Have you a family history of hearing loss? Have many members of your family had hearing loss issues? Some hearing disorder have a hereditary basis. So, let’s discover the genetic factors of hearing loss.
Genetic Factors of Hearing Loss
Gene mutations can make you more susceptible to hearing loss. If your parents carried genes with a hearing loss factor, they were more susceptible to it. What’s more, they may have passed this gene on to you. As a result, you may suffer from hereditary hearing loss.
Let’s say one of your parents has a malformation in the ear. In genetic terms, this information could make its way to you during pregnancy. Hence, your hearing loss could be genetic.
How Do Doctors Determine Whether Your Hearing Loss Is Hereditary?
Doctors can discover the genetic factors of hearing loss. Apart from checking your family history for instances of hearing loss, a physician can also carry out molecular tests. In these tests, physicians analyze the parents’ DNA and genetic information to find out if a predisposition to hearing loss exists.
The Two Types of Hereditary Hearing Loss
Two types of hereditary hearing loss exist; syndromic and non-syndromic. Non-syndromic hearing loss includes malformation in the ear. However, this malformation may not be detectable at birth. Instead, a predisposition to hearing loss is present in the child.
In contrast, syndromic hearing impairment involves a child born deaf. Syndromic hearing impairment is quite rare.
Approximately 70% of hereditary hearing loss is non-syndromic.
Final Thoughts
If you want to discover the genetic factors of hearing loss, it’s best to seek medical advice. Ultimately, your genes could make you more susceptible to hearing loss. What’s more, experts estimate that 35%-55% of age-related hearing loss may be hereditary.
No doubt, gene mutations can lead to hearing loss, and scientists are continuing to track and map them.
