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hearing loss
Hearing loss can have various causes.
It may be hereditary, or caused by medication, loud music, noise, stress, illness or the aging process.
Some types of hearing impairment are reversible, so that the hearing loss lasts for a limited period of time.
However, most causes result in irreversible hearing impairment.
According to one study, almost every fourth person has a hearing problem. Unfortunately, an increasing number of young people are being diagnosed with hearing loss. According to another report, 25 percent of young adults suffer from irreversible hearing impairment mainly caused by loud music.
Types of hearing impairment
Conductive hearing impairment:
Parts of the mechanical transmission chain in the middle ear, for example the eardrum or the ear bones, are affected as well. The cause may be impacted earwax, inflammation of the middle ear, or otosclerosis (a hereditary disease of the middle ear).
Sensorineural hearing impairment:
 The acoustic hair cells in the inner ear are impaired, which causes a breakdown in the conversion of mechanical sound transmission to electric stimuli. In the case of sensorineural hearing impairment, the fine acoustic hair cells in the inner ear are usually damaged. In approximately 95 percent of those suffering from hearing loss, the impairment is caused by damage to the inner ear, which hinders the transmission of signals to the brain. The damage to the acoustic hair cells may be congenital. Or, it may be the result of a bacterial infection, such as meningitis, or a viral infection, such as mumps. In rare cases it may also be caused by certain types of medication. To an increasing extent, the irreversible destruction of the acoustic hair cells is caused by loud music and noise. And, of course, hearing loss can also be a result of the aging process. Today, properly adjusted hearing aids can compensate for these types of hearing impairment.
Hearing aids can be fitted quickly and effectively, and the procedure is easy and painless.
Another type of hearing impairment is sudden deafness. This usually happens without warning and affects one ear only.Other conditions which may be accompanied by impaired hearing are tinnitus and Menière's disease.
noise induced
Even at an early age, constant exposure to noise can result in impaired hearing.
A continuous exposure of 85 dBA will begin to have a detrimental effect on our hearing. That would correspond to the noise of a street with constant heavy traffic, for example. If the exposure to noise lasts for a long time, the cells responsible for our sense of hearing will be irreversibly damaged.
Doctors consider exposure to loud music, as at a rock concert or via headphones, to be particularly dangerous, since the sound intensity can sometimes reach 110-120 decibels.
At work, too, our hearing is often exposed to threats such as constant noise in an industrial plant, or the traumatic effect of a sudden, loud noise, as in the case of an explosion.
Every year there are approximately 3000 recognized cases of impaired hearing due to noise in the workplace. This makes hearing impairment the number one occupational disease.
Preventive measures
Since there is no cure for noise-induced hearing loss, prevention is the sensible alternative.
Modern devices which protect your hearing - from commercially available earplugs to custom-made earmoulds with various filter systems - give effective protection against noise.
If you are exposed to continuous noise in your leisure activities or at work, you should get in touch with us for advice on the latest methods of hearing protection.
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