Hearing loss or deafness can be categorised into two main types, Conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss.

Conductive Hearing Loss

This type of hearing loss is caused by the interference of transmission of sound from the outer to the inner ear. Possible cause of this may include:

Middle ear infections, collection of fluid in the ear more commonly known as “glue ear” which occurs mostly in children, blockage of the outer ear by wax, damage to the ear drum caused by injury or infection, otosclerosis which is when the middle ear becomes immobile due to growth of the surrounding bone and rheumatoid arthritis.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

This type of hearing loss occurs when damage to the pathway for sound impulses from the hair cells of the inner ear to the auditory nerve and brain occur.

Possible causes of this can include: Age related hearing loss our hearing often declines the older we get, acoustic trauma which means injury caused by loud noises, viral infections, Ménière’s disease which is caused by abnormal pressure in the ear, acoustic neuroma which is a benign tumour that affects the auditory nerve, meningitis and a stroke.

While the majority of deaf and hard of hearing people are elderly, roughly every 12 out of a 1000 people with some degree of deafness and hearing loss are under the age of 18.

The Main Causes Of Deafness in Children

Many children each year are born deaf because of genetic reasons; deafness can be passed down through the family even if there seems to have been no history of deafness in the family.

Complications that arise during pregnancy can also have an affect on the unborn child resulting in deafness this is usually caused by the mother contracting rubella, toxoplasmosis or herpes while pregnant.

Premature birth is also thought to be a high risk category for deafness as babies born early are more prone to infections that can cause deafness. In early childhood diseases such as meningitis, measles and mumps can often cause deafness as can drugs called Ototoxic which are mainly used to treat infections in babies.

Treating Hearing Loss

The actual treatment available for hearing loss will depend on what caused the loss in the first place; bacterial infections of the inner ear can be treated successfully with a course of antibiotics.

Hearing loss caused by blockages of the inner or outer ear can be cleared and damaged eardrums can sometimes be successfully repaired by surgery. Hearing loss in the elderly cannot be cured but it can be improved successfully with the use of an hearing aid.

For useful things like not being able to clearly hear the alarm clock ring off can also become a problem.

More important things such as hearing a smoke alarm should there be a fire or hearing the door bell signifying a visitor.

There are however several useful products available to make living easier if you are hard of hearing or deaf.

Alerting Devices

Alarm clocks- there are several variations of alarm clock available depending on your needs and are suitable for the hard of hearing and also the deaf.

Alarm clocks with a flashing light – these are suitable for those who are deaf and has a light fitted into the alarm that will flash on and off at the appropriate time.

Vibrating Alarm clocks – this type of alarm have a special vibrating pad that is attached to the clock and is usually put under your pillow, at the set time the vibration will be felt under your head.

Loud Ringing alarm clocks – are very much like a standard alarm clock the big difference been that they will have an exceptionally loud ring.

Most of the alarm clocks will have the traditional features of a standard alarm clock including snooze function, clock display and a light that tells when the alarm is set. An alarm clock for the deaf can cost around £15 to £80 that’s roughly $29 to $150 USD or 22 Euros to 117 Euros.

Doorbells

Flashing Table Lamp Doorbells – will make your table lamp flash on and off when the doorbell is pressed or come in the form of a flashing strobe light.

Dimming the house lights – this system will make either the lights in your home flash or dim they are usually governed by a switch built into the unit and during the daytime your lights will flash on and off and at night the lights usually dim whenever the doorbell is rung.

Vibrating transmitters – are small enough to carry around in your pocket and will vibrate when the door bell is pressed alerting you.

A portable flashing door will cost about £20, $38 USD or 29 Euros. A simple light flashing system will be around £22, $41 USD or 32 Euros.

Smoke Alarms – will have a shrill high pitched noise and also include a vibrating pad for use during the night; this is usually put under the pillow and a strobe light system for use during the day that will flash on and off.

A system of this type will cost around £105, $197 USD or 153 Euros.

It is when older people suffer from a gradual loss of hearing that the hearing loss is referred to as Presbycusis, and the loss usually associated with Presbycusis is the range of higher pitched sounds.

When a person suffers from this type of hearing loss they find it extremely difficult to hear the ringing of a telephone but they can hear low rumbling sounds such as a truck going down the street clearly.

This condition is generally caused simply by the aging process from changes to the inner ear as we get older, it usually occurs in both ears and they are both affected equally, that is the loss of hearing is about the same in both ears.

It is a very gradual process and the one most commonly not noticed by the individual most times it will be brought to your attention by someone else noticing your loss of hearing.

