Do you feel like you’re hearing external sounds less and less? Do you feel like there have been significant changes in your hearing capacity? If you answered yes to these questions, then you may have hearing loss.
We must emphasize, however, that you shouldn’t self-diagnose, much less use suspicious products including supplements, tools and devices that promise to restore your hearing capacity to its previous level. You have to make an appointment with your doctor so that the appropriate medical and auditory examinations can be made.
But it doesn’t hurt either to know these causes of hearing loss either! You will then be able to make more sense of your hearing aids prescription with the information. Keep in mind that these are just a few of the numerous causes of hearing loss – ask your doctor for more information.
Congenital Hearing Loss
Sadly, some children have congenital hearing loss, a condition that often runs in families although it can also occur due to an infection during pregnancy or with maternal diabetes.
Other causes include premature birth, neonatal jaundice, and birth-related trauma like oxygen deprivation.
Childhood Illness
Children have sensitive ears and even a seemingly simple infection can affect their hearing
capacity. Ear infections are the common cause for hearing loss in children – these cause fluid buildup in the middle ear although it usually clears up after treatment.
Many common childhood diseases can also cause hearing loss, especially when these aren’t
promptly and properly treated. These include encephalitis, chickenpox, measles, influenza,
mumps, and meningitis; most of these diseases can be prevented with vaccines so be sure to ask your children’s pediatricians about them.
Age
Many, if not most, older people experience hearing loss as a natural part of aging. Unfortunately, it’s a common occurrence even when you have protected your ears as best as you can. The hearing loss isn’t your fault – it’s caused by the progressive loss of the hair cells in your inner ear. You can’t prevent it but you can ask an audiologist for assistance on hearing aids and therapy.
Tumors and Growths
When there’s something blocking your ear canal, you will experience hearing loss. The blockage can be a growth, such as a tumor (e.g., benign polyps or cancer), the removal of which may or may not relieve hearing loss. Even earwax buildup can cause temporary hearing loss.
Exposure to Loud Noises
Long-term exposure and short-term yet severe exposure to loud noises can result in profound hearing loss. The noise itself can be from machinery at work, from motorcycles and vehicles, and from speakers during concerts and fireworks.
Your doctor will customize your hearing aids and therapy, among other treatment options, based on what caused your hearing loss in the first place. But for now, take good care of your ears!
Although it is tempting to buy something cheaper and affordable on the Internet, you have to be aware that you might be losing some professional services such as hearing test & assessment from an audiologist, hearing aid adjustment orientation to fit your ear and hearing diagnosis, and hearing aid rehabilitation services, etc. These services are necessary to help you achieve quality hearing health care and the fullest benefit you can get from a hearing aid.
If you think you need a hearing aid, we are a specialist offering hearing test & assessment, hearing aid prescription and professional services.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription