Audiology Therapy & Tests

Hearing Loss Overview

Signs and Symptoms

• Muffled sound quality
• Difficulty understanding words especially with background noise
• Asking others to speak more clearly, slower, or louder
• Turning up the TV or radio
• Withdrawal from conversations
• Avoidance of certain social situations

If you or someone you know shows any of these symptoms you should have your hearing evaluated by a medical doctor and an audiologist.

Risk Factors

• Aging
• Loud noise
• Heredity
• Medication
• Illness

Causes

• There are many different causes of hearing loss.  Some of these include:
• Ear wax build up
• Ear infections
• Ruptured ear drums
• Bone growths or tumors
• Hair cell / inner ear damage

Types of Hearing Loss

• Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when the inner ear or hearing nerve is damaged. The most common causes are aging, inner-ear infection and noise exposure. Sensorineural hearing loss is usually not medically or surgically treatable. Most people with a sensorineural hearing loss find that hearing aids are beneficial.
• Conductive hearing loss occurs when the outer or middle ear fails to work properly. Sounds become "blocked" and are not carried to the inner ear. Conductive hearing losses are often treatable with medicine or surgery. Common causes are fluid behind the eardrum or wax buildup in the ear canal.  Conductive hearing loss also can occur when the eardrum or bones of the middle ear are disrupted.
• Mixed hearing loss occurs when there is a combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.