What Are The Symptoms Of Presbycusis?

Sounds will appear lower in volume and less clear and often the sufferer will have a great deal of trouble hearing what is said in conversations, the following are points to look for if you think you might be suffering from hearing loss of this kind:

• A ringing sound or sound like the ocean in the ears
• If you have trouble with the sounds “s” and “th”, you might find them hard to distinguish between in conversations
• Background noise causes a problem in conversations
• Certain sounds seems excessively loud and are annoying

Ways to Make Life A Little Easier

• Always face the person you are having a conversation with that way you can watch there lips and this will help you follow along the conversation
• Make sure that the room or area you hold the conversation is well lit this way it is easier to see facial expressions
• Never talk while you are eating
• Speak at the rate you would normally do and don’t over exaggerate the words
• Try re phrasing sentences if the person you are talking with doesn’t understand
• Where possible when in restaurants choose seating which is away from the crowded areas.

Old age is something that we can’t change and it comes to us all eventually but we can help a little in being sensible throughout our life with regards to our hearing, be aware of the damage loud noises can do to our ears and wear ear plus if necessary.

Go for routine medicals which will include a hearing test this can help pick up the first signs of problems with hearing loss and its better to deal with hearing loss early.

• About 500 million people throughout the world suffer from some kind of hearing loss.
• 1 in 10 people suffer from hearing loss to the degree that they would benefit from using a hearing aid.
• It is estimated that 6.5% of the total working population suffer from hearing loss.
• A recent survey showed that the percentage of people with hearing loss that actually used a hearing aid is declining .
• Studies have shown that in places of work where ear plugs should be worn a large number of people do not wear them.
• Recent research proved that 13% of the Danish population have some form of hearing loss.
• When fitted with a hearing aid most people reported a big improvement in their hearing.
• Only 1 in 8 people who need a hearing test will go for one.
• A German study concluded that 70% of people wearing a digital hearing aid said their everyday life had improved drastically.
• At least 1.4 million of those suffering from hearing loss are under the age of 18 years.
• People who are in industrial jobs are twice as likely to suffer from a problem with hearing loss later in life than those in office jobs.
• It is estimated that by 2015 there will be well over 700 million hearing impaired people throughout the world.
• A study has shown that 10% of all English adults have experienced spontaneous tinnitus at some time in their life.
• A third of the population who are older than 70 have significant problems due to tinnitus.
• Severe to profound hearing loss is thought to cost society on average $300,000 over the lifetime per person.
• Surveys reveal that the number one main factor in hearing loss is caused by noise levels.
• Anyone can be affected by tinnitus but it can be helped.
• Most TV stations still only have captioning and subtitles on a limited basis.
• By the end of 2008 50% of all programmes on French TV will have subtitles.
• A minimum of half of all programmes shown in Norway will have subtitles or closed caption by the end of 2005.
• In the UK the smaller TV channels such as BBC3 and 4 provide subtitles for about half their programmes.
• The major cause of hearng loss is due to ageing.
• Our hearing will gradually get worse from the age of 40 onwards.
• About half of all cases of hearing loss in children is associated with a gene mutation.
• If left untreated hearing loss can lead to social and physiological problems.

The term hearing loss varies is degrees and is termed either mild, moderate, severe or profound, the term “deaf” is used for those with profound hearing loss.

Factor’s Causing Deafness or Hearing Loss in Children

There are several contributing factors in a child being born deaf or with hearing loss in any degree, there are certain illnesses when contracted by the mother during early pregnancy such as rubella or more commonly known as German measles.

Certain medications and exposure to x-rays are common causes. If the mother is experiencing a difficult labour and intervention isn’t given made quickly enough then the baby can suffer from a lack of oxygen which can also cause hearing loss, also if the baby is born prematurely.

Very occasionally deafness can be inherited from the parents but this is very rare even when both parents are profoundly deaf. Most serious cases of deafness will occur after birth and are generally caused by ear infections or injury to the ear.

Signs to Look For In Your Childs Development

Most of the time parents will know that something is not right with there child and suspect a hearing problem but occasionally it might go unnoticed listed below is a guide to a Childs normal hearing development

From 0 to 4 months the baby will be startled and jump by any sudden unexpected loud noise.

4 to 6 months the baby will turn his or her head towards sounds they hear.

6 to 9 months the baby will turn there heads at sound and also responds to there name.

9 to 12 months the child will start to copy simple sounds like mama and dada.
12 to 18 months the child is capable of following simple instructions and can say simple words which gradually build up.

