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Millions of people worldwide are faced with hearing problems in the from of hearing loss or tinnitus (ringing or other sounds in the ear), but only a minority of them wear hearing aids. Hearing loss is not just an age-related problems but affects people of all ages including, to an increasing extent, young people. Physiological age-induced hearing loss is, however, the most common type of hearing loss.
Hearing loss does not only mean the inability to hear loudly enough. Some people may have great difficulty in hearing within a specific frequency region. This may result in a “discrimination loss”, whereby one can hear speech but not understand speech.
Hearing problems often make it difficult to “keep up”, which can lead to a sense of isolation, fatigue and loneliness. As hearing loss is often associated with old age - and frequently interpreted as a lack of intelligence - it may affect life at work, as well as social interaction and general quality of life. It is therefore important to do something about hearing problems as soon as possible.
If the cause of the hearing loss is located in the ear canal or the middle ear, it is called a conductive hearing loss. Possible causes include: excessive earwax, damaged eardrum, middle ear infection or stiffness of the middle ear bones (Otosclerosis).
If the loss is the result of problems in the nerve fibres or
sensory cells in the cochlea, it is called a sensorineural hearing loss.
Possible causes include: ageing, noise exposure, hereditary factors, drugs that
are toxic to the sensory cells.
Conductive hearing loss can sometimes be helped through surgical or medical treatment. In most cases, however, hearing aids are the only means of helping hearing loss. This is especially true with sensorineural hearing loss.
For further information on Audiology and Related Medical Topics click here.