Hearing loss

Hearing loss is a partial or total inability to perceive sounds, and can occur in one or both ears. It can manifest at any age, ranging from birth (congenital) to old age (presbycusis), and has various potential causes.

International Symbol for Deafness

Types of Hearing Loss

• Hearing loss can be classified into three main categories based on the part of the auditory system that is affected:
• Conductive Hearing Loss: Occurs when sound is not conducted efficiently through the outer ear canal to the eardrum and the tiny bones (ossicles) of the middle ear.
• Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Occurs when there is damage to the inner ear (cochlea) or to the nerve pathways from the inner ear (retrocochlear) to the brain.
• Mixed Hearing Loss: A combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.

Causes

Various factors may contribute to hearing loss, including genetics, age, exposure to noise, infections, birth complications, certain medications, and trauma. Conditions such as otosclerosis or Meniere's disease can also cause hearing loss.

Symptoms

Symptoms may include difficulty understanding words, especially against background noise or in a crowd, trouble hearing consonants, frequently asking others to speak more slowly, clearly and loudly, needing to turn up the volume of the television or radio, withdrawal from conversations and avoidance of some social settings.

Diagnosis

Hearing loss is diagnosed using a series of tests including pure tone audiometry, speech tests, middle ear tests, auditory brainstem responses, and otoacoustic emission (OAE) measurements.

Treatment

Treatment depends on the cause and severity of the hearing loss and may include removal of wax or surgical procedures, hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other assistive devices. In some cases, speech reading (such as lip reading and using visual cues to aid communication) and sign language may be recommended.

Prevention

Hearing loss can be prevented by immunization against certain infectious diseases; avoiding loud noise; using protective equipment such as earplugs in noisy environments; and refraining from inserting foreign objects into the ears.

See Also

• Audiology
• Cochlear implant
• Otosclerosis
• Meniere's disease
• Presbycusis

References

• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2023). Types of Hearing Loss. Retrieved from https://www.asha.org/public/hearing/types-of-hearing-loss/
• Mayo Clinic. (2023). Hearing Loss. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/symptoms-causes/syc-20373072
• World Health Organization. (2023). Deafness and hearing loss. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss

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