Hearing loss is a loss of the loudness and/or clarity of sounds.
Most people have had temporary hearing loss at least once in their lives.
If you have a cold or have been exposed to loud noise for a short while you may feel ‘a little bit deaf’. Or if the air pressure around you is changing, for example while diving or flying, your ears may feel ‘blocked’.
In these cases your hearing should return to normal within a couple of days at most. If it doesn’t, see a doctor.
If you ever have a sudden and severe loss of hearing, see a doctor urgently.
Immediate treatment may save hearing, which might otherwise be lost. If your sudden hearing loss is not severe, go to your doctor within two days if it has not started to recover.
This is due to problems affecting sound transmission through the outer or middle ear. It leads to a loss of loudness and can often be corrected. It’s like listening to someone speaking very softly or from a distance.
This arises in the inner ear or hearing nerve. It reduces loudness and clarity. As well as the sound not being loud enough, it is distorted so that it can’t be understood by the listener – a bit like listening to a language you don’t know.
Unless you have a moderate to severe hearing loss you’ll probably have no problem talking face to face with someone. However,
If you think you have some hearing loss, arrange through a doctor to have your hearing tested by a qualified audiologist.
For many people hearing aids are the only real help available. Using hearing aids is really no different to wearing glasses. You’ll be able to enjoy life far more if you can hear what’s going on.
There is a wide range of operations, which correct the problems occurring in the middle ear.
In many cases hearing can be almost fully restored. Unfortunately an operation can rarely help someone with sensorineural hearing loss except for cochlear implants in those with profound deafness.
Drugs are often prescribed to clear up ear infection or underlying nose problems which lead to hearing loss.
Drugs may help sudden sensorineural hearing loss but rarely help other types of sensorineural deafness. Consult your doctor.
See also
|
|
Read all the latest information and updates from NFD Inc. Latest Issue Out now