There are many different things that can cause you to lose your hearing, but the most common cause is aging. Coincidentally, many people begin to lose their ability to digest lactose as they age as well, making it seem as though there's a link between lactose intolerance and hearing loss. There is not, however.
Lactose intolerance
According to MayoClinic.com, while it's possible for lactose intolerance to have a genetic cause -- in which case you'd be born unable to digest lactose -- it's more common that you'll digest milk sugar without difficulty as a child, and then begin to develop problems with dairy later in life. This is because aging bodies naturally produce less lactase, which is the enzyme your digestive tract uses to break down lactose for absorption.
Hearing Loss
It's also completely normal to begin to lose your hearing as you age. This is because the small hair cells in your inner ear that vibrate in response to sound -- and communicate the message of sound to your brain -- start to break off and you can't regenerate them. This causes deafness, often in specific sound registers. MayoClinic.com also notes that injury to the ear, exposure to very loud sounds, and a buildup of earwax can lead to hearing loss.
Connection
Lactose intolerance and hearing loss aren't related to one another at all in a causal manner. Instead, it's mere coincidence that many people begin to experience the two in a relatively short period of time, and is merely the result of aging. If you develop either lactose intolerance or loss of hearing suddenly -- particularly if you're not yet an older adult -- it's worth a visit to your doctor to determine why.
Solutions
If you're lactose intolerant, you can avoid dairy or select one of the many lactose-free dairy products instead. You may also elect to take lactase, which will supplement you with digestive enzymes and allow you to digest dairy for a short period of time. Unfortunately, unless your hearing loss is due to waxy buildup, which can be removed, there's nothing you can do to treat or reverse loss of hearing. You can, however, talk to a doctor about amplification devices.
