Conductive Hearing Loss

Earbuds are a major concern in hearing loss. Although, the real problem is not in the product, it’s in the volume. Getting a pair of earbuds for Christmas, your birthday or any other occasion is awesome, but if you don’t keep it at an appropriate volume it is dangerous. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 1.1 billion young adults and teens are globally at risk of developing major hearing loss. Also, wearing earbuds and listening to loud music is the same as the sound of motorcycles, chainsaws, and rock concerts. Earbuds are only bad for your hearing if you don’t turn the volume down.

The ear is an extraordinary human organ that many people take for granted until it doesn’t function. It is the only device that allows the human to hear sounds in their environment. The ear is made up of many parts that distinguish various sounds through different means. The ear anatomy and physiology along with how sound waves are transmitted into meaningful sounds will help one understand how hearing loss occurs.

The condition Colin is likely to be suffering from is Presbycusis. Presbycusis is an age-related hearing loss, it is a hearing disorder that can be caused by a variety of different factors. It is usually a sensorineural hearing disorder but can be a conductive hearing loss. A conductive hearing loss is when it is caused by problems with the ear canal, ear drum, middle ear and the malleus, uncus and stapes this can result in reduced function of the tympanic membrane or reduced function of auditory ossicles. Most commonly it is as a result of changes within the inner ear, middle ear or the nerve pathways to the brain. The cochlea is lined with tiny hair cells; these hairs convert sound vibrations into electrical signals which are received at the brain by a nerve. These cells can become damaged over time this means electrical signals cannot be transmitted as effectively so hearing becomes affected. Long-term exposure to loud noises such as that from traffic and loud equipment which Colin would have been exposed to working as a mechanic can also be a cause of

Children with hearing impairment have a difficulties to interact and communicate with the environment surrounding them. Help children with hearing loss or as known as conductive hearing loss. These symptom can appeared in a child more frequently in winter because there is fluid which is build up in the ear in this season. This problem will also affect children speech. If the hearing is seriously lost children can be supported by groomers.

The ear is made up of three parts, the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The ability to hear is dependent on these three parts of the ear working together, and a problem with any part can cause hearing loss (heaing loss education centre, 2012). The inner ear consists of the cochlea, the auditory hearing nerve and the brain. These are the organs of hearing and balance and convert sound waves into nerve signals. These signals are sent to the brain using a nerve called the vestibulocochlear nerve. Nerve deafness occurs if there is damage to the inner ear and although it is possible to regain some hearing through the help of a hearing device, nerve deafness is often permanent. (deaf websites, 2013)

Medical professionals all over the world have paved the road for further research and technological advances in the hearing impaired spectrum. Implantations, such as the cochlear implant (CI), have given patients with profound sensorineural hearing loss newfound hope for habilitation and rehabilitation services. However, “there exists a small subset of deaf individuals who will not benefit from the CI due to (1) a small or absent cochlea, (2) a small or absent auditory nerve, or (3) injury or scarring of the inner ear or auditory nerve secondary to meningitis, trauma, or tumor” as stated by Kaplan et al. (2015). A treatment option for those who did not meet the candidacy qualifications for a cochlear implant needed to be implemented.

Losing our hearing as we age is scary. It causes changes beyond just the ability to hear things properly. Hearing loss modifies the way we perceive the world, and it may even alter our brains in dramatic ways over time. Discover how hearing loss might indicate cognitive decline and what you can do to try to prevent this from happening.

There are four main types of hearing loss: auditory processing, conductive, sensorineural, and mixed. In auditory processing hearing loss, the brain has difficulty processing the information it receives from the inner ear. Conductive hearing loss occurs when the Outer or Middle ear are subjected to damage. A number of factors can yield conductive hearing loss; including problems as simple as an excess of ear wax to problems as complex as otosclerosis, which is abnormal bone growth in the ossicles. Sensorineural hearing loss typically occurs when the cochlea and/or nerve endings are damaged. Unlike conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss is almost always permanent. Over-exposure to a loud environment, or even old age, are the most common factors that lead to sensorineural hearing loss.

