subject: Understanding Hearing Loss And Your Options For Improvement [print this page] Hearing loss may be temporary or it may be permanent, and it can happen to people of all ages-not just the aging population. Before you discuss causes and treatments for your hearing loss, it is important to further understand just how hearing works. Our ears contain three sections: the outer, middle and inner ear. Each section helps move sound through the process of hearing. When a sound occurs, the outer ear feeds it through the ear canal to the eardrum. These noises cause the eardrum to vibrate, which causes three little bones inside the middle ear to move. This movement then travels into the inner ear, where it makes tiny little hairs move in a fluid. These hairs convert the movement to auditory signals, which are then transmitted to the brain to register the sound.
What Causes Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss occurs when sound is blocked in any of the three areas of the ear. The most common, and most preventable, cause of hearing loss is the exposure to loud noises. Infections, both of the ear and in other parts of the body, can also contribute to the loss of hearing. In the outer ear, earwax build-up, infections that cause swelling, a growth in the ear canal, injury or birth defects can restrict hearing in the outer ear.
In the middle ear, you can experience hearing loss from fluid build-up, which is responsible for the most common infections and blockages of the middle ear. Fluid in the middle ear prevents the bones from processing sounds properly. Tumors, both benign and malignant, can also result in hearing loss in the middle ear.
Additionally, the natural process of aging diminishes hearing from damage to the cochlea, which is the mechanism for converting sound vibrations to brain signals, vestibular labyrinth (regulates balance), or the acoustic nerve (nerve that sends sound signals to the brain). Inner ear infections, Meniere's disease and other nerve-related problems can also contribute to hearing loss in the inner ear.
Assessment for Hearing Loss
People of any age can be screened for hearing loss. Newborn infants are now routinely screened before leaving the hospital and most preschoolers and school-age children are screened periodically at their schools or doctor's offices. Hearing loss increases as a function of age. While more than 30% of people over the age of 65 have some type of hearing loss, 14% of those between 45 and 64 have hearing loss. For those between the ages of 18 and 44, close to 8 million have hearing loss. Adults should be screened at least every 10 years through age 50 and at 3-year intervals after.
Anytime you have a concern about your hearing or your child's hearing, you should ask your doctor about getting a hearing screening. If you or your child fails the screening, your audiologist will provide a proper hearing assessment. The assessment will accurately diagnose your hearing loss and allow your Hackensack, NJ ENT to provide the best treatment available.
Contact your ENT in Hackensack, NJ to learn more about hearing loss and to receive a hearing assessment to better understand your hearing. With help from your ENT, you will be able to improve your hearing.
