Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Know the Facts

Untreated hearing can cause devastating results. If you notice anything peculiar in the way that you hear or interpret sounds, it’s crucial to get it professionally checked out as soon as possible.

Minor hearing loss is fairly common among older adults. Do you notice that people are telling you that the TV is too loud? Are you avoiding social situations in noisy environments because you get frustrated with not being able to hear properly? It might be time to consider a hearing aid. 

You can request an appointment at a locally owned and operated clinic such as Acoustica Hearing Clinic — they offer free hearing evaluations and top-of-the-line hearing aid technology, including rechargeable and custom hearing aids.

There are four main types of hearing loss, and the most common is called Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Let’s take a look at its causes, symptoms, and how to treat it.

What is Sensorineural Hearing Loss and What are the Causes?

There are tiny hair cells that detect sound inside our inner ears, as is the hearing nerve that transmits that sound to the brain. Age, sound, head trauma, and disease that damage the hair cells can result in sensorineural hearing loss, and it can be experienced in one ear or in both.

It’s possible to be born with this type of hearing loss, but it’s more likely to acquire it over time. Age-related hearing loss is the most common cause of sensorineural hearing loss, and it can vary in degree from mild to severe and can worsen slowly with time.

Symptoms 

It’s difficult to identify the symptoms that are specific to sensorineural hearing loss only. It’s a type of hearing loss that develops gradually — you don’t wake up overnight not being able to hear properly, you will instead slowly lose the ability to hear. Both how clearly (clarity) and how loudly (volume) affect how you perceive sound. 

You might also find that louder sounds are uncomfortable to hear compared to how you have perceived them in the past. For example, perhaps you once loved fireworks shows, but now find the loud, booming sounds practically unbearable. 

If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s likely that you suffer from hearing loss, and very likely that it’s sensorineural hearing loss:

• Trouble understanding verbal information in public — at restaurants, stores, work, or on loudspeakers
• Finding it confusing to be in conversations with more than two people or when there’s background noise
• Sounds seem muffled and people sound like they’re mumbling
• Trouble understanding phone conversations
• Difficulty hearing high-pitched noises

Make an appointment with your local hearing clinic if you experience any of these symptoms.

Treatment

Often this type of hearing loss can be treated with the assistance of a hearing aid. 

There are many kinds of hearing aids on the market today, including invisible hearing aids that are hidden from view in the second bend of the ear canal.

A hearing aid can help you enjoy life again. Book your appointment for a hearing evaluation today.