Professor Christiane Volter stated that hearing loss has several causes, the most prominent being aging, injuries resulting from severe impacts, and excessive noise exposure. The German ENT doctor added that hearing loss can also be attributed to ear diseases such as blood circulation disorders in the inner ear, chronic or acute otitis media, eardrum perforation, and tumors in the auditory canal or middle ear. Additionally, hearing loss may be a symptom of certain diseases such as viral and bacterial infections, metabolic diseases like diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases such as strokes and brain infarctions, along with severe and continuous psychological stress.
On her part, Professor Birgit Matsurik explained that hearing loss has serious consequences, including an increased risk of falls and a decline in cognitive abilities. The German ENT doctor added that hearing loss also leads patients to social isolation due to the inability to communicate with others, which raises the risk of dementia and depression. Therefore, Matsurik emphasized the urgent need to treat hearing loss, preferably with hearing aids, while severe cases (such as eardrum perforation) may require surgery.
