You may want to stop in a sporting goods store and pick up a pair of earplugs on your next trip out. Then wear them for awhile. It won't take long to discover that when you can't hear very well, everything you do becomes a little bit more difficult. You have to struggle just to carry on normal conversations. Enjoying the radio is impossible and viewing television is a struggle. You may be surprised to realize that it will even become more difficult to sense movement within your home. Hearing doors closing, timers sounding, or things like the air conditioner turning on are no longer possible.
Such is the world of auditory isolation. It is important to keep in mind that hearing loss due to trauma or loud noises can be prevented. There are two main categories for hearing loss. Sound is understood in the inner ear, and when sound doesn't get through to this part of the ear, the result is conductive hearing loss.
The other kind is sensorineural hearing loss, where sound can make it to the inner ear but damage to miniscule fibers within the ear, the healing nerve, or possibly even the brain itself are damaged and so the sound is not properly interpreted. Many of the people who suffer with this type of loss also have to deal with tinnitus, which is a ringing or buzzing in the ear that happens either off and on or continuously. This can be worse than actual hearing loss for most people. By taking a look at your history, as well as doing some examinations, either a physician or an audiologist can figure out what type of loss you have. A diagnosis is given after you have a hearing test.
Treatment for conductive hearing loss can range from a very simple procedure like removing ear wax from the ear canal, to something far more complicated, such as surgery for otosclerosis on the bones in the middle ear. If a person has sensorineural loss of hearing he/she could be treated with something as simple as digital hearing aids to help return his/her life to normal, or he/she may need cochlear implants which are designed to treat certain inner ear problems.
A good rule of thumb to follow is to leave the area or put in ear plugs if you need to raise your voice in order to talk to others over the background noise. The rock and roll that baby boomers loved to listen to growing up is costing many some ear problems now. Others who served in the military or shot guns without protecting our ears are also facing hearing loss. Permanent damage can occur from being too close to many motors, machines, munitions and even music. Did you know that 20% of people have hearing loss by the age of 55, and that this number increases to 33% by the time people reach the age of 65? Fortunately, age-related hearing loss is not a condition that usually develops into total deafness.
If a person suffers from hearing loss in a single ear, they may have an acoustic neuroma, which is a benign tumor affecting the auditory nerve. These tumors grow slowly, but left unchecked can cause total hearing loss as well as other problems and the only treatment is surgery. Chronic ear infections, mumps, measles, scarlet fever and meningtis affect many people. It is important to understand that all of these diseases can cause hearing loss, so medical treatment should be sought.
The flow of sound to the inner ear can be blocked by anything in the ear canal. Many people clean their ears with cotton swabs too aggressively, under the impression they're removing ear wax when they are really pushing it deeper in. Swabs can be used lightly. You may need to consult your physician if wax build up is a problem for you. At times, the bones of the middle ear will harden or there will be fluid generated by allergies or infections.
Hearing can be adversely affected by certain medications, such as antibiotics, malaria medications, anti-arrhythmics, and even aspirin. And of course, trauma to the ears can affect hearing. A hole punched through the eardrum, skull fractures, noise trauma (gunfire, fireworks) and pressure trauma (underwater diving or pressurized airplane cabins) are all serious causes of damage to the ability to hear. To protect your ears, start using ear plug when necessary. Occasions that warrant ear plug use include, but are not limited to: mowing the lawn, target practice with a gun, playing video games with the sound turned up, watching loud movies, and working with power tools.
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