Hearing loss is a sudden or gradual decrease in how well you hear. It can be mild or severe, temporary or permanent. Congenital hearing loss means you are born without Hearing. Gradual hearing loss happens over time and can affect people of all ages. If you have Hearing Loss, you may not be aware of it, especially if it has happened over time. Your family members or friends may notice that you’re having trouble understanding what others are saying. There are some ways you can deal with hearing loss. And hearing aids and other devices can help you hear.
Symptoms of hearing loss
The symptoms of hearing loss can vary depending on the type of hearing loss, the cause of hearing loss, and the degree of loss.In general, people who have hearing loss may experience any or all of the following:
- Difficulty understanding everyday conversation
- A feeling of being able to hear but not understand
- Asking others to repeat often
- Avoidance of social situations that were once enjoyable
- Tinnitus, or ringing and/or buzzing sounds in the ears
Causes of hearing loss
Hearing loss can have many different causes. For example:
- Sudden hearing loss in one ear may be due to earwax, an ear infection, a perforated (burst) eardrum or Ménière’s disease.
- Sudden hearing loss in both ears may be due to damage from a very loud noise, or taking certain medicines that can affect hearing.
- Gradual hearing loss in one ear may be due to something inside the ear, such as fluid (glue ear), a bony growth (otosclerosis) or a build-up of skin cells (cholesteatoma)
- Gradual hearing loss in both ears is usually caused by ageing or exposure to loud noises over many years.
How hearing loss can occur
Causes of hearing loss include:
- Damage to the inner ear. Aging and exposure to loud noise may cause wear and tear on the hairs or nerve cells in the cochlea that send sound signals to the brain. When these hairs or nerve cells are damaged or missing, electrical signals aren’t transmitted as efficiently, and hearing loss occurs.
- It may become difficult for you to pick out words against background noise. Heredity may make you more prone to these changes. This type of hearing loss is known as sensorineural hearing loss, which is permanent.
- A gradual buildup of earwax. Earwax can block the ear canal and prevent conduction of sound waves. This can be restored with earwax removal.
- Ear infection and abnormal bone growths or tumors. In the outer or middle ear, any of these can cause hearing loss.
Hearing loss treatments
Hearing loss is a medical condition that has many tried-and-true treatment options. Finding the right treatment is a joint venture between you and your hearing care professional, and if done properly, takes into consideration the following factors:
- Type of hearing loss
- Severity of hearing loss
- Cause, if known
- Your lifestyle
- Your budget
Some types of hearing loss, especially conductive types, can be medically or surgically corrected but others cannot. The most common treatment for sensorineural hearing loss is hearing aids. Hearing aids are widely available in a range of styles, colors, sizes, technology levels and price points.
Your doctor will do a physical exam and ask about your symptoms and past health. He or she also may look in your ears with a lighted device called an otoscope. If your doctor thinks that you have hearing loss, he or she will do hearing tests to check whether you have hearing loss and find out how severe it is. You may be referred to an audiologist to do the tests.
