What are the Leading Causes Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is defined by the total or partial sensitivity to sounds, which could otherwise be heard by normal hearing. Hearing loss can be defined through many categories. For our purposes we have summarized them into four categories which are:

• Mild hearing loss is characterized by the inability to keep pace in conversations in noisy environments. 
• Moderate hearing loss. The quietest sound that a person with moderate hearing loss can hear are sounds from 35 to 49 decibels. That is like the hum from a refrigerator. People with moderate hearing loss can benefit from the use of hearing aids. 
• Severe hearing loss will require the person to rely on lip-reading. They can try to correct their hearing by using powerful hearing aids. However, they still depend on reading lips even when they are equipped with hearing aids. The lowest sound a person with severe hearing loss can hear is the sound of moderate traffic, a busy restaurant, or an acoustic piano. 
• Profound hearing loss. People with profound hearing loss could benefit from an implant in their good ear or powerful hearing aids. They also make use of sign language and lip-reading. The lowest sound a person with profound hearing loss can hear is akin to the sound of a hairdryer or garbage disposal. 

1. What are the Main Causes of Hearing Loss? 

There are different causes of hearing loss. A baby can be born completely deaf, an adult can develop hearing loss due to old age or disease, and sometimes it can just happen. Let us explore some of the main causes of hearing loss. 

• Hearing loss in both ears is caused by age or being exposed to loud noises, especially if the hearing loss is gradual. 
• Damage from very loud noises can cause sudden hearing loss. 
• Some medications can cause partial hearing loss.  
• Hearing loss in one ear can be caused by a bony growth in the ear known as otosclerosis. Other times it might be a growth of skin cells in the ear, also known as cholesteatoma. Most of the time it is just a buildup of earwax which can be solved by cleaning by your local doctor. 

Sometimes sudden and abrupt hearing loss can be caused by a burst eardrum or Meniere’s disease. Meniere’s disease is a condition that affects the inner ear. Some symptoms such as feeling dizzy and nauseous, ringing and pressure inside the ear, and a drop in hearing loss. These happen all at once. If left untreated, it can lead to permanent hearing loss. 

2. How is Hearing Loss Determined? 

Hearing loss can be diagnosed through a couple of methods. Most of the time, your symptoms will alert your doctor on how best to approach your condition. For most people, it is a sudden and drastic drop in their hearing. Here are more methods that determine how hearing loss is determined:

• Audiometer tests: an audiometer is used to test a person’s hearing capacity. It records a patient’s response to variations in sound like different frequencies and different intensities. 
• Whisper tests or general screening tests: the whisper test is used to determine how bad or good a person’s hearing is by using voice in the form of a whisper. The patient is required to cover the tragus on the ear, and then someone else whispers from a distance. Different distances will determine what the patient can and cannot hear. However, this method is not accurate. 
• Tuning fork test: this test compares air conduction to conduction in the patient’s bones. A tuning fork is used to gently strike the elbow and estimate if the patient hears a sound at the center of their skull or in only one ear. This test can determine issues such as Meniere’s disease, fluid accumulation in the inner ear and other conditions. 
• Physical examinations. Physical examinations can be done by your general practitioner. Basically, it includes looking in a patient’s ear to determine if there is any inflammation or structural damage to your ear that could be causing ear loss. 
• Application-based hearing: believe it or not, there are apps on the apple store or play store where you can download applications that test your hearing. They help to diagnose up to a moderate hearing loss.  

Recommended: Prevention Measures for Hearing Loss

3. How is Hearing Loss Treated? 

Depending on how severe your hearing problems are, there are different approaches to treating hearing loss. Some of the approaches include:

• Cochlear implants. A cochlear implant is basically a hearing prosthetic. The work by stimulating the nerves in your ear directly. This means they go past your ear damage up to the nerves which stimulate hearing. Cochlear implants can help you to finally understand people and keep up conversations in social settings. 
• Clearing wax blockage. Wax is naturally produced in the ear. Sometimes, too much can be produced, leaving you deaf in one or both ears. This is a reversible situation. All your doctor needs to do is clean your ear and remove the wax using a suction. 
• Hearing aids. These can be recommended when the damage to your ears is in your inner ear. Hearing aids basically use the same principle as a real ear. They carry sound from your external ear and amplify it into your inner ear. Your doctor will take you through the benefits of being fitted with a hearing aid. It might give you the confidence to interact more freely. 
• Surgical procedures. Abnormalities that occur in the ear, such as a ruptured eardrum, or abnormal growths in the ear can be treated using surgical procedures. Repeated infections may also cause you to need a surgical procedure. 

4. Do you Need Help Managing Your Hearing Loss?

If you need help or assistance with your hearing loss or need any auditory testing to determine the level of loss that you have, contact the audiologists at Harbor Audiology. With 4 convenient locations across the state of Washington, they have the professionalism and experience necessary to help with a range of possible hearing issues.