Types of Deafness, Causes and Other Hearing Loss Information

Types of Hearing Loss

When describing hearing loss we generally look at three attributes: type of hearing loss, degree of hearing loss,  and the configuration of the hearing loss.

Hearing loss can be categorized by where or what part of the auditory system is damaged. There are three basis types of hearing loss, conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss and central auditory processing disorders.

Conductive Hearing Loss

Conductive hearing loss occurs when sound is not conducted efficiently through the outer and middle ears, including the ear canal, eardrum, and the tiny bones, or ossicles, of the middle ear. Conductive hearing loss usually involves a reduction in sound level, or the ability to hear faint sounds. This type of hearing loss can often be corrected through medicine or surgery.

Absence or malformation of the pinna, ear canal, or ossicles can cause a conductive hearing loss. Presence of a foreign body; impacted ear wax (cerumen); fluid in the ear associated with colds, allergies, ear infections (otitis media); or a poorly functioning eustachian tube are all examples of conditions that may cause a conductive hearing loss.

Sometimes a conductive hearing loss occurs in combination with a sensorineural hearing loss. In other words, there may be damage in the outer or middle ear and in the cochlea or auditory nerve. When this occurs, the hearing loss is referred to as a mixed hearing loss.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear (cochlea) or to the nerve pathways from the inner ear (retrocochlear pathway of the acoustic nerve) to the brain. Although sometimes nicknamed nerve damage, sensorineural hearing loss does not usually affect the actual auditory nerve and therefore, the person may be a candidate for a cochlear implant when the loss is profound.

Sensorineural hearing loss not only involves a reduction in sound level, or ability to hear faint sounds, but also affects speech understanding or ability to hear clearly.

Sensorieneural hearing loss can be caused by diseases, birth injury, drugs that are toxic to the auditory system, and genetic syndromes. Sensorineural hearing loss may also occur as a result of noise exposure, viruses, head trauma, aging, and tumors. Sensorineural hearing loss affects some 17 million Americans.

Sensorineural hearing loss cannot be corrected medically or surgically. It is a permanent loss.

Sometimes a sensorineural hearing loss occurs in combination with a conductive hearing loss. In other words there may be damage in the outer or middle ear and the cochlea or auditory nerve. When this occurs, the hearing loss is referred to as a mixed hearing loss.

Central Auditory Processing Disorders

A central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) occurs when auditory centers of the brain are affected by injury, disease, tumor, heredity or unknown causes. CAPD does not necessarily involve (although it may) hearing loss. Central auditory processing involves sound localization and lateralization, auditory discrimination, auditory pattern recognition, the temporal aspects of sounds, and the ability to deal with degraded and competing acoustic signals. Therefore, a deficiency in one or more of the above listed behaviors may constitute a central auditory processing disorder. CAPD is often associated with Attention Deficit disorder (ADD) or  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) .

Degree of Hearing Loss

Degree of hearing loss refers to the severity of the loss. Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as a percentage of hearing loss (“I have a 90% loss,” actually means nothing)! There are seven categories that are typically used. The numerical values are based on the average of the hearing loss at three frequencies 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, and 2000 Hz in the better ear without amplification. Some people may use slightly smaller or slightly larger numbers for each of the categories below:

Normal range or no impairment = -10 dB to 15 dB

Slight Loss/Minimal loss = 16 dB to 25 dB

Mild loss = 26 dB to 30 dB

Moderate loss = 31 dB to 50 dB

Moderate/Severe loss = 51 dB to 70 dB

Severe loss = 71 dB to 90 dB

Profound loss = 91 dB (or more)

Configuration of Hearing Loss

The configuration or shape of the hearing loss refers to the extent of hearing loss at each frequency and the overall picture of hearing that is created. For example, a hearing loss that only affects the high frequencies would be described as a high frequency loss. Its configuration would show good hearing in the low frequencies and poor hearing in the high frequencies. On the other hand, if only the low frequencies are affected, the configuration would show poorer hearing for low tones and better hearing for high tones. Some hearing loss configurations are flat, indicating the same amount of hearing loss for low and high tones.

Other descriptors associated with hearing loss are:

• Bilateral vs. unilateral. Bilateral hearing loss means both ears are affected. Unilateral hearing loss means only one ear is affected.

• Symmetrical vs. aysmmetrical. Symmetrical hearing loss means that the degree and configuration of hearing loss are the same in each ear. An asymmetrical hearing loss is one in which the degree and/or configuration of the loss is different for each ear.

