*WHAT IS HEARING LOSS?
According to the World Health, in anestimation, more than 900 million people are expected to suffer hearing loss by 2050 which is ofcourse debilitating.Approximately 25 percent of those between the ages of 65 and 74 experience more of the hearing loss, which is an estimation of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).
One of three forms below is classified as hearing loss:
Conductive (involves outer or middle ear):- It occurs when the passage of sound is blocked in either the ear canal or in the middle ear.
Sensorineural(involves inner ear) :- It happens after inner ear damage. Problems with the nerve pathways from your inner ear to your brain can also cause SNHL .Soft sounds may be very hard to hear.
Mixed (combination of the two):- It is caused by a combination of conductive damage in the outer or middle ear and sensorineural damage in the inner ear (cochlea) or auditory nerve.
*As you can’t reverse most types of hearing loss, However, you and your doctor or a hearing specialist like Manas Speech and hearing can take productive steps to improve what you hear.Aging and excessive noisy sound exposure both result in hearing loss.
The situation is more complicated for those who have been deaf since birth or at very young age- but no need to worry as assistive devices are available with us, such as hearing aids and cochlear implants, which may help these people in needand improve residual hearing.
SYMPTOMS OF HEARING LOSS TYPE: –
- Sensorieural hearing loss (general)
- High Frequency
- Mid –range
- Noise –notch
- Low frequency
- Conductive
- Sudden
- Flat
- Single Sided
- Temporary
GENERAL SYMPTOMS OF HEARING LOSS:-
- Friends or family say you turn the television or radio up too loud
- You struggle to understand speech especially in noisy environments
- You have difficulity hearing people on the phone
- A feeling that you can hear but not understand
- You often ask people to repeat themselves
- You find yourself avoiding social situations
- You notice tinnitus or ringing in the ears
5 SIMPLE WAYS TO PREVENT HEARING LOSS HEALHTY BODY:-
- Avoid loud noises. The best way to avoid loud noise induced hearing loss is to keep away from loud noise as much u can.
- Take care when listening to music
- Protect your hearing during loud events and activites
- Take precautions at work place also
- Get you hearing tested
*HOW HEARING LOSS CAN OCCUR? /CAUSES OF LOSS OF HEARING INCLUDES:
Inner ear damage – Aging and exposure to loud noise can be the cause of the wear and tear of the cochlea on the hair or nerve cells that transmits sound signals to the brain. When these hairs or nerve cells are impaired or missing, electrical signals are not transmitted as efficiently and hearing loss occurs.By greater pitched sounds, one can be muffled. It can be hard for the person to select words against the background noise.
Gradual earwax accumulation – By blocking the ear canal, Earwax may stop the conduction of sound waves.Earwax removal will assist in restoring your hearing.Infection of the ear and abnormal growth or bone tumors, either of which can cause hearing loss in the outer or middle ear.
Eardrum Ruptured (tympanic membrane perforation) – Strong noise bursts, sudden changes in pressure, the object pocketing and the infection may cause your eardrum to burst and your hearing to get damaged.
*RISK FACTORS
Factors that can harm or cause your inner ear to lose hair and nerve cells include Aging – Over time, degeneration of inner ear tissues occurs.
Loud noise – cells in your inner ear may be affected by listening to loud noises. Harm may be caused by long-term exposure to loud noise or by a brief outburst of noise, such as a gunshot.
Heredity – Your genetic makeup can make you more susceptible to sound damage to the ear or aging deterioration.
Occupational noises – Jobs where loud noise is a normal part of the working environment can lead to harm within the ear, such as farming, construction or factory work.
Recreational noises – Instant, permanent hearing loss can be caused by exposure to explosive sounds, such as from weapons and jet engines. Snowmobiling, motorcycling, carpentry or listening to noisy music are other outdoor practices with dangerously elevated noise levels.
Some medications – The inner ear can be harmed by medications such as the antibiotic gentamicin, sildenafil (Viagra) and certain chemotherapy drugs. If you take extremely high doses of aspirin, other pain relievers, antimalarial drugs or loop diuretics, transient effects on your hearing (ringing in the ear (tinnitus) or hearing loss) can occur.
*COMPLICATIONS
Your quality of life can be greatly impacted by hearing loss. Depression feelings may be recorded by older adults due to hearing loss.Some individuals experience feelings of loneliness because hearing loss can make communication difficult. Cognitive disability and deterioration are also associated with hearing loss.
There is an ongoing study of the mechanism of interaction between hearing loss, cognitive impairment, depression and isolation.Initial research indicates that treating hearing loss, may have a positive impact on cognitive function.
Hearing loss has been shown to adversely affect the quality of life of individuals and their mental state. You may have trouble understanding others if you experience hearing loss. This can raise your level of anxiety or trigger depression. Hearing loss treatment can dramatically improve your life. Thus, we at Manas Speech understands this and work dedicatedly towards restoring self-confidence while also concentrating on enhancing the ability to connect with other individuals.
WHAT ARE THE TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR HEARING LOSS?
Timely treatments may vary from person to person. We at Manas Speech are well-established& hearing care centerproviding hearing aids and full diagnostic and rehabilitation services for people with Speech and Hearing problem. So individuals of all age should visit or contact us for good hearing capabilities and lead a successful and healthy life.
TYPES OF HEARING AIDS:
Learn about different hearing aids available with us to discover which type of hearing aid is JUST Right for you! When it comes to choosing the right hearing aid, it might seem daunting and confusing. That’s where a hearing professional like ourselves comes in. We provide sound-amplifying style devices to suit every need to people of any age who have a hearing impairment.
Hearing aids differ by many components like design, analog or digital technology used to achieve amplification or different specific features and the selection of hearing aids should always be based on the type and severity of hearing loss, listening needs, and again the lifestyle.
Different styles of hearing aids available at ManasSpeech and hearing :
Behind-the-ear (BTE) aids : A BTE hearing aid clubs the hearing components in a case that rests behind the ear: the case is connected to an ear mold or an earpiece by a piece of clear tubing. Young children often select this style because it can be customized into various ear mold types, which need to be replaced as the child grows. BTEs are an are ideal for moderate to severe hearing loss.
In-The-Canal (ITC) : Based on the mold of the ear, ITC hearing aids are contained in a shell like tiny case for a good custom-fit choice to fill in the outer part of the ear. For people who may like manual controls for volume and memory, ITCs are the best fit than smaller aids. These are the most apt for mild to mildly severe hearing loss.
Completely-In-Canal (CIC) : Like ITC, this aid is also contained in tiny cases. Being one of the smallest hearing aids available, these offer cosmetic and some listening advantages, these may fit partly or completely into the ear canal. Their small size may make them difficult to handle for some people.
Invisible (IIC) : IIC hearing aids are the smallest and most discreet hearing aids ever made. The device become completely invisible when it is inserted in the second bend of the ear canal. The custom-fit deep ear placement can be removed for a good ear health with a small plastic “handle”. This can be only used for mild to moderate hearing loss and has to be used with great amount of caution.
In-The-Ear (ITE) : The ITE aids are larger than the in-the-canal (ITC) and completely-in-the-canal (CIC) aids and it might be easier for some people to handle than small aids as these are again contained in a shell that fills in the outer part of the ear.