a hearing care professional. Find your nearest Miracle-Ear store to get started on your journey to better hearing.
Several genetic medical conditions are associated with hearing loss. Let’s explore some of these conditions and how they affect hearing:
Otosclerosis is a medical condition that causes abnormal bone growth in the middle ear, resulting in conductive hearing loss in one or both ears. This spongy bone growth prevents the ear bones from vibrating normally to conduct sound waves. Considered the most common cause of middle-ear hearing loss in young adults, otosclerosis typically begins in early to mid-adulthood and is more prevalent in women. Symptoms include slowly worsening hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo.
Despite the heritability of certain causes of hearing loss, there are ways to address and manage it. Treatments depend on the specifics of your condition, but there are ways to manage your hearing health that allow you to live life to the fullest. Here are a few first steps you can take:
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