• Fluctuating vs. stable hearing loss. Some hearing losses change - sometimes getting better, sometimes getting worse. Such a change commonly occurs in young children who have hearing loss as a result of otitis media, or fluid in the middle ear. Other hearing losses will remain the same year after year and would be regarded as stable.

• Progressive vs.sudden hearing loss. Progressive hearing loss is a hearing loss that becomes increasingly worse over time. A sudden hearing loss is one that has an acute or rapid onset and therefore occurs quickly, perhaps as a result of head trauma, or perhaps a tumor in the auditory nerve. 

The Prevalence and Incidence of Hearing Loss in Adults

Prevalence and Incidence

• About 28 million people in the U.S. have some degree of reduced hearing sensitivity. Of this number, 80% have irreversible hearing loss.
  
  
• 4.6% of individuals between the ages of 18 and 44 years have hearing loss.

• 14% of individuals between the ages of 45 and 64 years have hearing loss.

• 54 % of the population over age 65 has hearing loss.

• 23 % of individuals between the ages of 65 and 74 years have hearing loss.

• 31% of the population over the age of 75 years have hearing loss.
  
  
• Hearing loss is the 3^rd most prevalent chronic condition in the older population.

Medication and diseases that cause hearing loss

The Causes of Hearing Loss in Adults

Hearing loss in adults has many causes such as disease or infection, ototoxic drugs, exposure to noise, tumors, trauma, and the aging process. This loss may or may not be accompanied by tinnitus, ringing in the ears. Tinnitus (see below) can occur by itself without any hearing loss.

Some examples of causes of hearing loss in adults are described below:

Otosclerosis is a disease involving the middle ear capsule, specifically affecting the movement of the stapes (one of the three tiny bones in the middle ear).

Meniere's disease affects the membranous inner ear and is characterized by deafness, dizziness (vertigo), and ringing in the ear (tinnitus).

Drugs used to manage some diseases are damaging to the auditory system (ototoxic) and cause hearing loss. Drugs known to be ototoxic are aminoglycoside antibiotics (such as streptomycin, neomycin, kanamycin); salicylates in large quantities (aspirin), loop diuretics (lasix, ethacrynic acid); and drugs used in chemotherapy regimens (cisplatin, carboplatin, nitrogen mustard).

Exposure to harmful levels of noise results in noise-induced hearing loss. The prolonged exposure causes damage to the hair cells in the cochlea and results in permanent hearing loss. The noise-induced hearing loss usually develops gradually and painlessly. Hearing loss can also occur as a result of an acoustic trauma, or a single exposure or very few exposures to very high levels of sound. When this happens, a complete breakdown of the Organ of Corti in the inner ear occurs.

An acoustic neuroma is an example of a tumor that causes hearing loss. Acoustic neuromas arise in the 8 ^th cranial nerve (acoustic nerve). The first symptom is reduction of hearing in one ear accompanied by a feeling of fullness.

Trauma can also result in hearing loss. Examples include fractures of the temporal bone, puncture of the ear drum by foreign objects, and sudden changes in air pressure.

Loss of hearing as a result of the aging process is called presbycusis. The process involves degeneration of the inner ear (cochlea). Presbycusis can also involve other parts of the auditory system. The hearing loss is progressive in nature with the high frequencies affected first. While the process begins after age 20, it is often at ages 55 to 65 that the high frequencies in the speech range begin to be affected.

There are several major causes of hearing loss in babies in the United States. Some involve an illness (often mild) in the mother during pregnancy, such as rubella or cytomegalovirus (CMV). These illnesses can cause additional challenges including learning disabilities. Some causes involve an illness in the child, such as meningitis and the high fever that accompanies it. Rh factor incompatibility in the blood of the mother may also cause deafness. Approximately 50 percent of the babies with hearing loss have inherited the condition. This does not mean, however, that these babies are all born to deaf parents. Although some deaf people have deaf babies, most deaf parents have hearing children. Genetic hearing loss is not necessarily passed from parent to child, but may appear more sporadically throughout a family tree. More than 90 percent of the parents of deaf children are hearing people with no previous contact with or knowledge or deafness.

Statistics about sudden hearing loss

Sudden deafness occurs in about 1 in every 5000 people every year.

The cause is basically unknown, some say its due to an "un-named virus", others say of a vascular etiology.

