Hearing Loss can occur at any age, and for a number of reasons. Depending on the type, treatment may vary. Basically, hearing loss could be conductive, sensorineural or mixed, that is both conductive and sensorineural. While there is problem in conducting sound waves along the outer ear, eardrum and middle ear in the conductive type of hearing loss,
sensorineural type describes the situation in which the root cause is in the outer ear, cranial nerve or central auditory processing parts of the brain.
Symptoms
Most people believe that hearing loss affects only older people. According to research, 20% of adults in America report of hearing problems. While the problem is a common one, a lot of people do not know what the symptoms are until it becomes too late. Below are symptoms that may develop when one starts to have hearing problems:
• Difficulty in Understanding what people are saying.
• Muffled voices.
• Difficulty in picking out people’s voices among other noise.
• Listening to TV programs and Radio at higher volumes than usual.
• Depression
• Ear pain, itching and irritation.
• Fluid coming out of the ear due to infection.
Causes of Hearing Loss
Gradual exposure to Loud Music and Aging
Gradual exposure to loud music and aging could lead to damage of the nerve cells that send sound signal to the brain. When there is no nerve cell to send sound messages to the brain, there is shortage in the hearing abilities which could cause higher pitch sounds to appear like muffles.
Earwax buildup
The buildup of earwax can block the ear canal and prevent the conduction of sound waves.
Ear Infection and Unhealthy Ear Growth
In the outer or middle ear, the presence of an infection, or worse the growth of a tumor would greatly affect hearing.
Damaged Ear Drums
When the eardrum is ruptured, or there is a tympanic membrane perforation which is caused by loud blast of noise that suddenly changes in pressure. This can easily cause, at best, an infection or, at worst, a perforated ear drum which in turn affects the level of hearing loss.
Hearing Solutions
The first step into getting hearing solution is making a timely visit to your audiologists. This is an important aspect of curing loss of hearing because audiologists would easily tell you specifically, through a full test, what is causing it. From there, it is easier to administer a hearing solution. Also, the audiologists may recommend hearing aids which are of different types, design, functions and costs. Although, hearing aids would not correct hearing loss totally, they are still very effective in many situations.