Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is normal at all ages. Some people are born with hearing loss and others acquire it through the years for various reasons including noise exposure, medications, aging and genetics among other reasons

Any frequency can cause damage to your hearing, whether it is a low frequency or high. Noise-induced hearing loss is caused by a combination of the volume of the sound and the amount of time you are exposed to it. You can listen to sounds at a lower volume for longer without damaging your hearing. The louder the sound is, the shorter the exposure time is before your hearing is damaged.

Hearing aids will not damage your hearing. They are programmed very specifically based off your personal hearing thresholds. The devices also have a maximum power output, where they will not amplify sounds that are too loud. In addition, hearing aids apply amplification differently based on the volume of a sound. Hearing aids can identify the difference between soft sounds, moderate level sounds and loud sounds.

Recent studies suggest that untreated hearing loss can be linked to cognitive decline and dementia. The brain is very much a “if you don’t use it, you lose it” mechanism. With a hearing loss, whether it be mild or more severe, you are missing sounds in your environment. These could be soft sounds such as the leaves blowing in the wind, a clock ticking, your fridge humming, etc. When you are missing these soft signals, your brain and auditory pathways are not being as activated as they should be. Hearing aids help to bring soft sounds back into your range of hearing, which in turn keeps those pathways active and leads to a healthier brain.

Protect your hearing! Wear hearing protection when exposed to loud noises.

Schedule an appointment with an audiologist to receive a hearing test. During the test we will: look in your ears to ensure there is no blockage, ensure the eardrums are healthy, check your hearing thresholds by asking you to respond to beeps, and have you repeat words.

Wear hearing protection when exposed to loud noises. And, wear hearing aids to get the brain stimulation needed to preserve the clarity of noise and help prevent memory loss.

Earwax may cause a temporary hearing loss.

After receiving a hearing test, an audiologist or an ear nose and throat physician will be able to determine if your hearing loss is permanent or if medical intervention may improve your hearing.

Hearing loss can be genetic, but it can also be a result of your environment, your lifestyle, and medications you have been exposed t

Hearing loss can be caused by many things including your age, genetics, noise exposure, medications, illness/infection, etc.

Sometimes hearing loss occurs so gradually that you may not realize you have hearing loss. Other times it can be more sudden and sounds seem muffled or unclear.

High pitch hearing loss, also known as high-frequency hearing loss means there is only a hearing loss in the higher frequency range (usually above 2000 Hz). People that have a high-frequency hearing loss often say, “I can hear, but I cannot understand speech”. Consonant sounds like “p”, “s”, “f”, and “t” are all in the high-frequency range and can be easily misunderstood or missed completely causing gaps in speech and resulting in poor speech intelligibility.

By treating hearing loss with hearing aids we provide sound information to the auditory cortex in the brain. Research has found correlations between the brain not receiving auditory stimulation and loneliness and dementia

People with high frequency hearing loss typically do not have trouble when they are having a one-on-one conversation in a quiet room. They will experience difficulty conversing while in background noise, and may say things like “I can hear you, but I am just missing exactly what you are saying.”

Borderline hearing loss is still considered normal but close to a minimal or mild hearing loss. Thresholds of 20 dB or 25 dB may be considered borderlin

A mild hearing loss is represented by hearing thresholds from 25 dB HL to 40 dB HL. Someone that has a mild hearing loss may have trouble understanding conversations while in background noise, trouble with the television, and may ask friends and family to repeat themselves. They often report that they can hear people speaking to them but are missing exactly what is being said.

A moderate hearing loss is represented by hearing thresholds from 45 dB HL to 60 dB HL. Someone that has a moderate hearing loss is missing many sounds that are essential for speech intelligibility.

Hearing loss knows no age. Babies can have hearing loss and someone can have normal hearing at 70 years old. However, high-frequency hearing loss is COMMON as we age. The hair cells in the high-frequencies are more susceptible to damage from noise exposure and changes in vascularization.

Hearing loss can have many “first signs” including tinnitus (ringing in the ears), thinking others are mumbling, having to turn up the volume on the television, and having trouble hearing while in background noise such as a restaurant or crowded areas.

If the loss is sensorineural (permanent) then hearing aids would be the option. This always depends on how much trouble the patient is experiencing and the lifestyle of the patient

Sensorineural hearing loss is typically permanent. Sensorineural hearing loss means that there is no mechanical issue in the middle ear occurring that is causing the hearing loss, rather damage to the inner ear hair cells in the cochlea or damage to the auditory nerve.

Percentages are not relevant in audiology. Degrees of hearing loss is the way that hearing loss is classified. If someone is legally deaf then the results from the hearing test would show a severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. In terms of decibels this would mean that thresholds are 70 dB HL or worse from 250 Hz to 8000 Hz.

Percentages are not relevant in audiology. Degrees of hearing loss is the way that hearing loss is classified. A moderate hearing loss is represented by hearing thresholds from 45 dB HL to 60 dB HL.

Anyone that has hearing aids can be considered hard of hearing

Presbycusis refers to age-related hearing loss, which is a lifetime cumulative effect on hearing. Presbycusis typically presents itself as a high frequency hearing loss in both ears that is permanent. This hearing loss is caused by natural degeneration of the cochlea (the hearing organ) and supporting structures.