Hearing Loss: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments | Medtalks

By Mr. Swapnil Bhowmick

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Mr. Swapnil Bhowmick

Published On: 01 Nov, 2021 11:57 AM | Updated On: 21 Nov, 2024 2:58 PM

Hearing Loss: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments | Medtalks

Hearing Loss

Hearing loss has a variety of reasons.

The main types of hearing loss are:

Conduction, affecting the outer ear canal or middle ear canal and its tiny hearing-related bones
Sensorineural, affecting nerves in the inner ear
Mixed

Aging, punctured eardrums, and benign tumors are all examples of how you can lose your ability to hear accurately. Other causes of hearing loss, however, may be new to you, such as:

1. A cold, causing fluid to build up in the middle ear. If you can have fluid in the middle ear when you get a cold or an ear infection. That fluid creates greater resistance than air on the bones that carry sound. Hearing loss should be reversed after the fluid is gone.

2. Allergies can cause a buildup of clear fluid in the middle ear or an irritated auditory (eustachian) tube. When the allergy goes away and the fluid empties, this sort of hearing loss should go away.

3. Ear wax. Excess wax and shed skin cells in the ear canal can function as an earplug, affecting your hearing in a mild to severe way until it is cleaned.

4. Otosclerosis. This disorder causes aberrant bone development in the middle ear, preventing the bones from vibrating normally. It is often treated with a hearing aid or surgery.

5. Medications and their side effects. For certain persons, conductive or sensorineural hearing loss is a recognized adverse effect of various medicines, depending on the dosage. Sildenafil for erectile dysfunction, as well as several pain relievers, chemotherapy, and anti-malarial treatments, are among these medications.

6. Noise exposure, either recreationally or at work. Long-term exposure to loud sounds might cause irreversible hearing loss. The EPA considers 70 decibels to be a tolerable level of noise, whereas OSHA regulations apply when occupational noise surpasses 85 decibels for eight hours. Even a brief burst of sound over 120 dB (such as an ambulance siren) can cause reversible or permanent hearing damage.

7. Infections or disorders caused by viruses. According to doctors, common viruses such as meningitis, rubella, measles, and mumps are linked to temporary or permanent sensorineural hearing loss. The common cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes, and West Nile viruses are all in this category.

Hearing Loss Prevention

The prospect of never hearing your loved ones' voices or listening to your favorite song again might be terrifying. It's just as vital to look after your hearing as you would the rest of your body. It's critical to understand how to avoid hearing loss so that you can keep your hearing healthy for the rest of your life.Hearing loss can be caused by genetics, trauma, or exposure to loud noises. While inherited hearing loss is unavoidable, hearing loss caused by the environment or trauma can be avoided.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hearing loss is crucial to prevent since it is linked to depression and can lead to a loss of enjoyment when all of the sounds we want to hear (music, a loved one's voice, etc.) become muffled and of poor quality.

You may avoid hearing loss at various periods of your life by doing the following:

For kids:

1. Ensure that the child is immunized.

2. When the youngster is playing, keep an eye on them since tiny objects that get stuck inside the ear might cause temporary hearing loss.

3. Create a peaceful atmosphere in your house.

4. Maintain a low enough volume on the television or radio so that the child can hear well.

As a teen or young adult:

1. Avoid attending concerts or festivals where there is a lot of loud music in the vicinity on a regular basis (and wear protective gear when and if you do).

2. Avoid wearing headphones at a high volume when listening to music.

3. Keep the ear clean by eliminating earwax, as a buildup of earwax can cause hearing problems.

As an adult:

1. As much as possible, stay away from loud noises.

2. Omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods (salmon, tuna, mackerel, eggs, nuts, and seeds) may assist to reduce the risk of hearing loss.

3. Consider using earmuffs or earplugs to decrease noise entering the ear when working in a setting with equipment or loud noises.

You can also take the following steps to avoid hearing loss:

Use Noise-Canceling Headphones in Loud Places

If you find yourself constantly cranking up your headphones to drown out the noises of others around you on your daily commute to work, consider investing in noise-canceling headphones.

Follow the 60/60 Rule

It is recommended that you listen to headphones at no more than 60% of your device volume for no more than 60 minutes each day. Noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss can be reduced by following the 60/60 rule.

Have Your Hearing Checked

It is critical to get a routine hearing test to detect hearing loss at an early stage in order to avoid it.If you're concerned that you're losing your hearing, it is suggested that you take a hearing test as soon as possible. Hearing loss should be detected as soon as possible so that action may be taken. You might also wish to have your hearing checked on a regular basis.

Hearing Loss Treatment

The most common type of hearing loss is sensorineural hearing loss, which is caused by the destruction of sensory cells in the inner ear. Hearing aids, cochlear implants, and assistive listening devices all work with your remaining sense of hearing to improve sound quality. Hearing aids nowadays are substantially better than they were even a few years ago.

The following are some of the characteristics of today's hearing aids:

Design that is smaller and more streamlined
Rechargeable batteries built-in
Background noise control has improved.
Microphone technology has improved.
Apps for adjusting sound quality and settings, as well as tracking your hearing aids using GPS.
Bluetooth-enabled device compatibility
Improved moisture, dust, and wax resistance.

Hearing aids now are designed precisely for your hearing loss, with modifications for the unique acoustics of your particular ear canals and the greatest possible processing to help you communicate better.

A cochlear implant can help those with severe hearing loss. A cochlear implant, unlike a hearing aid, which can increase the loudness of sounds but not enhance speech understanding, will improve the capacity to hear and interpret speech. People with severe hearing loss in one ear and normal (or mild to moderate) hearing in the other can now benefit from cochlear implants.

Conclusion

Hearing loss is a problem that may be treated in many ways if detected early. It's worthwhile to take the time to get tested regularly for any signs of hearing loss and care for your ears in general. Don't put it off. Begin today. Hearing is an essential sense to mankind.

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Mr. Swapnil Bhowmick

A motivated student of Medicine & Surgery (MBBS) at R. G. Kar Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata, having a knack for reading and composing medical literature. When he's not writing content for MEDtalks, Swapnil is usually looking up the latest trends and innovations in Medicine.