Hearing Loss

A frequent question from patients relates to the ability to hear in crowded places. Person-to-person conversations and even small group conversations don’t cause them any trouble. Not so in crowded situations. Whether in large public space outdoors such as a football game or indoors at a party, they report being unable to distinguish the speakers’ voice over the background noise. This is true even when the speaker is close by and addressing them directly. People who complain of this condition often report that they have difficulty distinguishing between consonants such as the letters “H,” “F,” and “S.”

Hearing loss is not just a problem that affects older individuals. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 2 to 3 of every one thousand babies are born deaf or with some amount of impaired hearing. Childhood hearing loss can be caused by developmental abnormalities in the structure of the ear, by a middle ear infection called otitis media, by injury or exposure to loud noises, or by illnesses such as measles, meningitis, or chickenpox. Early childhood hearing screenings can reveal whether your child has hearing loss. The sooner the impairment is identified, the more likely the child will follow a normal developmental track.

An estimated 20 percent of all US residents have experienced some form of hearing loss, however, there is one particular portion of the population where that percentage is significantly larger – veterans, particularly those who’ve served in foreign conflict zones. Among soldiers who have been in Afghanistan and Iraq, the most frequent service-related disabilities are hearing loss and tinnitus.In 2011, over 800,000 veterans received disability benefits; of those, 18% received these benefits as the result of tinnitus or hearing loss, compared with 5.3% who received similar benefits as the result of suffering PTSD.

Hearing loss has various forms – it might develop gradually (for example, as the result of aging) or all of a sudden (due to an injury or trauma). The hearing loss itself can be short-term or permanent, and can vary from mild (having difficulty understanding casual conversation) to severe (total deafness). On top of that, a person can experience a loss of hearing in either a single ear or both ears.

One topic that is seldom mentioned when it comes to hearing loss is how to keep people who have it safe inside their own homes. Picture this situation: you’re in your house and a fire breaks out, and like most of us nowadays you have smoke detectors to warn you so that you and your family can evacuate before the fire becomes intense. But now suppose that the fire begins during the night, when you are asleep, and you’ve taken off your hearing aid.

One of the indicators of high-frequency hearing loss is the inability to hear women’s and children’s voice clearly. Men’s voices generally fall into the frequency range of 85 to 180 Hz, while ladies’ and children’s voices have a frequency range of 165 to 255 Hz. On top of that, the volume of women’s and children’s voice are often less audible because they speak more quietly that men. By making an appointment with one of our hearing specialists you can find out for sure what the nature of the problem is, and how to best treat it.

In the same way that there are numerous causes of hearing loss, there are several forms of hearing loss; understanding the way that we hear is the first step in understanding the various types. Sound enters through the outer ear, which is the part of the ear on the exterior of the head, but also encompasses the eardrum and the ear canal. The eardrum is also viewed as part of the middle ear, an area which also includes the 3 tiny bones called ossicles that take the vibrations of sound and transmit them to the inner ear. Lastly, the inner ear contains the cochlea (a tiny, snail-shaped organ), two canals with a semicircular shape which are important to our sense of balance, and the acoustic nerves, which convey the signals to our brains. All these parts are extremely complicated and delicate, and a problem in any section can lead to hearing loss. Hearing loss is usually categorized into four primary classifications.

Do you have hearing difficulties? If yes, do you sometimes find that it seems like work just to understand what the people around you are saying? This is a phenomenon that happens even to those wearing hearing aids, because for them to perform well you have to have them fitted and tuned properly, and then become accustomed to wearing them. This frequent sensation may impact more than your ability to hear; it may also influence your memory and your cognitive abilities. In newly released studies, researchers have discovered that hearing loss significantly increases your chances of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Could your job be contributing to your hearing loss? Noise-induced hearing loss is the single most common cause of hearing damage. Some occupations are simply louder than others, and workers in those professions should be reasonably concerned about their hearing.An estimated 30 million workers risk hazardous noise exposure on the job according to the Centers for Disease Control.Employees in high-noise job areas need to equip themselves with the specifics of occupational hearing safety and keep an open conversation with their employers. All workers should assess their own work environments for high-noise levels, particularly anybody in the following job roles.

Many of us have been told to eat our carrots for better eye sight. But, did anyone ever suggest foods beneficial to your hearing or ears? Not likely. Kids can now be told what foods to eat for healthy ears and hearing; wise advice that we should all adhere to. Loss of hearing can be attributable to numerous things including infections, age and noise. The following foods contain nutrients and vitamins that may slow or prevent specific kinds of hearing loss.