This is a rough guide of course as every baby develops at different levels but if your baby isn’t startled at all by unexpected loud noise or doesn’t begin to respond to sound or noise then advice should be sought from a health care professional as it is now possible to give even young children a hearing test on some level.

Growing older

Studies have shown that most people will lose there hearing to some degree as we age and this loss will worsen the older we get, nothing can be done to cure loss of hearing in old age but modern technology can play a big part in making life easier for older people in the form of hearing aids.

Loud Noise

Excessive and repeated loud noise can have an affect on the hearing and cause loss of it, this noise can be due to industrial machinery or exposure to loud music on a regular basis.

There are ways to help reduce the risk of loss of hearing due to noise factors; for example if you work all day near loud machinery then ear plugs should be worn all day. If you attend live concerts on a regular basis then try and get seats that are well away from any speakers near to the floor.

Injury to the Eardrum

Never Insert things such as cotton buds into the ear these are perfectly alright for cleaning the outer of the ear but pushing them inside can actually do more harm than good and can cause loss of hearing.

Causes of Temporary Loss of Hearing

A build up of excessive wax can sometimes block the ear drum leading to temporary hearing loss in most cases this can be cleared by attending your Doctors surgery and having your ear syringed. Use of over the counter ear drops for the removal of wax is not recommended as they can sometimes cause irritation of the ear that could lead to infection.

Excess Mucus is sometimes the cause of hearing loss most usually due to a cold or flu, hay fever and other common allergies can also cause a loss this usually due to the Eustachian tubes becoming blocked.

Certain prescription drugs can have an adverse affect on some people this may lead to temporary hearing loss, this usually clears up on its own account and no action is needed.

Hereditary Deafness

Certain types of deafness are contributed to certain hereditary conditions most of which mean flaws in the parents genes have been passed on which causes malformations of the inner ear.

Genetic Disorders

Genetic mutations also occur for example at the time of conception, when the fathers’ sperm meets the mother’s egg.

Parental Exposure to Infections

Babies are sometimes born deaf or have problems with there hearing when the mother has been on contact with someone that had German measles, mumps or influenza while she was pregnant.

• You find yourself frequently asking a person to repeat themselves.
• You turn the volume up on the TV or radio frequently.
• You have trouble hearing the person on the other end of the telephone during a conversation.
• Think back, when was the last time you heard birds singing, running water or the humming sound that the refrigerator makes.
• You often think people are mumbling when you have a conversation.
• You have to listen really hard to what the person is saying to you.
• Sometimes you get accused of not paying attention to what is said to you.
• You have trouble following a conversation when there are two or more people involved in it.
• You have trouble hearing the conversation when there is general background noise.
• You have more trouble understanding what women have said to you than men.
• You have trouble hearing what is being said at lectures, plays e.t.c.
• You hear ringing, hissing or a sound like the ocean in your ears.
• Some sounds sound too loud to you.

Get Help Early

If you have noticed some of the above on your everyday life then it is quite possible that your hearing is affected to some degree, there is lots that can be done to help the heard of hearing and the earlier you get that help the better.

There are many reasons why you might be having problems with your hearing; it could be something as simple as the build up of excessive wax. It is important however that you seek help in case the problem is caused by something more serious and getting help early may stop further deterioration in your hearing.

Treatments for the Hard of Hearing Have Improved

The treatment you will need will depend on the underlying cause of your hearing loss but treatments have improved a lot of the years. Hearing aids have seen the biggest change with new technology they have become a lot smaller and also a lot more sophisticated.

Hearing aids now come with built in micro computers which allow the user more freedom of choice and are even small enough to fit completely inside your ear.

The latest models are digital and this allows for greater tuning of the sounds you have the most trouble with. Most of them have some kind of volume control and others will even adjust themselves when needed.

Often it is better to try out several different types of hearing aid in the shop before purchasing one because you have to feel comfortable with it, it’s something that you will be wearing a lot, and it’s not like a pair of shoes that you will discard when your feet ache. Hearing aids also are generally expensive so it is worthwhile taking extra care and don’t be rushed into a decision.

We have all probably at some time or other encountered the situation but it is actually something that shouldn’t be taken lightly and loss of hearing or deafness can in fact be contributed to prolonged use of loud music.

Hearing loss associated with this is called acoustic trauma and gradual hearing loss over a prolonged period of exposure to loud music can be one of the causes, the hearing loss may be temporary or become permanent.

