Hearing: Hearing Loss
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There are many possible causes of hearing loss. Hearing loss is defined by two basic types called conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss is caused by anything that interferes with the transmission of sound from the outer to inner ear. Sensorineural hearing loss is damage to the pathway for sound from sound impulses from the hair cells of the inner ear to the auditory nerve and brain.
In adults, hearing loss may be very gradual, as in age-related hearing loss, or it can be very sudden, as in some viral infections in the inner ear. A person who experiences hearing loss can have a range of tests usually performed at an audiology clinic. When you go for testing the doctor will want to know specific information, such as how it developed and what problems it is causing.
Experiencing Hearing Loss
The treatment of hearing loss depends on the cause. An infection may require antibiotics, damaged eardrums can be repaired surgically, and if there is no cure for the hearing loss, a hearing aid for one or both ears usually helps most people. There are many different types of hearing aids available and the audiologist will help you choose the right one for your level of hearing loss.
When a hearing aid does not give sufficient amplification, as with deafness, a cochlear implant may help. This device transmits sound directly into the auditory nerve with electrodes surgically implanted into the cochlea. Although the sounds heard tend to be of a buzzing or electronic nature, it can be very useful when used in combination with lip reading.
Posted on: Saturday, June 21, 2008 at 1:16 pm 
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