What Can You Do To Prevent Hearing Loss
Just like any other condition, hearing impairment can be fatal or mild. Nevertheless, there are effects of having a hearing loss such as poor performance in schools for kids with mild hearing loss, and the expensive medical procedures required to treat a hearing loss by a specialist. To fully grasp the concept of hearing loss, it is important to analyze the causes, types or forms of loss, symptoms, effects and treatment options available.
Here is a glimpse of it all:
Types of hearing loss
Hearing loss causes are categorized depending on how intense the effect is and also depending on which part of the ear is affected. According to intensity there is:
- Moderate or mild hearing loss- patients have hard time keeping up with conversations without some hearing aid.
- Severe hearing loss-individuals with this impairment rely heavily on hearing aid and lip movement.
- Profound loss- patients rely almost entirely on sign language and studying lip movement of the speaker.
Conducive, sensorineural and mixed hearing losses are based on the part that is affected; with conducive loss being due to problems with the ear canal, ear drum or middle of the ear. Sensorineural hearing loss is due to problems in the inner ear while mixed hearing loss is as a result of the two combined.
Symptoms of mild hearing loss
Some of the most common symptoms include:
- Delayed speech and poor pronunciation of words
- Problem with concentration
- Always using higher volume than all other members of the family
- Ringing or buzzing sound in the ears after exposure to loud music, and
- An experience of “fullness” in the ears after being in a noisy environment
Causes of the impairment
- Exposure to loud music for long hours
- Side effect of using some antibiotics
- Old age
- Trauma caused by accidents, and more
How to prevent and cure hearing loss
Wearing earmuffs, earplugs and avoiding loud music can help prevent ear loss. Conducive hearing loss treatment may include surgical correction while sensorineural hearing loss treatment entails corticosteroids, drug therapies, and sometimes changes in diet such as consumption of low levels of sodium. Treatments always depend on the cause of the hearing loss.
If you have concerns about your hearing, reach out to a medical specialist! Miracle Ear has over 1,200 locations and 65 years of experience. Give them a call today, and begin hearing better tomorrow!