Conductive hearing loss is from one or more deformity with the outer, inner, or middle ear which impacts sound from transferring to the nerves 5. Conductive hearing loss is often corrected with surgery, drugs, or hearing aids. Sensorineural hearing loss affects the cochlea, which transfers the sounds vibrations to the nerves 5. Although hearing aids are typically used for conductive hearing loss, a profoundly deaf sensorineural patient needs to complete a 6-month trial with them before they are considered ineffective and referred on for further testing for cochlear implant candidacy 5. Sensorineural hearing loss is primarily due to a malfunctioning cochlea so doctors run a hearing test to see how many decibels can be picked up by the cochlea. For pediatric patients to qualify for implants they need to be considered profoundly deaf in both ears. The tone threshold for mild hearing loss is between 21 and 40 dBHL (decibels Hearing Level) and profound hearing loss is greater than 90 dBHL 5. Typically, a pediatric patient looking for cochlear implants will go through a battery of speech-recognition testing while simultaneously undergoing the audiological

If you have hearing loss that has not been treated with a cochlear implant, you will have to go through some tests. An air conduction hearing threshold of 90 decibels or greater in the better

Pure tone audiometry suggested the presence of otosclerosis in the right ear. SRT (50dB for the right ear and 30dB for the left ear) corresponds with the pure tone thresholds. WR scores for the right ear were 96% (85dB) and 100% (70dB) for the left ear, which are consistent with the CHL in the right ear and WNL in the left ear. Typanometry confirmed that finding by revealing a reduced compliance, which indicated less mobility of the tympanic membrane due to increased stiffness. These findings corresponded with the presence of Carhart’s notch at 2000Hz from the audiogram. The absence of OAEs in the right ear also confirmed the conductive component of hearing loss in the right ear due to otosclerosis. The audiology evaluation affirmed that the patient has a decrease in hearing for natural and speech sounds in the right

Hearing loss is one of the most common physical conditions in the United States. It has been referred to as an invisible condition, as we can’t see it occurring; all we see is the effects of it (Hearing Loss Association of America). The severity of the loss can range in the classifications of mild, moderate, severe, or profound. It can also occur in just one ear, or both. Hearing loss can occur at any age. People can be born with deafness (which is known as congenital hearing loss), or lose their hearing over a gradual period of time. Causes of why hearing loss occurs vary per person. The most common cause of loss is noise and aging. Buildup in the air, injury, ear infection, rupture eardrum are other causes as well. For children who suffer from hearing loss, most are born with it.

Over 360 million people or about five percent of the world population have disabling hearing loss (Deafness). Disabling hearing loss refers to hearing loss greater than 40 decibels for adults and a hearing loss of greater than 30 decibels for children (Deafness). 40 decibels is equivalent to the tune of a refrigerator humming. Although hearing loss can be mild, moderate, severe, or profound -- there are numerous ways of improving the damaged hearing (Deafness). The most common ways are through hearing aids and cochlear implants. Cochlear implants is a type of implanted electronic hearing device; it is designed to produce hearing sensations that are useful to a person with profound nerve deafness Cochlear Implants -€“ Facts). The device is more ideal for people who cannot benefit substantially with the help of hearing aids (Cochlear Implants -€“ Facts). Today, over 219,00 people are using Cochlear Implants (Cochlear Implants, Baylor). The technology used in cochlear implants is more complex and improves hearing and communication skills drastically. Despite cochlear implants having many disadvantages, there are more benefits that will help towards improving hearing loss.

After making a conclusion on the hearing loss of the patient, the physician will choose possible avenues for treatment. In cases where the hearing loss is not severe, a hearing aid can be installed in order to help the individual hear properly. In cases where hearing loss is permanent and severe, cochlear implants are available for specific nonsymptomatic deafness where the inner ear is not at risk to reject the implantation. There is also hearing assistive technology (HATS) which can be equipped with both adults and children to help process sounds. Similar to headphones, hearing aids consist of three major parts: the microphone, the amplifier, and the speaker. The microphone picks up sound and transfers it via electrical impulse to the amplifier,

First I will explain how hearing loss works, So it may be no surprise that loud sounds can damage hearing, but what actually happens is that the pain is caused by damage to the nerves in your ear. For example, if you hear something really loud close to your ear the nerves get hit by a huge wave of sound that can damage your hearing. Furthermore, there is the question