Ear condition

Hearing Loss

What is hearing loss?

Hearing loss is a sudden or gradual decrease in how well you can hear. Gradual hearing loss happens over time. It can affect people of all ages. Hearing loss may be mild or severe. Depending on the cause, hearing loss may improve with treatment (reversible) or be lasting (permanent).

What causes it?

The most common causes of hearing loss are noise and aging. Being exposed to everyday noises, such as using a power lawn mower, can lead to hearing loss over many years. As you get older, changes in the inner ear cause slow but steady hearing loss. Many other things can cause hearing loss too.

What are the symptoms?

Common symptoms of hearing loss include muffled hearing and a feeling that your ear is plugged. You may have trouble understanding what people are saying, especially when there is background noise, such as a radio. You may listen to the TV or radio at a higher volume than in the past.

How is it diagnosed?

Your doctor will do a physical exam and ask about your symptoms and past health. He or she also may look in your ears with a lighted device. If your doctor thinks that you have hearing loss, you’ll have hearing tests to check whether you have hearing loss and how severe it is.

The inner ear includes the cochlea nerve, and the semicircular canals. The cochlea is the main sensory organ of hearing. Sound vibrations from the ear drum in the middle ear make the fluid in the inner ear move. The fluid then bend tiny hair cells in the cochlea. When the fluid move, impulses are changed into sound in your brain. The semicircular help you keep your balance. They have special cells that detect motion and changes in position. When you move a certain way, such as when you stand up or turn your head, the special cells sense the movement. This helps your brain know what position your body is in.

How is hearing loss treated?

Treatment depends on the type and cause of hearing loss. Permanent hearing loss can be treated with hearing aids or devices that alert you to sounds around the house like the doorbell. If hearing aids don’t work for you, cochlear implants may be an option. Reversible hearing loss can often be treated successfully.