Hearing Loss
Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can be temporary or permanent. It can occur gradually over a period of time, or can come on suddenly.
In the UK, more than 40% of people over the age of 50 have a hearing loss, which rises to more than 70% of people over the age of 70. If hearing loss is left untreated, then this can have a major impact on an individual’s quality of life and thus their mental health.
Main causes of Hearing Loss
There are various causes of hearing loss, some are temporary and can be treated, whilst others are more permanent. The common causes of hearing loss in adults are:
Age Related Hearing Loss (Presbycusis) – This is usually a gradual hearing loss, mostly occurring in both ears, linked to ageing. As the deterioration is gradual, individuals may not realise that they have lost some of their ability to hear. However, others around them tend to pick up on this more. This type of loss is permanent.
Noise Induced Hearing Loss – In general, this is caused by having long exposures to loud sounds over a long period of time. This type of loss can be temporary or permanent, and can occur in one or both ears. It can come on suddenly or occur gradually.
Types of Hearing Loss
There are 3 main types of hearing loss:
Conductive Hearing Loss – This usually occurs when sound cannot travel through the outer or middle ear and therefore does not reach the inner ear. This could be caused by ear wax blocking the ears, colds, allergies, fluid in the middle ear, ear infections, eustachian tube dysfunction or perforated ear drum. This type of loss can often be resolved by treatment or surgery.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL) – This is a permanent hearing loss which occurs due to inner ear damage. Issues from the nerve pathways in the inner ear, which lead up to the brain can also cause a SNHL. This type of hearing loss can be treated by hearing aids in most cases.
Mixed Hearing Loss – This is a combination of a conductive loss and a sensorineural hearing loss. This means that there is an issue in the outer or middle ear, but there is also neural damage in the inner ear/nerve pathway to the brain.
Impact of hearing loss
Untreated hearing loss can have a negative impact on an individual’s quality of life and also impact those surrounding them. It has a massive impact on their everyday communication, quite often having to rely on lip reading or other gestures. Furthermore, it can affect their mental state including causing them to feel isolated, socially withdrawn, lonely and depressed.
Another main issue caused by untreated hearing loss is auditory deprivation. This means that there is a lack of auditory stimulation occurring in the brain due to a lack of hearing, which eventually causes the brain to lose its ability to process sound, and that specific part of the brain which is usually responsible for auditory processing, is gradually taken up by other functions occurring in the brain.
It is therefore highly vital to treat hearing loss as soon as detected.
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