Hearing loss can be divided into:
1. Conductive causes (due to conditions that prevent sound from reaching the hearing organ in the inner ear). Majority of conductive hearing loss is reversible. Common causes include:
- Earwax
- Ear infections
- Fluid in the middle ear
- Foreign bodies in the ear
- Stiffening of the hearing bones (otosclerosis)
2. Sensorineural hearing loss (due to some injury/damage to the hearing organ or hearing nerve). Majority of sensorineural hearing loss is unfortunately irreversible. Common causes include:
- Exposure to loud sounds for a prolonged period of time
- Ageing
- Infections
- Medications
- Hereditary causes
Signs of hearing loss depends on the age at which the sufferer experiences it.
In young children, they may present with problems with language and speech development (e.g. delayed speech development, problems with pronunciation etc).
In adults, they may present with difficulties in hearing especially in noisy environments, the need to ask a person to speak loudly or to repeat himself/herself, the need to turn up the volume on the television or radio etc.
Hearing loss in elderly patients has also been associated with dementia (a neurological condition in which the sufferer experiences problems with memory loss and decreased brain function).
If you are concerned about hearing loss, you should visit an ENT Specialist for an assessment. Sometimes the problem could be as simple as an impacted earwax which can be easily treated!