The hearing loss is usually profound, and does not return in about one third of those afflicted.
Believe it or not, normal hearing returns in 7 to 10 days in another third,
while partial recovery occurs in the final third.

There is no real treatment and many ear nose & throat doctors/audiologists feel inept when dealing with such a condition.

Medication Effects on Hearing

Commonly used medications--both over-the-counter and prescribed--can damage hearing or aggravate an already existing problem.

Any drug with the potential to cause toxic reactions to structures of the inner ear are considered ototoxic. "Oto-" means ear. "Toxic" mean poisonous. Therefore, ototoxic" means poisonous to the ear.

Hearing problems caused by ototoxic medications are often reversible if the drug is discontinued. Sometimes, however, hearing loss is permanent. When a decision is made to treat an illness or medical condition with a drug known to be ototoxic, the health care team should consider the effects that hearing and balance problems may have on the person's quality of life after the drug therapy.

If a drug is known to cause permanent hearing loss or even deafness, why is it used ?

Sometimes there is little choice. A particular drug may be the only known medication available to cure a life-threatening disease or to stop a life-threatening infection.

What drugs are ototoxic?

Approximately 200 drugs have been labeled as ototoxic. Different ototoxic drugs can cause either permanent or temporary structural damage in the inner ear. The damage can be of varying degree and reversibility.

Those drugs known to cause permanent damage are the aminoglycoside antibiotics and the cancer chemotherapeutic agents cisplatin and carbo-platin.

Those known to cause temporary damage are salicylate analgesics, quinine, and loop diuretics. In some instances, exposure to damaging noise while taking certain drugs will increase their ototoxicity.

There are other categories of drugs known to be ototoxic including anesthetics, cardiac medications, glucocorticosteroids (cortisone, steroids), mood altering drugs, and some vapors and solvents.

It is important to discuss the potential for ototoxicity of any drug you are taking with your physician and/or pharmacist.

Can the use of a known ototoxic drug be monitored to determine if hearing loss is occurring?

Yes, audiologists can perform hearing tests before, during, and after the administration of medications to detect the progression of ototoxic hearing loss. This evaluation usually involves testing hearing in very high frequency ranges--9,000 to 20,000 Hz--because ototoxic drugs affect these frequencies first. (Typical hearing tests only test frequencies as high as 6,000 or 8,000 Hz.)

Hearing tests are done before the administration of the drug to obtain baseline information. Monitoring is done at scheduled intervals to detect threshold changes as early as possible. Data gathered through monitoring helps the physician to make a decision to stop or change the drug therapy before hearing in the frequencies critical for speech is damaged. In cases where hearing loss is inevitable and "planned for," the audiologist can plan and institute rehabilitation measures.

Monitoring of hearing usually continues as part of rehabilitation to determine if the hearing loss is stable. Rehabilitation may include fitting  hearing aids,  assistive listening devices, and  communication management .

Congenital hearing loss (hearing loss that exists or dates from birth)

The term congenital hearing loss implies that the hearing loss is present at birth. It can include hereditary hearing loss or hearing loss due to other factors present either in utero (prenatal) or at the time of birth.

Genetic factors  are thought to cause more than 50% of all incidents of congenital hearing loss in children (NIDCD, 1989). Genetic hearing loss may be autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, or X-linked (related to the sex chromosome). In autosomal dominant hearing loss , one parent who carries the dominant gene for hearing loss and typically has a hearing loss passes it on to the child. In this case there is at least a 50% probability that the child will also have a hearing loss. The probability is higher if both parents have the dominant gene (and typically both have a hearing loss) or if both grandparents on one side of the family have hearing loss due to genetic causes. Because at least one parent usually has a hearing loss, there is prior expectation that the child may have a hearing loss.

In autosomal recessive hearing loss , both parents who typically have normal hearing, carry a recessive gene. In this case the probability of the child having a hearing loss is 25%. Because both parents usually have normal hearing, and because no other family members have hearing loss, there is no prior expectation that the child may have a hearing loss. Approximately 80% of inherited hearing loss is autosomal recessive.

In X-linked hearing  loss, the mother carries the recessive trait for hearing loss on the sex chromosome and passes it on to males, but not to females. This kind of hearing loss is rare, accounting for only about 2% of hereditary hearing losses.

