Hearing and listening are important parts of everyday life. The ability to communicate through speech and sound is crucial, whether at home, in school, or at work. Because hearing loss can be inconvenient or embarrassing, it is often not discussed openly. As a result, hearing loss comes between people who could otherwise communicate well if they were aware of the problem.
What is hearing loss?
Hearing loss occurs when parts of the ears or the hearing nerve do not work the way they should. Hearing loss can result from a variety of causes, including exposure to loud noise, disease, heredity, injury, certain drugs, and aging. Most cases of hearing loss can be prevented. Treatment for hearing loss depends on the cause. Hearing loss can range from mild to profound. Mild hearing loss involves some difficulty in hearing, but it is not enough to affect day-to-day life. People with mild hearing loss may hear just fine in a quiet environment and with the help of hearing aids. Other people have hearing loss so profound that they are effectively deaf. These people may benefit from assistive devices such as hearing aids.
How to recognize hearing loss?
If you have noticed that people seem to be mumbling or not speaking clearly, you might have hearing loss. Turn up the volume on the television or radio. If you struggle to hear after turning the volume up, it is time to see your doctor. Other signs of hearing loss include people not speaking loudly or clearly being unable to make out what people are saying on the phone asking for people to repeat themselves, and often turning up the volume on television and radio. Finding out what causes your hearing loss will help your doctor decide on the best course of treatment.
What are the types of hearing loss?
Conductive hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss occurs when there is a problem in the outer or middle ear. This is the most common type of hearing loss, especially in older people, and it often occurs in combination with another kind of hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss can happen because of: impacted earwax infection injury to the eardrum or to the bones in the middle ear a ruptured eardrum tumor that grows in the middle ear otosclerosis, abnormal growth of bone in the middle ear or around the stapes bone Examples of conductive hearing loss include: middle ear infections (e.g., otitis media)
Sensorineural hearing loss - suffered by older adults and by people that work in noisy environments (e.g., construction workers, musicians, soldiers) a punctured eardrum a build-up of fluid in the middle ear (called otitis media with effusion) or a build-up of wax in the ear canal (called cerumen impaction) Ménière's disease, an inner ear disorder that causes hearing loss, vertigo, and tinnitus (noises in the ear), and that gets worse over time.
Treatment for Hearing Loss
Hearing loss usually occurs gradually over time. So, if you suspect you or a loved one is experiencing hearing loss, it is important to see a doctor who specializes in ear disorders. Depending on the cause of the hearing loss, the doctor may recommend further evaluation by an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat surgeon), an audiologist (hearing specialist), a speech-language pathologist, or an auditory-verbal therapist. Treatment options depend on the type and severity of the hearing loss. Hearing aids can improve hearing. Hearing aids are the most common treatment for hearing loss. There are different hearing aid styles, including behind-the-ear hearing aids (BTE) (worn behind the ear) in-the-ear hearing aids (ITE) (worn in the ear) canal aids (CIC) (completely in the canal) in-the-canal (ITC) (only a small part of the aid shows above the canal) hearing aids that connect to smartphones and other Bluetooth-enabled devices cochlear implants (implanted in the inner ear) auditory brainstem implants (implanted on the brain stem)
Hearing loss affects people in different ways. Some people can benefit from hearing aids or other devices that help compensate for hearing loss. Others may benefit from learning how to communicate better. If you have hearing loss, you should talk to your doctor.
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