Deafness or hearing loss is the third most common health problem in many countries like the United States and should not be taken lightly since it can be acquired at any point in time. A lot of conditions can cause deafness and change the way you perceive normal sound. These include age-related hearing loss, disabilities, accidents, and even genetics. Let us look at the leading causes of deafness.

Exposure to too much noise
If you are overexposed to a lot of noise, and that too on a daily basis, the chances are that you might suffer from deafness quite soon.

Being in the army
If you are in the army or the military, you are likely to suffer from deafness due to constant exposure to the sound of gunshots and grenades. This could happen even during your training period if your ears are too sensitive.

Sudden hearing loss
Sudden hearing loss is caused by trauma or an accident and only happens in one of the ears. However, the chances are that it can happen only 10 to 15 percent of the times. This can be likened with the loss of speech that some people face in a highly traumatic situation.

Illness or infections
Many illnesses like heart diseases, high blood pressure, and ostosclerosis (a bone disease that occurs in the middle section of the ear) can also cause deafness. Sometimes, catching an ear infection can also lead to damage to the ear drum, that may ultimately lead to deafness.

Trauma
A skull fracture or puncture in your eardrum can cause the eardrum to be perforated or even cause it to tear at times. This can cause a serious amount of hearing loss and at many times, even complete deafness.

There are a lot of treatment methods for deafness. However, none of these can reverse the damage already done. All you can do is receive medical attention to prevent your hearing loss from degrading further. These include hearing aids, sign language, and lip reading.