Hearing Loss Overview
Did you know that 48 million Americans are diagnosed with significant hearing loss?
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Types of Hearing Loss
Conductive Hearing Loss
Definition: Occurs when sound waves are not efficiently conducted through the outer ear, ear canal, or middle ear.
Causes: Blockages (earwax), infections (otitis media), fluid in the middle ear, perforated eardrum, otosclerosis (abnormal bone growth in the middle ear), or malformations of the ear structures.
Treatment: Often treatable with medication, surgery, or hearing aids to bypass the blockage or damage.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Definition: Results from damage to the inner ear (cochlea) or the auditory nerve pathways.
Causes: Aging (presbycusis), exposure to loud noise, head trauma, certain medications (ototoxic drugs), genetic factors, illnesses (measles, mumps, meningitis), or congenital issues.
Treatment: Usually permanent and managed with hearing aids, cochlear implants, or assistive listening devices. In some cases, medical treatment may be necessary if the cause is related to an illness or medication.
Mixed Hearing Loss
Definition: A combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.
Causes: Any factors that contribute to both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss simultaneously, such as a head injury that damages both the middle and inner ear, or an infection that affects multiple parts of the ear.
Treatment: Addressing both components separately, which may involve a combination of medical treatments, surgery, and hearing aids or other assistive devices.
Each type of hearing loss requires a specific approach for diagnosis and treatment. Hearing care providers can conduct detailed assessments to determine the type and extent of hearing loss and recommend appropriate interventions.
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Causes of Hearing Loss
Hearing loss conditions can be caused by a plethora of reasons, ranging from a variety of medical conditions and disorders to obstruction to noise-induced, which all can affect our ability to hear or understand speech. Below is a list of causes of hearing loss:
- Congenital hearing loss (present at or soon after birth)
- Lack of oxygen at birth
- Inherited genetic disorder
- Head injury or trauma
- Major ear infections
- Aging
- Injury to the inner ear/eardrum
- Noise-induced hearing loss (exposure to loud noises)
Signs of Hearing Loss
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Early signs of hearing loss include:
- Difficulty hearing on the telephone or during video chatting
- Headaches or exhaustion from straining to listen or hear
- Asking people to continuously repeat themselves
- Feeling people are mumbling or speaking to softly
- Difficulty understanding speech in noisy places
- Turning up the volume too loud
Social signs of hearing loss include:
- Social bluffing or pretending to be able to hear when we actually can’t
- Lip-reading and body language are often used to fill in the gaps of not being able to hear
- Relying more often on visual cues
Did you know that on average, people with hearing loss wait seven years before seeking professional help?
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