Reasons For Hearing Loss And What You Can Do

Our ears are very special organs that enable us to hear different sounds and are even responsible for our balance. Thanks to our ears, it is easy to communicate with other people, but sounds can also help us in other ways. A smoke alarm for example saves our lives in the event of an emergency, we can identify intruders by hearing their steps and make our lives more enjoyable by listening to music.  People with healthy ears, often take this incredible gift for granted, but the truth is, loss of hearing can happen to anyone, and there can be different reasons causing this condition.

How Does Hearing Work?

When a sound wave hits the ear, it moves down the canal and hits the ear drum. This causes a vibration which is passed on to the 3 ossicles in the middle ear. Following the vibrations are picked up by the cochlea which then send the movement data to the auditory nerve to the brain. This information will be processed and interpreted as sound.

What Types of Hearing Loss Are There?

When you suffer from conductive hearing loss, the vibrations are having trouble to pass through the ear. This can be due to ear wax, an ear infection, glue ear or other reasons.

If your loss of hearing comes from a dysfunction of the inner ear and hair cells are damaged, you are most likely suffering from sensorineural hearing loss. This can be caused by head trauma, brain damage or long-term exposure to loud noises (machines at work, music, etc). Unfortunately, damaged hair cells can not heal or be replaced which is why this kind of hearing loss is extremely frustrating for the patient.

In some cases, loss of hearing can be a mix of the two types mentioned above.

The treatment of your hearing loss depends on the type of hearing loss you’re suffering from. In any case it is highly recommended to see a specialist to discuss your problem. At a professional hearing clinic in Sydney, you can see an audiologist who will thoroughly examine your ears and your hearing situation. There are certain tests he can do to find out what exactly your problem is to then provide you with the right solution.

Depending on the cause of your hearing loss, you might need different treatment to fix your problem. Professional ear wax removal with a special suction tool might be all it needs to finally hear clearly again. Otherwise, hearing aids might be a good option for you. Hearing aids are small electronic devices that can be customized to dela with different types of hearing loss. In many cases, elderly people suffer from sensorineural hearing loss, which is usually treated with hearing aids.

As you can see, functioning hearing and ears are definitely not to be taken for granted and should be appreciated at all times. If you experience and trouble with your ears or hearing at all, you should consider seeing a hearing specialist in Sydney to talk about your concerns.