Hearing loss or changes to your hearing whether sudden or prolonged, can be difficult to process which is why people may not seek treatment as soon as it is required. Hearing is something vital that we rely on a daily basis and it is so important that we protect and nurture our hearing health as much as possible. Read below to find out about the most common hearing loss symptoms and how you can address these with our help.
What happens if your hearing loss is not addressed?
When unaddressed, hearing loss impacts many aspects of life at an individual level, including one’s ability to communicate with others, something that most of us rely on during our everyday lives. Exclusion from communication may have a substantial influence on daily living, leading to emotions of loneliness, isolation, and frustration, especially in older adults with hearing loss.
Causes of hearing loss may include:
Gradual build-up of earwax
Earwax blockage, also known as cerumen impaction, can occur when your body creates an excessive amount of earwax or when existing wax is pushed too deep into your ear canal. You may be unable to hear out of the damaged ear in some circumstances. However, this usually only lasts till the extra wax is removed. Ear wax removal can assist with restoring your hearing.
Contact your audiologist if you feel you may have excessive wax within the ear, do not try and remove ear wax that blocks your hearing by yourself as this may cause pain or damage to your hearing. In some cases you might require drops or a small procedure to remove it.
Inner ear damage
The hairs or nerve cells in the cochlea that convey sound impulses to the brain may wear out with age and exposure to loud noise. When these hairs or nerve cells are injured or destroyed, electrical impulses are not carried out as efficiently, resulting in hearing loss. Higher-pitched tones may become muffled to you, and it may become difficult for you to pick out words against background noise.
You can help to prevent damage to your inner ear by using customised hearing solutions which help to protect your inner from loud noises that cause damage, you can see the range of customised hearing options we have available in your local store.
Ruptured eardrum
An eardrum rupture is a hole or tear in the thin tissue that connects the ear canal to the middle ear (eardrum). Hearing loss can occur as a result of an eardrum rupture. It may also render the middle ear more susceptible to infection.
If you feel you may have a ruptured ear drum or caused damage to your ear, contact your GP at your earlier convenience.
What are the types of hearing loss
Conductive
This form of hearing loss happens in the outer or middle ear when sound waves cannot travel all the way to the inner ear. Earwax or a foreign item in the ear canal may impede sound; the middle ear space may be obstructed by fluid, illness, or a bone anomaly; or the eardrum may have been injured.
Sensorineural
This type of hearing loss occurs when tiny hairs in the cochlea are missing or damaged. It can be caused by aging, loud noise exposure, injury, sickness, some medicines, or a hereditary disorder.
Mixed
A combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, this type of hearing loss is usually treated with hearing aids alone.
Central
Caused by strokes and central nervous system diseases, this type of hearing loss usually involves a therapy called auditory rehabilitation. When compared to sensorineural or conductive hearing loss, central hearing loss is exceedingly infrequent.
What are some common hearing loss symptoms?
Your Hearing Aid Audiologist will inquire about your hearing loss symptoms and perform a physical examination. They look for evidence of infection or other problems that might result in hearing loss.
Do any of these hearing loss symptoms apply to you?
- You have trouble understanding what people are saying
- You often ask people to repeat themselves
- You have trouble understanding conversations when there’s background noise
- You have ringing in your ears
- You avoid social situations because you have trouble following the conversation
- You turn up the TV and radio to levels that others say are loud
How is hearing loss managed?
Hearing loss is a common condition that shouldn’t prevent you from enjoying your life to the fullest. That’s why at M&S Opticians, we focus on providing you with highly sophisticated solutions to help hear better, get on with your life and reconnect with your loved ones.
Should you require hearing aids, we have the latest in hearing aid technology available. Some hearing aids now have A.I. For example, the Personal Assistant function will answer questions with just a tap or give reminders for birthdays or regular daily events. They also come with health features that can track your physical activity and cognitive health and even detect falls and alert a pre-chosen family member. Whatever your needs, at M&S Opticians you will find the right hearing aids for you.
Book your free hearing health in store today