Hearing Loss

What are the symptoms of hearing loss?

Common symptoms of hearing loss include:

• Muffled speech sounds
• Difficulty following conversations
• Asking others often to repeat themselves
• Difficulty hearing consonants
• Frequently increasing the volume on TV, phone, or other devices
• Avoiding conversations

In many cases, these symptoms sneak up on you. You might not realize how much hearing loss has changed your behaviors until the problem’s quite advanced. It’s always best to seek professional help early, as many causes of hearing loss are treatable.

What are the different kinds of hearing loss?

There are three kinds of hearing loss, including:

Sensorineural hearing loss

Sensorineural hearing loss centers on the inner ear or the auditory nerve or both. It happens when your inner ear receives reduced sound. Common examples of sensorineural hearing loss are viral infections, ototoxicity (medication-related ear damage), prolonged noise exposure, and aging.

Conductive hearing loss

Conductive hearing loss centers on the outer or middle ear. It’s often caused by impacted ear wax, atresia (missing ear canal and eardrum), middle ear infection (often with fluid buildup), and eardrum perforation.

Mixed hearing loss

Mixed hearing loss happens when you suffer damage within the inner ear and the middle or outer ear. One typical example is age-related hearing loss (sensorineural hearing loss) alongside a middle ear infection (conductive hearing loss).

Each kind of hearing loss can significantly affect your life. But with diagnosis and treatment, you can maximize your hearing and quality of life.

How is hearing loss diagnosed?

Hearing loss diagnosis is done after a hearing test. ENT & Allergy Specialists of VA, PC conducts hearing tests in their office, and then explains your results to you using a chart called an audiogram.

Depending on your suspected underlying problems, you might also need a vestibular exam, which involves tests that analyze your central and peripheral balance systems.

How is hearing loss treated?

Treatment varies with the kind of hearing loss. Some problems, like ear wax blockage, are easily reversed with a simple removal procedure. Other kinds of hearing loss, like chronic infections and fluid buildup, are treatable with surgery to install tiny drainage tubes in your ears.

There is a wide range of hearing aids available to treat hearing loss caused by inner ear damage, including completely-in-canal (CIC), in-the-canal(ITC), in-the-ear (ITE), behind-the-ear (BTE), and open-fit BTE styles.

Your hearing loss specialist at ENT & Allergy Specialists of VA, PC will explain the pros and cons of each of these hearing aid styles and help you determine which is best for you.

The team might recommend cochlear implants for severe hearing loss that doesn’t improve with traditional hearing aids. These implants work by directly stimulating the cochlear nerve in the brain.

Call ENT & Allergy Specialists of VA, PC today or schedule online for help with hearing loss.