Hearing Loss

What is Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss is the reduced hearing from a disfunction in one or more parts of your ear. It can affect everyone from babies to elderlies in their 60s and 70s. If you have hearing loss, you may have trouble understanding, following or participating in conversations. This can affect your ability to work, communication with others and your general quality of life.

Hearing loss often cannot be reversed but there are devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants that can reduce hearing loss.

Types of Hearing Loss?

Conductive hearing loss
This happens when there is a disruption in the passage of sound waves from your outer ear to your inner ear. This could happen due to factors such as ear wax, infections or eardrum perforations.

Sensorineural hearing loss
This occurs when the inner ear structures or the nerve pathways to the brain are damaged. This is commonly observed in age-related hearing loss.

Mixed hearing loss
This is when both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss happens in the same ear.

What are the symptoms of Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss can happen suddenly or gradually, and affect either one or both ears. Some symptoms to look out for include:

• Difficulty understanding what is said during a conversation, especially with background noises
• Inability to hear certain high-pitched sounds
• Speaking louder than normal
• Often asking for a conversation to be repeated
• Withdrawing from converstions
• Earache or ear discharge due to ear infections
• Tinnitis (Ringing in your ears)
• Vertigo or balance problems

What causes Hearing Loss?

There are several factors that may cause hearing loss. 

Conductive hearing loss causes include:

• Buildup of earwax in the ear
• Fluid in the middle of your ear from colds or allergies
• Middle ear infection
• Swimmers' ear
• Ruptured eardrum
• Something stuck in your ear

Sensorineural hearing loss causes include:

• Ageing
• Illnesses such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, diabetes
• Being hit in the head
• Noise-induced hearing loss from long-term exposure to loud noises.

What are the complications of Hearing Loss?

In adults, hearing loss can affect your performance at work and negatively affect other aspects of your life. Other complications include:

• Mental health problems: Having hearing loss can make you feel disconnected from the world around you, increasing feelings of depression and isolation from difficulty in making conversation.
• Cognitive decline: Hearing loss is linked to cognitive impairment and decline. Studies have shown a link between hearing loss in older adults and dementia. Treating hearing loss can have a positive impact on cognitive performances.

How is Hearing Loss diagnosed?

Hearing Tests
Pure-tone testing is done to find the quietest volume you can hear at each pitch. A device will be worn for bone conduction testing. This helps your audiologist determine which type of hearing loss you have.

Imagine Test
A MRI or CT scan may be conducted if you hurt your ear or if they suspect you may have a tumor.