Hearing Loss - Early signs and symptoms

Hearing Loss - Early signs and symptoms

Hearing loss often develops gradually, making it easy to overlook in the early stages. Recognizing the signs early can help prevent further deterioration and improve communication and quality of life. Understanding these symptoms is the first step toward seeking the right support and treatment.

It is not uncommon to feel:

• Tired and exhausted from straining to hear what others are saying to you
• Irritated at other people for "not making the effort to speak clearly" when talking to you
• Embarrassed when you meet new people because you did not really hear their name Increase in loss of confidence interacting with other people because you might get things wrong Increase in social isolation as a direct result from hearing loss It is easier and takes less effort to withdraw from social interaction than trying to hear when participating

Hearing loss occurs in various degree, ranging from slight, mild, moderate, severe, to profound level. With every increased degree of hearing loss, conversation, sounds like birds chirping, doorbells ringing and music playing become more and more difficult to hear. If you think you are experiencing any of these symptoms then we recommend that you contact us to have your hearing tested.

Cause of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss drastically impacts on our social interaction with other people and over time can affect one's self esteem, confidence and well-being. The most common causes of hearing loss are advanced ageing and the frequent exposure to excessively high noise levels without the availability and use of proper hearing protection.

Further causes of hearing loss can be through illness, damage to the middle ear or the inner ear, a build up of ear wax, ear infections, abnormal bone growth in the middle ear (otosclerosis), a ruptured ear drum, head injuries, tumors and medical treatments (ototoxic drugs).

The gradual buildup of ear wax can block the ear canal and reduce the conduction of sound to the eardrum (tympanic membrane). This can affect people of all ages, but the condition is easily resolved through gentle micro-suction to remove the excess wax.
Find out more about Ear Wax Removal here.

Types of Hearing Loss

There are three types of hearing loss: conductive, sensorineural and mixed. A mixed hearing loss is a combination of the first two types. A full diagnostic hearing test determines whether the hearing loss is conductive, sensorineural or mixed. Hearing loss is categorised based on the diagnosis of which part of the auditority pathway is damaged.

There is congenital hearing loss, which means it is present at birth, or it may develop later but is due to genetic causes. Autosomal recessive hearing loss is the most common type of genetic hearing loss, which means that neither parent has a hearing loss, but each parent carries a recessive gene that gets passed to the child.

Conductive Hearing Loss

Conductive hearing loss is caused by a problem with the transmission of sound from the outer ear to the inner ear and can be temporary or permanent. Sometimes conductive hearing loss can be treated medically or surgically.

Possible causes are:

• Ear wax blockage
• Ear infection (otitis externa or otitis media)
• Build up of fluid in the middle ear (effusion)
• Perforated eardrum from injury
• Ruptured eardrum from infection
• Damage to the middle ear bones (ossicles)
• Otosclerosis - a condition where the ossicles become less and less mobile Poor Eustachian Tube function
• Presence of a foreign body in the ear canal.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common form of permanent hearing loss and is caused by damage to the hair cells in the inner ear (cochlea) and, or, to the auditory nerve pathway from the inner ear to the brain. Sensorineural hearing loss cannot be medically improved, restored or surgically corrected and generally requires amplification to improve it.

The two most common causes are:

• The Ageing Process
• Frequent exposure to excessive loud noise and sound
• Other possible causes of sensorineural hearing loss are:
• Acoustic Trauma
• Viral Infection
• Ototoxic medication - drugs that cause damage to the hair cells of the inner ear Meniere's disease Tumour (Acoustic Neuroma)
• Stroke

Medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure Just as our bodies get older so do our ears and consequently our hearing starts to gradually diminish too. As we are ageing there is a gradual and natural deterioration of the hair cells within our inner ear. The function of the hearing nerve also diminishes resulting in loss of hearing clearly. For some people this process can occur sooner than expected but for most of us it is a gradual slow process. Frequent exposure to noise has become one of the leading causes of hearing loss. Excessive and unsafe levels of noise can cause irrepairable damage to the inner ear. When a person is exposed to very loud sound for a prolonged period of time or frequently exposed to reasonably loud sound for extended periods, sensorineural hearing loss can occur. Sensorineural hearing loss, either through ageing or through excessive noise exposure, remains irreversible and is permanent. This is because unlike other parts and areas of our body, which have the ability to heal themselves, the hair cells in the inner ear cannot regenerate themselves. This means that once your hearing is damaged it cannot be restored and requires amplification from suitable hearing aids to improve it.

The risk of noise-induced hearing loss is preventable with the use of good and suitable hearing protection, and by limiting exposure to damaging noise levels. Prevention is always better, and generally cheaper, than "cure". The risk of damage due to loud noise or sound depends primarily on how loud noise or sound is, how long and how often one is exposed to it. The louder, the less time one should spend being exposed to it to minimise the risk of noise-induced hearing loss. Find out more about hearing protection here.

So, "Don't Lose the Music"!