Hearing impairment or hearing loss occurs when you lose part
or all of your ability to hear.
Hearing impairments are categorized based on the minimum sound that can be heard with the better ear.
There are four levels of deafness or hearing impairment.
These are:
·
Mild deafness or mild hearing
impairment: The person can only detect sounds between 25 and 29 decibels
(dB). They may find it hard to understand the words other people are saying,
especially if there is a lot of background noise.
·
Moderate deafness or moderate
hearing impairment: The person can only detect sounds between 40 and 69
dB. Following a conversation using hearing alone is very difficult without
using a hearing aid.
·
Severe deafness: The person
only hears sounds above 70 to 89 dB. A severely deaf person must either
lip-read or use sign language in order to communicate, even if they have a
hearing aid.
·
Profound deafness: Anybody who
cannot hear a sound below 90 dB has profound deafness. Some people with profound
deafness cannot hear anything at all, at any decibel level. Communication is
carried out using sign language, lip-reading, or reading and writing.
Types
There are three
different types of hearing loss:
1) Conductive hearing
loss
This means that the
vibrations are not passing through from the outer ear to the inner ear,
specifically the cochlea. Most cases of this type of hearing loss can be corrected
medically or surgically. This type can occur for many reasons, including:
·
Fluid
in the middle ear as a result of cold
·
an
excessive build-up of earwax
·
an
ear infection with inflammation and
fluid buildup
·
a
perforated eardrum
·
a
defective eardrum
·
allergies
·
benign
tumors or having a foreign body in the ear
·
structural
abnormalities of the outer ear, ear canal or middle ear
2) Sensorineural
hearing loss (SNHL)
Also referred to as nerve
Hearing loss occurs when there is damage to either the auditory nerve or the cochlea
which is the inner ear. The hearing loss in SNHL is permanent, although it may
be possible to treat it with hearing aids.
SNHL is caused due to:
- exposure to excessively
loud noise
- head trauma or sudden
air pressure changes
- illnesses (like meningitis)
- structural abnormality
of the inner ear
- tumors
- aging
- medication side effects
- autoimmune inner ear
disease
- abnormal growth of the
bone that is in the middle ear
3). Central Hearing Loss
This occurs when there
are problems within the brain that interfere with the ability to interpret or understand
sounds. This is the rarest type of hearing impairment and the hardest to treat.
The causes include
- damage to brainstem
structures
- severe head trauma
- damage to the auditory
nerves or the pathways that lead to them
- brain tumors
4). Functional hearing
loss
This occurs when the
functioning of the ears is normal, however the individual shows reduced
response or does not respond to sounds. Hearing loss is caused by mental health
problems such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and depression
TREATMENT FOR HEARING
IMPAIRED
Removing wax blockage –
earwax blockage is a reversible cause of hearing loss. The doctor may remove
ear wax by loosening it with oil and then flushing, scooping or suctioning out
the wax.
Surgical procedures –
traumatic ear injury or repeated infections may require surgical procedures
Hearing aids – In case
of inner ear damage, a hearing aid can help by making it easier to hear with
increased sound. An audiologist can discuss the potential benefits of hearing
aid with the patient and recommend and fit the device.
Cochlear implants – In case
of severe hearing loss, a cochlear implant can be an option. This implant
compensates for the damaged or nonworking parts of the inner ear.
Assistive listening
devices – Hearing aids may not be useful for a particular case and so there are
other accessories and assistive listening devices that can bridge the gap to
enable better communication.
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