There are some genetic syndromes where hearing loss is one of the known characteristics. Some examples are Down syndrome (abnormality on a gene), Usher syndrome (autosomal recessive), Treacher Collins syndrome (autosomal dominant), Fetal alcohol syndrome (genetic abnormality), Crouzon syndrome (autosomal donimant), and Alport syndrome (X-linked).

Other causes of congenital hearing loss  that are not hereditary in nature include prenatal infections, illnesses, or conditions occurring at the time of birth or shortly thereafter. These conditions typically cause sensorineural hearing loss ranging from mild to profound in degree. Examples include:

Intrauterine infections including rubella (German measles), cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex virus

• Complications associated with the Rh factor in the blood
• Prematurity
• Maternal diabetes
• Toxemia during pregnancy
• Lack of oxygen (anoxia)
• Syphilis
• Malformation of ear structures

Acquired hearing loss

Acquired hearing loss  is a hearing loss which appears after birth, at any time in one's life, perhaps as a result of a disease, a condition, or an injury. Examples of conditions that can cause acquired hearing loss in children are:

• Ear infections (otitis media) (link to specific section above)
• Ototoxic (damaging to the auditory system) drugs
• Meningitis
• Measles
• Encephalitis
• Chicken pox
• Influenza
• Mumps
• Head injury
• Noise exposure

What is Meniere's Disease?

Meniere’s is classified as a inner ear disorder that causes repeated attacks of dizziness and the discomfort of fullness from the affected ear. This is due to increase pressure of the inner ear fluids.

Fluids in the inner ear chambers are constantly being produced and absorbed by the circulatory system. If there is any disturbance in the delicate relationship, this result is over production or under absorption of the fluids. This leads to increase fluid pressure (which may be felt) that usually produces dizziness, which can be associated with fluctuating hearing loss and ringing in the ear. It is rare for someone to be affected in both ears at the same time.

Evaluation by a Otolaryngolist (Ears, Nose and Throat Specialist) or by a Otology & Neurotolist (Inner Ear Specialist) is needed to determine the cause of the increase fluid pressure. Circulatory, metabolic, toxic, allergic or emotional factors may play a part in an case.

What are the symptoms?

Meniere’s disease is characterized by severe attacks of dizziness that can vary from a few minutes to several hours or even days. Hearing loss and head noise (ringing in the ear) usually accompany the attacks. The dizziness attacks can occur suddenly without any warning. Violent spinning, whirling and falling sensations with nausea are the most common symptoms. For some, a sensation of pressure (fullness) in the ear is usually present. Sometimes if the pressure is severe, it can affect normal activities such as lack of concentration and short term memory loss. These attacks may occur at irregular intervals. The individual can be free of symptoms for many years at a time.

Occasionally hearing impairment, ringing noise and ear pressure occur without dizziness. This type of Meniere’s disease is called cochlear hydrops. Dizziness and ear pressure may occur without hearing loss and ringing, this is called Vestibular Hydrops. Treatment for both of these is the same as Meniere’s.

Meniere’s disease can be treated medically or surgically.

Tips And Strategies To Promote Early Communication Development With Young Deaf Children

General Reminders

• Make your child feel good about communication. Try to make communication a positive experience for all involved.
• Present information at a child's eye level ( i.e. stoop or sit on floor with toddler)
• Make sure the child has a clear view of your face and hands. Be aware that dim lights or glare may make communication difficult.
• Make communication experiences as natural as possible. Attend to what your child is saying first without interrupting the flow of communication for teaching correct production of a sign or correcting production of a speech sound.

Promoting Sign Language Communication

• Try to sign as much as possible around your child even when you are not talking to him or her directly. Hearing children learn much of their language from "overhearing" communication all around them. Deaf children need to "oversee" language, too.
• Even when you do not know a sign, gestures are a good substitute until you learn the correct sign.
• When your child is looking at books or actively involved in play introduce the signs for what they are doing.
• Do not continuously interrupt a child's natural play or involvement with looking at a book to sign to him or her. Wait until your child shifts their visual attention to you to demonstrate the signs.
• Remember that it is necessary to repeat a sign many times and in many situations before a child may begin to understand that a sign represents a specific object or action.
• Don't expect all of your child's signs to look just like the ones you are using. Each child's motor development is different. Just like there is "baby talk", there are also "baby signs".
• Provide opportunities for fingerplay games with your child (i.e. eensy weensy spider, waving your fingers in fun patterns for the child to see). When you feel your child is ready, encourage them to imitate your movements.
• Play facial expression and body language games with your child ( i.e. imitate happy, sad, surprised) to promote their awareness that visual communication is available on the face and body as well as on the hands.
• When you are signing, use a natural rate of presentation, not too fast and not too slow.

