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A
hearing loss is the partial or total
inability to hear sounds in one
(unilateral) or both (bilateral) ears.
Hearing loss occurs when any part
of the ear (outer ear, middle ear, inner
ear, hearing (acoustic)
nerve, and auditory
system)
is not functioning properly. Hearing
loss can be described in 3 categories:
type
of hearing loss (conductive,
sensorineural and mixed), severity of hearing loss (mild, moderate, severe, profound), and configuration
(shape) of hearing loss – this refers
to the pattern and degree of hearing
loss depicted on an audiogram (a graph
that shows results of a pure-tone
hearing test).
Hearing loss can occur suddenly
or gradually over time and can be due to
any number of causes (see below).
Conductive
hearing loss occurs when sound is not
being conducted properly anywhere from
the outer ear - ear canal – tympanic
membrane (ear drum) – ossicles (3 tiny
bones: malleus, incus, stapes) of the
middle ear.
The possible causes for a
conductive hearing loss can be:
impacted earwax (cerumen), fluid
in the middle ear, ear infection (otitis
media), allergies (serous otitis media),
perforated tympanic membrane (whole in
ear drum), presence of a foreign body,
malformation or absence of the outer
ear, ear canal or middle ear, and benign
tumors.
A conductive hearing loss can
often be corrected medically or
surgically.
Sensorineural
hearing loss (SNHL) occurs when there is
damage to the inner ear, the acoustic
nerve to the brain.
The possible causes of a SNHL can
be:
excessive noise exposure (most
common), aging (presbycusis), ototoxic
drugs (ie: cisplatin), genetic or
hereditary, illnesses and malformation
of the inner ear.
This type of hearing loss is
often not
correctable with medicine or surgery –
it is typically a permanent hearing
loss. A sensorineural hearing loss is
often best managed with amplification
(hearing aids).
Mixed
hearing loss is a result of both a
conductive and sensorineural hearing
loss.
Simply put, damage may have
occurred in the outer or middle ear and
in the inner ear (cochlea) or auditory
nerve.
**Please
Note**
Should
you experience a SUDDEN HEARING LOSS
(less than 3 days) - you
should contact your physician
immediately as this is a medical
emergency and could suggest a viral
infection.
This usually occurs only in one
ear.
INFANTS
/ CHILDREN:
The
human ear begins development around the
22nd week of gestation and
fully functional at birth.
Babies are able to hear the
sounds around them as soon as they are
born.
Within a few weeks of life, a
baby’s ears collects information,
which in turn, fosters brain
development.
A baby’s hearing is vitally
important because it will allow them to
process information, and understand and
learn to effectively communicate in the
world around them.
Research
suggests that approximately 3 in every
1,000 newborns can have hearing loss at
birth, which is why newborns should have
their hearing screened before being
discharged from the hospital.
If an infant fails a hearing
screening, they are at risk for hearing
loss and should be referred for a
comprehensive audiologic (hearing)
evaluation by visiting their
audiologist.
It is recommended that once
hearing loss is identified in infants,
that it be treated (if possible) or
receive early intervention (before 6
months of age) so the infant has a
better chance of reaching their full
potential and start school at equivalent
skill levels as their peers.
Otherwise, late diagnosis of a
child’s hearing loss may cause them to
experience irreversible and permanent
impairments in their speech, language,
cognitive abilities and social skills.
Preschoolers
and school-age children are periodically
screened at their doctor’s office
(usually pediatrician and audiologist)
or their schools.
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Frequency
Pitch |
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The
audiogram above shows where the speech
and different environmental sounds fall
on the graph.
Please note the frequency (pitch)
and decibel (dB – volume) levels of
the speech sounds we make – it is
referred to as a Speech Banana (for
obvious reasons).
The
Better Hearing Institute (BHI) recently
released a study entitled, "Are
1 Million Dependents in America with
Hearing Loss Being Left Behind?"
They
report the following findings:
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Historically 50 percent of infants who
failed an initial hearing screening were
not brought in for their follow-up
evaluation with a detailed hearing test.
*
Only 12 percent of children under the
age of 18 with hearing loss use hearing
aids, yet an estimated 1.5 million
youths (including adult dependents)
under the age of 21 have hearing loss
that may be improved with amplification.
*
Three in ten parents (32%) cite
embarrassment or other social stigma
issues as a reason their children do not
use hearing aids.
*
Many parents were advised
inappropriately that their children
could not be helped because they had
sensorineural hearing loss.
*
One in five parents cannot afford
hearing aids for their children.
*
There is a tendency to minimize the
impact of "mild" or even
"moderate" hearing loss, as
well as unilateral hearing loss (hearing
loss in one ear) among children despite
the well known (negative) impact it has
on their language, academic, and
emotional development.
TEENS
/ ADULTS:
A
new national study found that one in
five teens has “lost a little bit of
hearing” and the problem appears to be
increasing substantially in recent
years.
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