Anyone who’s experienced hearing loss knows how debilitating it can be. But the good news is that our understanding of what causes us to lose our hearing is continually expanding, and the more we understand the causes, the more we can effectively treat the condition.

In the past, the belief has been that noise-induced hearing loss is caused by the intense vibrations that occur when we’re exposed to loud noises, but recent studies suggest that it’s the formation of free radicals in the ear as a result of these loud noises that is actually much more detrimental to our hearing.

What the heck are free radicals?

First, let’s take a quick trip back to science class: electrons surround atoms in layers called shells, and every shell requires a fixed number of electrons. When an atom’s outermost shell lacks the required number of electrons, the atom will bond with another atom in order to complete its shell. This creates what is known as a free radical.

When too many free radicals are present in our bodies, it can lead to oxidative stress, which causes damage to the body’s cells and essentially speeds up the aging process. Oxidative stress can also lead to a wide variety of debilitating medical conditions like diabetes, cancer, and, yes, hearing loss.

So how do free radicals damage your hearing?

In the past, the common consensus among scientists has been that noise-induced hearing loss results from damage to sensory hair cells in the inner-ear. The conventional wisdom was that loud noises trigger vibrations that damage these hair cells, but now scientists are beginning to understand that hearing loss is caused, at least in part, when in-ear cell mitochondria release free radicals in response to loud noises.

When exposed to loud noises, free radicals are immediately released, and then released again several days after exposure to the loud noise. Since it’s widely understood that free radicals lead to cell death, this can have an adverse impact on the sensory cells in the ear. (1)

The good news

The good news is that antioxidants have been proven in animal studies to help reduce noise-induced hearing loss when ingested before and after exposure to loud noises. By binding themselves to free radicals and essentially hindering their ability to wreak havoc on our sensory cells, magnesium and antioxidants like vitamins A, C, E, are effective at preventing free radicals from causing damage to our hearing.

And there’s more good news: Lucid Wellness’s Lucid Hearing supplement contains all three of these antioxidants and magnesium, all of which play significant roles in combating and reducing hearing loss. Two capsules taken daily, before and after the exposure to loud noises, will supply these vital antioxidants and could help preserve your hearing.

Get some now, and read more about your hearing health on our blog! 

Sources

(1)