Ask The Doc | Hello, Can You Hear Me?
Understanding Hearing Loss
If you take your ears for granted, listen up: hearing loss is the third most common health problem and it is on the rise. When hearing goes, it may affect quality of life and relationships.
Causes
Certain conditions, including age, illness, and genetics, may contribute to hearing loss. Over several generations, modern life has added a host of ear-damaging elements to the list, including some medications and plenty of sources of loud, continuous noise.
- Advanced age is the most common cause of hearing loss. One out of three people aged 65-74 has some level of hearing loss. After age 75, that ratio goes up to one out of every two people.
- Noise wears down hearing if it’s loud or continuous. In some workplaces, ears are exposed to dangerous noise levels every day.
- Certain medications can impair hearing and/or balance. More than 200 medications and chemicals have a track record of triggering hearing and/or balance side effects.
- Sudden hearing loss, the rapid loss of 30 decibels or more of hearing ability, can happen over several hours or days. (A normal conversation is 60 decibels.) In nine out of 10 cases, sudden hearing loss affects only one ear.
- Certain illnesses, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, put ears at risk.
- Trauma, especially that which involves a skull fracture or punctured eardrum, puts ears at serious risk for hearing loss.
- Infection or ear wax can block ear canals and reduce hearing.
Symptoms of Hearing Loss
In many cases, hearing fades so slowly. You may think that people are mumbling more, your spouse needs to speak up, and the telephone is an inferior communication device. As long as some sound still comes in, you may assume your hearing is fine.
At the early stage of hearing loss, high-pitched sounds, such as children’s and female voices, and the sounds “S” and “F” become harder to decipher. Other symptoms of hearing loss include:
- Trouble understanding phone conversations
- Trouble hearing above background noise
- Trouble following a conversation when more than one person speaks at once
- Perception that people are not speaking clearly or mumbling
- Often misunderstanding what people say and responding inappropriately
- Often having to ask people to repeat themselves
- Frequent complaints by others that the TV is too loud
- Ringing, roaring, or hissing sounds in the ears, known as tinnitus
Levels of Hearing Loss
Doctors classify hearing loss by degrees: from mild, moderate, severe, or profound.
- Mild hearing loss. One-on-one conversations are fine but it becomes hard to catch every word in the presence of background noise.
- Moderate hearing loss. You often need to ask people to repeat themselves during in-person and telephone conversations.
- Severe hearing loss. Following a conversation is almost impossible without a hearing aid.
- Profound hearing loss. You cannot hear other people speaking, unless they are extremely loud. Without a hearing aid or cochlear implant you cannot understand speech.
Treatment for Hearing Loss
Treatment depends on the type and source of hearing loss.
- Hearing loss caused by infection can often be treated with antibiotics.
- Surgery may reverse hearing loss caused by otosclerosis, scar tissue or infection.
- If you think your hearing loss stems from medication use, talk with your doctor.
- People with permanent hearing loss need to learn how to function with the hearing they still have. Most people with permanent hearing loss can benefit from using a hearing aid
- Other sound-enhancing technologies include personal listening systems that allow you to tune in to what you want to hear and mute other sounds.
- Different kinds of phone-amplifying devices are available to make conversations possible on home and mobile phones.
- Cochlear implants are used mainly with young children but are becoming more popular among older adults with profound hearing loss.
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Have your ears tested today with:
Franco Coetzee Hearing Practice
Shop 10, First Floor Station Square (New Woolworths Centre), Hermanus
Call: 028 312 1307 to make an appointment
Hearing loss is often permanent, so do what you can to protect one of your most valuable natural assets.
PLEASE NOTE (IMPORTANT)
The recommendations, symptoms and information provided does not apply to everyone. If you have any on-going or reccurring symptoms or illness contact your doctor as soon as possible.
Always check medication labels for side effects and contra-indications.
Always ask your Doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure.
Source: WebMD