Frequently Asked Questions About Hearing Loss

Did you know that nearly 1 in 5 people have some degree of hearing loss? This impacts over 48 million people, you or someone you know may be experiencing it. Learning more about can help you be more proactive about your hearing health which can transform your everyday life. Here we answer your questions about hearing loss.

  1. What causes hearing loss? It’s a medical condition that can be caused by several factors. A few of the most common causes include:
  • Aging: the risk of developing age-related hearing loss, also known as presbycusis, does increase with age. This can be due to a number of factors, including the cumulative impact of loud noise exposure, medical conditions that older adults are more prone to experiencing, as well as changes to the ears that may happen over time.
  • Loud noise: one extreme time or regular exposure to loud noise can permanently damage the sensory cells in the inner ear. This prevents them from processing sound waves effectively, resulting in the brain receiving less auditory information.
  • Medical conditions: substantial research shows that numerous medical conditions can increase the risk. This includes heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. These conditions can damage blood vessels, restricting blood flow to different areas of the body, including the ears, where sound is processed.

Other causes of hearing loss include: chronic ear infections, inner ear disorders,

autoimmune conditions, as well as head/neck injuries.

  1. Do I have to worry about hearing loss if I am young? A common misconception is that it only impacts older adults. But there are other causes that impact people across the age spectrum. The following data illuminates this:
  • 40 million people, ages 20-69 have hearing loss.
  • 3 of every 1,000 children in the U.S. are born with detectable hearing loss in one or both ears.
  • 15% of children and young teens, ages 6-19, have some degree of it.
  • Nearly 20% of teenagers have a detectable loss.

Also, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 1 billion people worldwide, ages 12-35, are at high risk of developing hearing loss due to loud noise exposure.

  1. How do I know if I have hearing loss? It produces a range of symptoms that reduce the capacity to hear. Common symptoms to watch for include:
  • Tinnitus: a ringing or buzzing noise in one or both ears that only you can hear.
  • Sounds are slurred, muffled, or distorted.
  • Struggling to hear when there is background noise.
  • Pretending to hear to get through a conversation.
  • Lip reading to help identify individual words.
  • Needing to turn up the volume on the TV or other electronic devices.
  • Asking others to repeat what they said or to speak louder.

These symptoms can be mild to more profound, depending on the degree of hearing loss present. To cope, people often keep conversations as short as possible or

avoid them altogether.

  1. What if I can still hear? Another common misconception is that if you are able to hear (clearly enough), then your hearing is fine, which can delay treatment. But it is important to know that hearing loss ranges from mild to profound. You could be experiencing mild loss, which still means you can hear but not as well – you may miss a few words, not hear kitchen appliances, miss sounds in your environment etc. If left untreated though, symptoms and impairment can worsen, so it is important to intervene as early as possible.
  1. How is hearing loss treated? The best treatment is preventing hearing loss with proactive steps. After that, the first step towards treating loss is getting your hearing health evaluated. Hearing tests are painless and noninvasive, involving a process that measures hearing capabilities in both ears. Once your hearing needs are identified, your hearing healthcare provider is able to tailor treatment to meet those needs.

The most common treatment is hearing aids which are electronic devices that amplify sounds in the frequency regions you are missing out on. This provides significant support that alleviates symptoms and

increases the ability to hear.

Contact us today to learn more about hearing loss and to schedule an appointment for a hearing consultation. Getting your hearing tested is a great way to prioritize your hearing health and wellness!