The hearing loss, deafness and the hearing impairment refer to partial or total inability to hear noise or sounds. The symptoms of hearing loss may be mild in ability to hear or moderate and severe problems in hearing. If you have mild hearing problems, you may have inconveniences of understanding speeches, particularly in noisy places. The people who have a moderate hearing problem should check with their doctor or reliable specialists like Audiologie Centre Ouest in order to get the assistance of the appropriate hearing aid to tackle the problem of hearing loss.
The hearing loss is categorised into three basic types namely (1) conductive that involves the middle and outer ear, (2) the sensorineural which involves the inner ear, and (3) mixed or the combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.
The symptoms and signs of hearing loss include (1) muffling of sounds and speeches, (2) you may find it difficult to understand the words especially in a crowd or in a noisy background, (3) difficult to hear consonants, (4) often requesting frequently to speak loudly, slowly and clearly or the request to repeat what was spoken, (4) the need of turning off the radio or television or any such music system, (5) eventually withdraw from conversations, (6) avoid social gatherings or social settings.
When you find the symptoms of hearing loss slowly over a period or sudden hearing loss especially in one ear, you should immediately go for a medical check-up. However, hearing loss related to age takes place gradually over a period as your age advances. You may not notice the age-related hearing loss initially for a period of time.
The causes of hearing loss include multiple reasons. The common and most important cause of hearing loss may be ageing and exposure to loud noises resulting in damage to the inner ear. Advanced age or extreme loud noise may cause wear and tear on the tiny hair or the nerve cells in the cochlea of the inner ear which sends vibration or sound signals to the brain. In the case of total loss or damage of cochlea nerve cells, the sound signals do not get transmitted to the brain eventually resulting in hearing loss.
Similarly, other causes like build-up of waxes in the ear, abnormal growth of bones or tumour or ear infection, eardrum rupture because of the loud noise of blasts, a sudden change in air pressure, poking of eardrum etc. also result in hearing loss which can be often cured or improved.