Hearing Loss

There are many different reasons for hearing loss and several different clinical types, but it basically means full or partial loss of the ability to detect or understand sounds. Hearing loss can affect anyone, it doesn’t only affect older people. Even children can lose their hearing.

Symptoms of Hearing Loss

Many people don’t even realize that they are losing their hearing (usually hearing loss is a ongoing thing that gets progressively worse) until they notice one of the following typical symptoms of hearing loss:

* you have difficulty in understanding what people are saying.

* you listen to TV or audio at higher volume as before.

* you have pain in your ear or the area around your ear.

* you have a family history of hearing loss.

* you have been exposed to very high levels of noise.

* you have difficulty hearing the phone ring.

Types of Hearing Loss

There are several different types of hearing loss depending on the underlying cause of the hearing loss. The common types of hearing loss include:

Conductive Hearing Loss

Conductive hearing loss involves some sort of obstruction or blockage in the outer or middle ear. It can usually be treated successfully by medical or simple surgical procedures. A great example of this is imagining a large glob of ear wax clogging your ear. You will have some hearing loss as a result of the wax blocking or partially blocking the sound waves from reaching the inner parts of your ear.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sensory hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss. It involves either the inner ear, the auditory nerve called the Vestibulocochlear nerve or the brain itself. Sensory hearing loss it is most commonly treated by the use of a hearing air instrument to amplify sounds so that they can be heard by the wearer.

Mixed Hearing Loss

Mixed hearing loss is the the result of both conductive and sensorineural components.

Causes of Hearing Loss

In addition to the types of hearing loss described above there are many underlying reasons that hearing loss could occur.

Disease & Illnesses Causing Hearing Loss

There are many diseases and illnesses that can cause loss of hearing in people, however, with a few exceptions it seems hearing loss is rare effect. Common diseases that can cause hearing loss include: Measles, Meningitis, HIV/Aids, Mumps, Otosclerosis, Autoimmune Disease and many other common conditions and diseases. As with all hearing loss, someone experiencing it should be properly checked by a trained and licensed medical doctor.

Genetic Hearing Loss

Genetic conditions and mutations can also be the root cause of hearing loss. Common birth defects like irregular ear hair follicles can really play a number on someone’s hearing. Many times the condition will not manifest until the adult years.

Presbycusis

Presbycusis is a common medical condition that will affect most people once they start reaching their mid-20′s. The exact cause is unknown although it usually progresses slowly and can be managed at severe levels with the use of a hearing aid. Presbycusis can be easily determined by the ability or lack of ability to hear certain frequency tones. Try the free hearing test to determine which tones you can hear.

Noice Induced Hearing Loss

We experience sounds in our environment all the time. We hear noises and sounds from television and radio, household appliances, and traffic. We normally hear these sounds at safe levels that don’t affect our hearing. However, when we become exposed to harmful sounds that are either way too loud or loud sounds for an extended period of time, sensitive structures in our inner ear can become permanently damaged. This damage can cause noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). These structures, called hair cells, are small sensory cells that convert sound energy into electrical signals that travel to the brain that translates the signals into the sounds we recognize. Once these hair cells are damaged they cannot grow back.