The Most Common Causes of Acoustic Trauma

• Any loud amplified music such as continual use of listening to music through headphones.
• Sitting too close to speakers at live concerts.
• Prolonged exposure to industrial noise such as sirens, jet engines, power tools or hydraulic machinery.
• Physical injury occurring to the ear or eardrum.
• Explosive sounds such as deployment of the air bag in a car.
• Rapid changes in pressure such as underwater diving or in an aeroplane.

People suffering from hearing loss due to acoustic trauma first experience the loss of high pitched sounds such as bells and chimes increasing trouble in hearing low pitched sounds will then follow such as the ability in hearing people speak.

Diagnosis of Hearing Loss

Diagnosis will be made in the form of a hearing test usually called an audiology examination, through this exam you will be tested on the actual sounds you can hear these will vary according to the tone and loudness.

The intensity or loudness of sound is measured in decibels with a whisper being about 20 decibels and loud music somewhere between 80 to 120 decibels. Sounds generally over 85 decibels can cause some degree of hearing loss in just a few hours.

The tone of the sound or pitch is measured in cycles per second or hertz with high pitched shrill sounds being around 10,000 hertz or higher and the low bass tones being around 50 to 60 hertz.

The test will usually be conducted by covering one ear at a time and checking if the person can hear whispers then words being spoken.

A tuning fork can also be used in the diagnosis and this will be tapped and then held on each side of the head in the air to test how well the person can hear by air conduction. The overall test can take about an hour to be conducted and no discomfort will be felt throughout.

• The drug Opium is a great cure for deafness.
• Using a certain brand of snuff will bring back your hearing.
• There are certain oils that when put in your ears will cure your deafness.
• Putting a small twig in your ear and leaving it there until you can hear again will cure deafness.
• Take samples of your urine and heat it using two dishes then put the water that boils off of it in your ears, this will cure your deafness.
• Take some hog lard and fry some peach kernels in it then put drops of this mixture into your ears and repeat until your hearing comes back.
• Climb somewhere that is really high then jump right off, the drop down will cure your deafness.
• Mineral products will cure your deafness.
• Take a trip to Fiji and visit the high priestess, she will put her hands over your ears and you will be able to hear again.
• A chiropractor can cure deafness.
• Bear fat when melted and put into the ears will cure deafness.
• Eat 20 tomatoes a day until your hearing comes back.
• When you yawn put pepper in your mouth and your hearing will be restored.
• A mixture of your urine, olive oil and garlic drunk three times a day will cure deafness.
• Drops of water from cave roofs is a cure for deafness.
• People who are deaf are also dumb.
• Deaf children are not as clever as those that have perfect hearing.
• Children are deaf because their parents are deaf.
• Because you are deaf then you cant work.
• All children who are deaf can lip read.
• Deaf and those hard of hearing are below the normal intelligence level.
• If a deaf person uses a hearing aid their speech will sound clear.
• Hard of hearing people can hear if they want to.
• Wearing a hearing aid means you’re getting old.
• The hearing aid is a cure for deafness.

Sometimes we try and remove the wax ourselves by use of cotton buds but this usually only succeeds in pushing the wax further into the ear and if pushed deep enough the wax can black the ear canal or be pressed up against the ear drum.

It is therefore important to remember not to try and remove any wax build up yourself if you think your slight hearing loss might be due to wax build up then visit your Doctor.

There are many home remedies for the removal of ear wax without the need for inserting cotton buds into your ear these are usually in the form of ear drops, they are designed to soften the wax but some of these products can actually have adverse effects on you and cause irritation of the ear. If the drops irritate and cause swelling in the ear canal this is called Otitis exterrna.

What Does Ear syringing Involve?

Ear syringing is usually carried out with a pulsed water jet system using a narrow tube which is connected to an electric pump. After having your ears syringed some people can find that it makes them dizzy for a short while afterwards but this clears quickly.

Very occasionally some people may develop inflammation in the ear canal after having there ear or ears syringed, this can cause itching and discomfort in the ear and ear drops are normally prescribed by your Doctor should this occur.

Is Ear Syringing A Safe Procedure?

Most of the time ear syringing is painless and highly effective. Syringing of the ears is usually advised against if you have certain problems with your ears such as recovering from ear surgery, if you have had recurring infections of the ear canal, if you have or have had a perforated ear drum or if you suffer from deafness in the other ear.

Research suggest that any problems caused by syringing the ears has been caused by medical practitioners not carrying out the procedure right or have failed to get a full medical history of the patient beforehand.

Other factors are poor technique for example the water was directed more at the eardrum instead of the roof of the ear, faulty equipment, or the tip of the syringe scraping the ear canal. These instances are very rare though and ear syringing is considered a safe treatment for the removal of wax causing a problem.