Hearing Loss: Overview, How To Prevent, & More

Hearing is one of our most treasured senses, and it provides us with a rich array of sounds that are happening all around us. It is essential for communication with others, it allows us to appreciate the magnificent sounds of great music, and it keeps us in tune with a great many activities all around us.

Given the fact that it contributes so much to our quality of life, and our appreciation of the people and the surroundings we’re in, hearing is an asset that should be protected to the greatest extent possible. Below you’ll learn about some of the ways we can go about protecting your hearing, so that you’ll be able to enjoy the rich sounds of life indefinitely.

Overview of What Typically Causes Hearing Loss

There are a number of ways that your hearing can be adversely affected, and damage can occur which is sometimes irreversible. One of the most common causes of hearing loss is damage to the inner ear. There are tiny hairs and nerve cells situated in the inner ear which converts sound waves into signals to your brain. When anything happens to these hairs and nerve cells, such as some type of loud noise, or ordinary wear and tear like the effects of aging, the signals transmitted by those tiny hairs aren’t nearly as efficient.

When efficiency is degraded, hearing loss commences. At that time, it’s very possible that you may not be able to interpret higher-pitched tones, and some people also notice that it’s difficult to pick out specific words amid background noise. Another possible source of hearing loss comes from the simple buildup of earwax. When earwax locks the ear canal, it can impede or prevent sound wave conduction, and that will negatively impact your hearing.

Fortunately, the effects of earwax buildup can be recovered from by removing the earwax, assuming that you are aware of its presence and take steps to do so. It’s possible for an ear infection to inhibit or prevent normal transmission of sound waves from your ear to the brain, and once the infection is cleared up, normal hearing is usually restored.

Sometimes abnormal tumors or bone growths develop in the middle or outer ear, and this too can inhibit or prevent the efficient transmission of sound waves. One of the worst types of damage you can suffer to your year is when the eardrum becomes ruptured, and this is known as a tympanic membrane perforation.

It can be caused by a drastic change in pressure, some kind of loud noise, or simply by poking your eardrum with some object that is not meant to be inserted into the ear. When the eardrum ruptures, it’s very possible that an infection may occur, and even if it doesn’t, your hearing will most definitely be affected.

What’s the Difference Between Conductive & Sensorineural Deafness?

There are two general types of hearing loss, and the most common of these is sensorineural, which is a permanent type of hearing loss. This kind of hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the auditory nerve or to the tiny hairs inside the inner ear. That reduces the ear’s ability to transmit signals to the brain, thereby causing a loss of hearing.

The two most common reasons that this type of hearing loss will occur is normal aging, wherein the tiny hairs either are damaged or simply die off, or sudden exposure to a loud noise, often job-related. It’s also possible that various types of heart disease or diabetes can cause hearing loss like this, but these causes are less frequent.

Someone who experiences sensorineural hearing loss may notice that they have difficulty following the speech of other people, they may have some degree of tinnitus, it could be difficult to hear sounds in a noisy environment, and it might be hard to identify high-pitched sounds. In some cases, people with this type of hearing loss sometimes feel dizzy or off balance as well.

Conductive hearing loss is the less commonly occurring type of hearing loss, and this happens when some type of obstruction or damage occurs in the middle or outer ear. This of course, prevents sound from being transmitted to the inner ear and eventually to the brain. Depending on what causes the conductive hearing loss, it could be either temporary or permanent.

The most common causes are earwax buildup, swimmer’s ear, abnormal bone growth, foreign body obstructions, and possibly a narrowing of the ear canal. The eardrum could become perforated by poking something into the ear, or the Eustachian tube could be blocked to prevent effective transmission of sound waves. People who have conductive hearing loss will generally notice that their hearing is better in one specific ear, or that they have pain or pressure in at least one of their ears.

Can Hearing Loss Be Prevented & If So, How?

Because your hearing is such a valuable sensory experience, you should do everything possible to preserve it for as long as you can. There is one thing you can do which can be very effective at preventing hearing loss, and that is to 1) avoid exposure to loud noises. Any sound above 85 dB is considered to be a loud noise, and that can cause damage to the hairs and the cells of the inner ear which convert sound signals for the brain.

Avoiding loud noises means 2) not listening to music on your headphones with the volume turned up to its highest level. It also means you should 3) wear protective earplugs or earmuffs when you’re involved with any activity that produces a noise level greater than 85 dB. Another great way to help prevent hearing loss is to 4) see your doctor as soon as you feel any symptoms at all like discomfort in the ear, or any kind of ringing sound.

If you notice any sudden changes in the way you hear things, 5) this should also be reported to your doctor. If your physician is aware of any of these developments, he/she can do some testing to identify what the cause may be, so that steps can be taken to prevent any further hearing loss. Of course, there are some things that simply can’t be avoided, such as the hearing loss which is normally associated with aging.

When that happens, you will probably still be able to restore your hearing with the use of a hearing aid, but this is not the ideal solution. Before that happens, you should do everything possible to avoid situations that cause damage to your hearing. Once you do experience hearing loss, it can have the effect of cutting you off from everything around you, and your quality of life will be severely impacted.

Get Help With Your Hearing Loss

If you are beginning to experience hearing loss, either due to your age or life experiences, you should consider visiting a doctor. A doctor can help test your hearing various frequencies and determine the best hearing aid devices for your needs, recommending a high-quality device that will not intrude on your daily life or activities.