Hearing Loss Facts
Hearing researchers believe that hearing loss in older adults is the accumulation of two or more causes. Most hearing losses are caused by:
- Exposure to loud noise
- Genetics (family history)
- The natural aging process. In most cases, there is damage to the microscopic hair cells (cilia) in the inner ear causing irreversible hearing loss. For the vast majority of individuals with nerve damage or sensorineural hearing loss, the damaged hair cells will function again if vigorously stimulated with amplification
Other causes of hearing loss include ototoxic drugs, viral and toxic illnesses, disturbance of fluid to the inner ear and excessive temporal bone growth in the inner ear. Only about five percent of all hearing losses are the result of structural damage to the ear. This type of loss is called a conductive hearing loss. Common causes are impacted wax, perforated eardrum, middle ear effusion, otosclerosis, cholesteatoma, and congenital anomalies.
Medical Referrals
All Advanced Hearing Center's hearing care centers are staffed by trained hearing health care providers who will assess your loss, and determine the best course of action. The Food and Drug Administration provides strict guidelines which must be followed in order to determine if a patient's hearing loss needs evaluation by a licensed physician specializing in diseases of the ear. If while conducting a FREE Hearing Evaluation, the Advanced Hearing Centers' professionals determine a medical examination is needed, the patient will be referred to the appropriate professional.
Possible Causes of Hearing Loss
Sensorineural Loss
Caused by damage to the inner ear or nerve pathway to the brain.
Age-Related
Known as presbycusis or nerve damage - very gradual, usually occurs in the higher frequency range vital to understanding speech. This kind of hearing loss affects about one third of the population 65 or older.
Noise Damage
Exposure to firearms, machinery or musical concerts - can result from single incident or prolonged exposure.
Disease
Ailments such as Meniere's Disease which affect the inner ear balance mechanism, and Otosclerosis which affects the functioning of the bones in the middle ear.
Trauma
Birth injury, skull fractures, viral infections, tumors and trauma such as sudden air pressure changes.
Medication
Large doses of aspirin, some forms of antibiotics, diuretics, and chemotherapy - obey dosage levels and consult your physician.
Conductive Loss
Conditions that interfere with the passage of sound through the outer, middle or inner ear - some may be treatable medically or surgically.
Ear Infections
Temporary hearing impairment can result from cold - or allergy-related fluid build-up in the ear and/or Eustachian tubes. Ear infections are the most common ailments among children.
Earwax or Objects
Hearing loss may simply be caused by an accumulation of earwax or foreign objects - let us examine and remove whatever is in there.
Other Factors
Smoking can block circulation in tiny inner ear blood vessels. Hearing loss can also be genetically inherited through a single gene or as part of a broader illness.
Hearing Loss in Children
Hearing loss in newborns
The first six months of an infant’s life are critical for intervention. During this period, the brain is able to allow a hearing impaired infant to develop excellent language skills. If intervention occurs after this time, the prognosis for normal language development decreases significantly.
As many as 15 out of 1000 babies are born in the United States each year with hearing loss.
All children, regardless of their hearing ability, go through a babbling phase. If a child stops verbalizing after this phase, seek help immediately.
Some forms of hearing loss appear later as a child grows and develops. For this reason, not only should children have their hearing screened at birth, but they should be tested and diagnosed any time a hearing loss is suspected. This is also true for adults.
Hearing loss in children
Otitis Media, an inflammation in the middle ear is the most common cause of hearing loss – usually, conductive and temporary. However when Otitis Media occurs over and over again, damage to the eardrum, the bones of the ear, or even the hearing nerve can occur and cause a permanent, sensorineural hearing loss.
Otitis Media occurs because, the eustachian tube is smaller and more horizontal in children than in adults. Therefore, it can be more easily blocked by conditions such as large adenoids and infections.
What can I do to prevent hearing loss?
The dangers of noise are often ignored because the damage is gradual. Noise adversely affects the delicate hair cells in the inner ear. Sensorineural hearing loss and often tinnitus (ringing of the ears) can often occur after exposure to noise.
Beware of:
- Motorized garden tools
- Loud music concerts
- Firecrackers
- Sounds of gunfire
- Roar of motorcycles and snowmobiles
- Noisy machinery
Protect Your Hearing:
- Limit exposure time to noisy activities
- Wear hearing protection - ear plugs or muffs
- Turn down the volume on the TV, stereo and walkman
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