Promoting Spoken Language Communication

• If a child has a hearing aid:
• try to encourage it's use as much as possible when the child is participating in listening and speech activities.
• change voice intonation to represent different characters in a story (i.e. low loud voice for father bear in the three bears), or add sound effects from the story (owl whooing, horn beeping). Even if a child does not understand the words, he/she may gain information and enjoyment from these features.
• During natural play and reading, provide your child with the spoken word for objects (i.e. ball, book, car) and functional words (stop, more, bye-bye). Even if the child can not hear the words, they can begin to make associations that language appears on the lips.
• Encourage and reinforce your child when they are using their voice in appropriate ways (i.e. to get your attention, trying to say words)
• Discourage your child when they use their voice in inappropriate ways (i.e.: screaming for no reason, making noises that have no meaning and may be bothersome to others, making non- meaningful noises because it feels good to them)
• When your child uses a voice that is too loud, use the sign for "quiet", or use the gesture for "shh, shh" (finger in front of lips). You may also want to place your child's hand on your throat when speaking for them to feel the difference between a quiet and a loud voice.
• If your child is using a pitch that is too high or too low, indicate to the child that their voice is not appropriate by using the sign for high or low. Place your child's hand on your chest as you produce a low pitch and a high pitch for them to feel the difference. Next, place your child's hand on his chest as they try to produce the pitch.
• If your child is working on correctly producing specific speech sounds, do not interrupt natural communication to work on training these sounds or correcting the child. Be aware of sounds your child is working on. At a later time, praise the child for correctly using the sound, or practice production of that sound (do not overdo it). Work on this type of training in private places where the child will not feel embarrassed.
• When you are talking to your child, present speech at a natural level, not too loud and not too quiet, not too fast and not too slow. Do not exaggerate mouth movements.

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is the perception of sound in the head when no outside sound is present. It is typically referred to as "ringing in the ears," but other forms of sound such as hissing, roaring, pulsing, whooshing, chirping, whistling and clicking have been described.

Tinnitus can occur in one ear or both ears, and can be perceived to be occurring inside or outside the ear. Tinnitus can be a symptom of a condition that causes hearing loss, or it can exist without any hearing loss

Tinnitus is a common problem. Almost everyone at one time or another has experienced brief periods of mild ring or other sound in the ear. Some people have more annoying and constant types of tinnitus. As many as 30 million Americans consider their tinnitus a problem. A million or more persons find that their tinnitus prevents them from leading a normal life.

Though many people do not realize this, tinnitus is not a disease. Just as fever or headache accompanies many different illnesses, tinnitus is a symptom common to many problems, both physiological and psychological.

Chances are the cause of your tinnitus will remain a mystery. Only when a specific factor is linked to the appearance or disappearance of the tinnitus can a cause be stated with certainty. Blows to the head, large doses of certain drugs such as aspirin, anemia, hypertension, noise exposure, stress, impacted ear wax and certain types of tumors are examples of conditions that might cause tinnitus. Bear in mind, one thing is certain. Tinnitus is not imaginary.

During the day, the distraction of activities and the sounds around you make your tinnitus less obvious. When your surroundings are quiet, such as at nighttime, your tinnitus may seem louder and more constant. Fatigue may also make your tinnitus worse.

Since tinnitus is a symptom, the first step if you experience this, should be to try to diagnose the underlying cause. You should have a medical examination with special attention given to checking for factors sometimes associated with the tinnitus such as blood pressure, kidney function, drug intake, diet and allergies. Your hearing should be evaluated by an audiologist certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association to determine if hearing loss is present.

The most effective treatment for tinnitus is to eliminate the underlying cause. Unfortunately, the cause often cannot be identified so, in some cases, the tinnitus itself may need to be treated. Drug therapy, vitamin therapy, biofeedback, hypnosis and tinnitus maskers are types of treatments that have bee helpful for some people. "Self-help" groups are available in many communities for sharing information and coping strategies for living and tinnitus. People with mild tinnitus generally do not require treatment. If they can be reassured that they do not have a rare disease or serious brain disorder or are not going deaf, they usually find they can cope with or ignore their tinnitus.

