Hearing Loss
Hearing loss currently affects some 28.6 million people, or 10 percent of the population. It is the third most common chronic health condition in the United States. One out of every three adults over 65 has some level of hearing loss.
Signs and symptoms of hearing loss may include:
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Muffled quality of speech and other sounds
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Can “hear” but not understand words
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Difficulty understanding words, especially against background noise or in a crowd of people
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Frequently asking others to speak more slowly, clearly and loudly
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Needing to turn up the volume of the television or radio
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Withdrawal from conversations
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Avoidance of some social situations
Types of Hearing Loss
There are different types and varying degrees of hearing loss. Some hearing losses can be treated medically while others may be permanent. Hearing loss is classified according to which part of the auditory system is affected. Generally there are three types of hearing loss: conductive, sensorineural and mixed.
Conductive Hearing Loss
Conductive hearing loss is the result of disorders in either the outer or middle ear, which prevent sound from getting to the inner ear. Voices and sounds may sound faint, distorted or both.
Some common causes of conductive hearing loss:
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Fluid in the middle ear
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Perforation or scarring of the eardrum
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Wax build-up
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Dislocation of the ossicles (three middle-ear bones)
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Foreign objects in the ear canal
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Otosclerosis
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Unusual growths, tumors
Most conductive hearing loss can be helped medically or surgically if treated promptly.
Conductive Hearing Loss
Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when inner ear nerves become damaged and do not properly transmit their signals to the brain. Patients may complain that people seem to mumble or that they hear, but do not understand, what is being said. The aging process is the most common cause of sensorineural hearing loss. As we get older, the inner ear nerves and sensory cells gradually die.
In addition to advancing age, sensorineural hearing loss can be caused by:
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Injury
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Excessive noise exposure
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Viral infections (such as measles or mumps)
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Ototoxic drugs (medications that damage hearing)
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Meningitis
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Diabetes
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Stroke
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High fever
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Ménière’s disease
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Acoustic tumors
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Heredity
Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss among adults (occurs in 80 percent of adult cases). It is not often medically or surgically treatable. Most sensorineural hearing loss can be successfully treated with hearing aids.
Mixed Hearing Loss
If a hearing loss is the result of both conductive and sensorineural components, it is known as a mixed hearing loss.