Hearing Loss : A Partial Or Total Loss Of Hearing

Hearing loss continues to linger in the elderly population of today’s society. Yet, the onset of hearing loss can occur at any age and at any point in

When a person with normal hearing hears the sound travels along the ear then bounces against the ear drum. The eardrum, the bones inside, and the cochlea vibrate and move thousands of tiny hairs inside the ear. When these hairs move an electrical response occurs. This electrical response goes to the hearing nerve and then it is send to the brain.

This happens in two ways: listening at too high of a volume, or listening for too long. Studies have confirmed the obvious fact that “the louder the noise and the longer you’re hearing it, the greater the risk of hearing loss” (Siegel). This study concluded that an increasing amount of teens are suffering hearing loss and “wearing earbuds to listen to music may be to blame” (Siegel). The knowledge of loud sounds hurting the ear is well known, but not as many people are aware of the problems caused by listening to music for an extended amount of time. “Constant low-level noise might cause hearing problems, a new study in rats finds” (Cheung). Even music at a low level can damage a listener’s hearing if heard for an extended period of time, but what can losing some hearing really do to a

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.

Hearing: Hearing is a sense of sound perception. Hearing involves vibration and the mechanoreceptors located in the inner ear help turn motion into electrical nerve impulses. The sense of hearing is mechanical and this is due to the vibration being mechanically conducted from the eardrum through small bones within the ear. Hair like fibres within the inner ear help detect mechanical motion of the fibres within 20,000 hertz of range. Hearing starts to decline in older age and hearing at high frequency is no longer possible. In some cases hearing becomes so severe that hearing is

Long-term noise exposure is an example; this is due to the damage that the noise exposure can have on the sensory hair cells. Sensory hair cells are what allow you to hear and if damaged the ability to hear is reduced and these hair cells do not grow back. As Colin was a car mechanic this meant he will have been in contact and close proximity to loud equipment and machinery daily, this could have had a detrimental effect to his hearing and prevented him from hearing Mary. Other environmental factors include ototoxic drugs, genetic factors and cell damage and neural degeneration which are common effects of aging. Ototoxic drugs can effect hearing as they can damage the inner ear including the hair cells and also the auditory nerve, this is important as it carries the sound information to the

Deafness can be the result of many different causes such as otitis media (middle ear infections), hereditary disorders, genetic mutations at birth, prenatal exposure to certain diseases such as meningitis, and trauma to the eardrum or auditory nerves. (Better Health Channel, 2013)

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)

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,

Age is the most common factor in increasing hearing loss. About 30 percent of people between 65 and 74 experience some difficulty in hearing. That percentage and the severity of the loss increase with age.

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

According to IDEA “hearing loss means a loss of hearing, weather permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness… (Heward, 365).” There are three different types of hearing losses: conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, and mixed hearing loss.

Anyone of any age who has highly impaired hearing loss or suffers from being deaf could have a cochlear implant. Damage to the inner ear, Aging, prolonged exposure to loud noise and diseases such as rubella (German measles) or mumps may cause wear and tear on the hairs or nerve cells in the cochlea that send sound signals to the brain. When