Hearing loss can run in families, though you won’t always be as susceptible as your parents, siblings or grandparents. At West Valley Hearing Center on Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills, audiologists Jane Rosner, Au.D., Amit Gosalia, Au.D., and Lizette Montes, Au.D., can evaluate your hearing in the context of your family history and explain how genetics may affect your hearing health. If hearing loss is common among your relatives, early testing and protective habits belong at the top of your list, since they help preserve your hearing and catch changes sooner.
How Do Genes Cause Hearing Loss?
Genes cause hearing loss when changes in them affect how the ear develops or functions. Most genetic hearing loss is sensorineural, meaning it involves the hair cells of the inner ear or the auditory nerve, and it may be present at birth or develop later in life.
Genetic hearing loss generally falls into two categories. Nonsyndromic hearing loss accounts for about 70% of genetic cases and occurs without other medical symptoms. Syndromic hearing loss makes up the remaining 30% and occurs alongside other health conditions, such as Usher, Pendred, and Waardenburg syndromes.
Could Your Child Inherit Hearing Loss Even if You Hear Normally?
Yes, your child could inherit hearing loss even if you and your partner hear normally, because the odds depend on the inheritance pattern of the specific gene involved. Depending on the pattern, a child’s chance may range from no risk to 50% or higher.
The main inheritance patterns include:
- Autosomal dominant: Only one changed gene from one parent is needed, giving each child a 50% chance of inheriting the condition.
- Autosomal recessive: Both parents carry one changed gene without having hearing loss themselves, giving each child a 25% chance of inheriting the condition.
- X-linked: The changed gene is on the X chromosome, so males are more likely to be affected, while females are often carriers.
- Mitochondrial: The condition is passed only by the mother and can affect all of her children.
Autosomal recessive inheritance accounts for about 80% of nonsyndromic genetic hearing loss, which explains why most infants with hearing loss are born to parents with normal hearing. Even within the same family, severity and age of onset can vary from one person to another.
Which Signs of Genetic Hearing Loss Appear in Babies and Adults?
Signs of genetic hearing loss differ by age, because the condition may appear at birth, during childhood, or later in adulthood. Some forms are congenital and identified through newborn hearing screening, while others are progressive and develop gradually over years or decades.
Congenital hearing loss affects up to three in every 1,000 babies, and inherited genetic factors contribute to about 60% of hearing loss in infants. In young children, signs may include not reacting to loud sounds, not turning toward voices, or delays in speech and language development.
Later-onset genetic hearing loss often develops slowly, which can make it easy to overlook. Adults may notice:
- Difficulty following conversations in noisy places
- Asking others to repeat themselves
- Turning up the television or phone volume
- Ringing or buzzing in the ears
Because gradual changes can go unnoticed, family members are often the first to recognize them.
When Should You Schedule a Hearing Test in Woodland Hills?
You should schedule a hearing test as soon as you notice changes in your hearing, and if you have a family history of hearing loss, baseline testing and regular evaluations can help even before symptoms appear.
Almost all hospitals screen newborns for hearing loss within the first few days of life. Children who pass newborn screening but have a family history of hearing loss may still benefit from monitoring, since some genetic forms develop later.
For adults, a baseline hearing evaluation provides a reference point for tracking changes over time. Our audiologists can perform a comprehensive hearing test, discuss your family history, and recommend how often you should return for follow-up testing. When a genetic cause is suspected, they may recommend a referral for genetic counseling or testing. Currently, no genetic test can predict whether a person will develop age-related hearing loss, which makes regular hearing evaluations especially important.
What Daily Habits Protect Your Hearing When Genetics Raise Your Risk?
If genetics raise your risk, the daily habits that best protect your hearing are limiting noise exposure, using hearing protection, reviewing medications with your healthcare providers, managing your overall health, and keeping up with regular hearing evaluations.
Because some genes can make the inner ear more vulnerable to damage, avoiding additional strain is especially important. Wearing earplugs or earmuffs around loud equipment, concerts, or firearms and keeping headphone volume at moderate levels can reduce noise exposure. Some medications can affect hearing, so tell your healthcare providers about a family history of hearing loss before starting new prescriptions.
Overall health also plays a role. Conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes may increase the risk of hearing loss, so managing these conditions supports long-term hearing health.
When hearing loss does develop, our audiologists can recommend options such as hearing aids and track changes over time to adjust your care as needed.
Start With a Baseline Hearing Test at West Valley Hearing Center
If hearing loss runs in your family, a hearing evaluation with Jane Rosner, Amit Gosalia or Lizette Montes is a practical place to start. The visit establishes your baseline and helps determine whether you need treatment now or ongoing monitoring.
Call or text 818-208-6025 or contact West Valley Hearing Center to schedule an appointment at our Ventura Boulevard office in Woodland Hills.