Hearing Protection

Hearing protection includes ear plugs and earmuffs that are made to reduce the intensity or loudness of sound.

Ear plugs  are placed into the ear canal so that they totally block the canal. They come in various pre-made shapes and sizes, or they can be custom-made by taking an impression of the ear. Ear plugs can reduce noise 15-30 dB depending on how they are made and fit.

Ear muffs  fit completely over both ears. Again, they must fit tightly so that sound is blocked from entering the ears. Like earplugs, muffs can reduce noise 15-30 dB depending on how they are made and fit.

Ear plugs and ear muffs  can be used together to achieve even greater sound reduction. Use of ear plugs and ear muffs is recommended when noise exposure is particularly high

Cotton in the ears is not considered appropriate ear protection. It cannot effectively block the ear canal. It has been found to reduce sound by only 5-7 dB.

Noise Levels

Both the amount of noise and the length of time you are exposed to the noise determine its ability to damage your hearing. Noise levels are measured in decibels (dB). The higher the decibel level, the louder the noise. Sounds louder that 80 decibels are considered potentially hazardous. The noise chart below gives an idea of average decibel levels for everyday sounds around you.

Painful:

150 dB = rock music peak

140 dB = firearms, air raid siren, jet engine

130 dB = jackhammer

120 dB = jet plane take-off, amplified rock music at 4-6 ft., car stereo, band practice

Extremely loud:

110 dB = rock music, model airplane

106 dB = timpani and bass drum rolls

100 dB = snowmobile, chain saw, pneumatic drill

90 dB = lawnmower, shop tools, truck traffic, subway

Very loud:

80 dB = alarm clock, busy street

70 dB = busy traffic, vacuum cleaner

60 dB = conversation, dishwasher

Moderate:

50 dB = moderate rainfall

40 dB = quiet room

Faint:

30 dB = whisper, quiet library

Warning Signs of Hazardous Noise

• You must raise your voice to be heard
• You can't hear someone two feet away from you
• Speech around you sounds muffled or dull after leaving a noise area
• You have pain or ringing on your ears (tinnitus) after exposure to noise.

Hazardous Noise

Sounds louder than 80 decibels are considered potentially dangerous. Both the amount of noise and the length of time of exposure determine the amount of damage. Hair cells of the inner ear and the hearing nerve can be damaged by an intense brief impulse, like an explosion, or by continuous and/or repeated exposure to noise.

Examples of noise levels considered dangerous by experts are a lawnmower, a rock concert, firearms, firecrackers, headset listening systems, motorcycles, tractors, household appliances (garbage disposals, blenders, food processors/choppers, etc.) and noisy toys. All can deliver sound over 90 decibels and some up to 140 decibels.

Can't my ears "adjust" and "get used" to regular noise?

If you think you have "gotten used to" the noise you are routinely exposed to, then most likely you have already suffered damage and have acquired a permanent hearing loss. Don't be fooled by thinking your ears are "tough" or that you have the ability to "tune it out"! Noise induced hearing loss is usually gradual and painless, but, unfortunately, permanent. Once destroyed, the hearing nerve and its sensory nerve cells do not regenerate!

An audiologist certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) can conduct a hearing evaluation to determine if you do have a hearing loss. If you are routinely exposed to noise, you should have your hearing checked by an ASHA-certified audiologist on a regular basis, at least once a year. In almost all states, a license to practice audiology is also required.

Physical Changes

The most notable physical effect of noise exposure is loss of hearing . Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) affects children, adolescents, young adults, and older adults. Because of noise in our society, hearing loss is appearing much earlier in life than would have been expected just 30 years ago.

Ten Ways to Recognize Hearing Loss

1.         Do you have a problem hearing over the phone?

2.         Do you have trouble following the conversation when two or more people are talking at the same time?

3.         Do people complain that you turn the TV volume up too high?

4.         Do you have to strain to understand conversations?

5.         Do you have trouble hearing in a noisy background?

6.         Do you find yourself asking people to repeat themselves?

7.         Do many people you talk to seem to mumble ( or not speak clearly)?

8.         Do you misunderstand what others are saying and respond inappropriately?

9.         Do you have trouble understanding the speech of women and children?

10.    Do people get annoyed because you misunderstand what they  say? 

If you answered “yes” to three or more of the questions, it is recommended that you see an otolaryngologist or an audiologist for a hearing evaluation. Click here for more information.