What Causes Hearing Loss
Hearing impairment or loss of hearing mainly falls into one of two main categories, which is either conductive hearing loss or sensorineural. However hearing loss can be a mixture of
these two main types. They all ultimately refer to how much or how well
the ear can conduct sound.
As the name suggests, conductive hearing loss refers to the ability or non ability of the outer ear to conduct sound via the ear canal to the middle ear. This condition can often be temporary, for example as a result of a build up of wax in the ear or because the ear has become infected and inflamed. What causes the blocked ability to hear? Well it could be for any number of reasons the most common of which are things like the simple allergy or a cold (we are all familiar with that ‘blocked up’ feeling) which fills the ear with fluid and stops it performing so efficiently. Or the problem could be due to the existence of a benign tumor, a foreign object stuck in the ear or a perforated ear drum or fracture. These are the most common reasons.
In many instances this kind of hearing problem is easily treatable and lsts only a relatively short time. remember, whatever hearing problem you are experiencing, it is always best to get it checked by a doctor or health professional in order to choose the best method of treatment.
If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss then the condition is a little more serious than the case above. The term ‘neural’ relates to the nerves in the ear that lead to the hearing centre in the
brain and ’sensori’ refers to the way the nerve sensors work, or not, as the case may be.
In contrast to the outer or middle section of the human ear, if the inner, more sensitive part is damaged (that is, the cochlea or inner ear nerve pathway to the brain) the result will be permanent hearing loss. Although it may not be a total hearing loss, and some degree of hearing remains, it is usually severely impaired which can make it very difficult to make out what anyone is saying even if they are standing close to you.
This can sometimes happen as a result of injuries received during birth or genetics or may occur as a side effect of certain medications like the regular use of aspirin or some diuretic drugs, for example. The name used to identify this kind of hearing condition is ‘ototoxic’. Hearing loss can also be caused by conditions such as the rubella virus, meniere’s disease or as a side effect of meningitis. Noise induced hearing loss comes as a direct result of being exposed to high levels of noise, usually over a prolonged period of time, which increases the wear and tear on the sensitive hair cells of the cochlea.
It may come about simply as a natural part of the aging process too and in this case the degenerative loss of hearing is categorised as presbycusis.When there is damage to both the outer middle ear and inner cochlea area where the auditory nerve does its work, then this type of hearing impairment is categorised as mixed hearing loss.
The degree of hearing loss suffered is usually calculated by testing and matching to a threshold scale of decibels, with mild hearing loss typified at around 25-40 decibels, which is the threshold at which sound starts to be recognised, and profound hearing loss typified at over 90 decibels.
More tips, advice and information about all types of hearing loss, symptoms, causes and treatment is available at www.conductivehearinglossandtreatments.com
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