Can Vitamins Help Protect against Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss

Hearing impairment – most commonly referred to as deafness or hearing loss – is something that often occurs as part of the normal aging process. It is a full or partial decrease in the ability to detect and understand sounds and can be caused by a great number of factors; age, ear canal obstruction, problems within the membranes of the inner ear and long-term exposure to loud environmental noises. Hearing loss can also be genetic, or it can develop as a result of a disease such as measles, which can cause auditory nerve damage; or meningitis, which can cause damage to the auditory nerve or the cochlea. Physical trauma, such as exposure to jet engine noise at an exceptionally close range, or an explosion, can also result in hearing loss.

Traditional thinking has most individuals believing that hearing loss is simply an inevitable consequence of aging. Your body begins to break down, systems cease to work efficiently or stop working altogether, and hearing loss is simply another inevitable byproduct of age. But is this really the case? Many people believe that hearing loss may not necessarily be related simply to growing older, but might be caused by deficiencies in correct vitamin levels in older individuals. In recent years a variety of studies have been undertaken to determine whether or not different nutritional supplements can decrease or even prevent hearing loss.

Traditional Treatment

The treatment of hearing impairment or complete hearing loss varies. The most common treatments are electronic hearing aids. These devices, which are worn either in or behind the individual’s ear, are specifically designed to amplify and modulate sound for the wearer.

Cochlear implants are more modern devices that have increasing levels of complexity and effectiveness, and are used to treat a wide range of hearing impairments. But there is a controversial issue with cochlear implants. Some scientists believe that certain genetically deaf children can have a device surgically implanted in their ears at a young age and through the use of appropriate rehabilitative auditory and verbal therapy can gain effective hearing and speech over time. However, the deaf community as a whole is divided over this treatment option. While individuals who have lost their hearing late in life usually choose to be voluntarily fitted with a cochlear implant, some object to a small child being fitted with a device. This is based upon the belief that placement in oral-only programs, that emphasize the ability to speak and listen, denies the child the opportunity to rely upon the tried-and-true methods of communication such as sign language and further differentiates the child as having a ‘disability’.

Research is ongoing, with a study performed in 2005 at the Oregon Hearing Research Center successfully re-growing cochlea cells in guinea pigs. A follow-up study in 2008 showed that gene therapy targeting Atoh1 can cause re-growth of the cells as well as stimulating neuronal processes in embryonic mice. The hope is that one day similar treatment will completely rid humans of the trauma of hearing loss.

There are also a variety of devices that people use in their daily lives that are considered adaptive techniques, such as the TDD system for communication over the telephone, allowing people affected with hearing loss to communicate through the use of text. Webcams and video phones are also helpful as the individuals in question can rely upon sign language for long-distance communication.

New Ideas in the Modern World

Current research indicates that vitamin deficiency is part of the reason why humans begin to lose their hearing as they age. In one study, the University of Florida, along with the University of Michigan and OtoMedicine, gave guinea pigs vitamin supplements prior to a four-hour exposure to a 110-decibel level of sound – similar to what one would be exposed to at a loud concert. They then checked the animals’ hearing and found that the treatment – a complex cocktail of vitamins composed of beta-carotene and vitamins C and E along with mineral magnesium – successfully prevented temporary hearing loss in the mice. While temporary hearing loss in humans is just that – temporary – it is well known to be a leading cause of permanent hearing loss if it is repeated over time, and scientists speculate that prevention of temporary loss can ultimately prevent the permanent transition.

A second study performed by the University of Florida in conjunction with Washington University in St. Louis and OtoMedicine, showed that the vitamin cocktail prevented permanent noise-induced hearing loss from single, loud-sound exposure, with the researchers believing that the supplement helps to prevent cell loss in the lateral wall, a condition linked to age-related hearing loss. This evidence leads scientists to believe that these supplements could well protect the ear against age-related changes as well.

The United States Air Force has undertaken a series of studies into ways to prevent hearing loss associated with continual noise. They have found that magnesium treatment has repeatedly been shown to reduce the incidence of the types of hearing loss associated with extreme noise levels. Author Dr. Carolyn Dean wrote a book called “The Magnesium Miracle” in which she states her belief that industrialized countries have an epidemic on their hands in regard to magnesium deficiency in humans.

Many scientists believe that noise-induced hearing loss is directly related to the production of free radicals, which can destroy the cells of the inner ear. Antioxidants are considered to be a mandatory solution because they literally prevent free radicals from oxidizing in the body. Vitamins such as vitamins C and E, along with lipoic acid and glutathione, have all been used in various studies to treat hearing loss, with varying degrees of success.

In addition, there are also natural methods proposed which have been evaluated in several double-blind, placebo-controlled trials with great success. Magnesium is one that is well known, but the other is ginkgo. Ginkgo biloba is an herb believed to increase circulation, and in one study 106 participants involved showed some improvement in their hearing, although the placebo used was simply a lower dose of the herb so the findings were ruled inconclusive. In any event, additional research will need to be conducted to determine the full long-term effects of vitamin supplements on hearing loss and its treatment.

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