A sudden or gradual decrease in how well you can hear, hearing loss can affect people of all ages and depending on the cause can be mild or severe, temporary or permanent.
Some major causes of hearing loss.
Congenital hearing loss means you are born without hearing whereas gradual hearing loss occurs over time.
Age-related hearing loss is known as presbycusis. Changes that happen in the inner ear as you get oldercause a slow but steady hearing loss. In older people, hearing loss can often be confused with, or complicate conditions such as dementia.
Noise induced hearing loss can happen slowly over time or suddenly. Being exposed to everyday noises such as very loud music, a noisy work environment or using a lawn mower can all lead to hearing loss over many years. Severe tinnitus (ringing in the ears) will accompany the hearing loss and may be just as debilitating as the hearing loss itself.
Other causes of hearing loss include earwax build up, an object in the ear, injury to the ear or head, a ruptured ear drum and other conditions that affect the middle or inner ear.
Some major signs of hearing loss:
- Ringing, roaring hissing or buzzing in the ear (Tinnitus).
- Muffled hearing
- Turning up the TV or radio louder then you used to.
- Avoiding social interaction or conversation.
- Difficulty understanding what people are saying, especially when there is background noise.
If you or someone you care about is experiencing signs of hearing loss, book a hearing test with our specialists at Total Health and Hearing Morningside.