Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Mar 3: Aging and chronic exposure to loud noises both contribute to hearing loss and the best way to protect your hearing is to avoid exposure to very loud noise completely and to limit the amount of time you are exposed to loud noise.
Dr Saima Tabassum consultant ENT J&K health services (Ex- Assistant Prof ASCOMS Jammu) said that there are three main types of hearing loss- conductive, sensorineural, and mixed (both conductive and sensorineural).
She said that conductive hearing loss occurs when there is a problem conducting soundwaves, resulting from issues with an eardrum, ear canal and/or the three bones connected to the eardrum.
“Often there is a buildup of material in the ear, such as fluid or ear wax, which must be eliminated,” she said.
Sensorineural hearing loss is related to problems with the inner ear. This type of loss involves damage to the nerves from exposure to loud noise (noise-induced hearing loss), or it may be related to aging. This type of hearing loss is most often associated with hearing aids, she added.
Mixed hearing loss is when a person has both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss, she said.
Other common ear problems include: ear infections in infants and young children; tinnitus, a roaring in the ears; and Meniere’s disease, that may be the result of fluid problems in your inner ear, the symptoms of which include tinnitus and dizziness, she added.
Saima said that the signs and symptoms of hearing loss may include muffling of speech and other sounds, difficulty understanding words, especially against background noise or in a crowd, trouble hearing consonants, frequently asking others to speak more slowly, clearly and loudly, needing to turn up the volume of the television or radio, withdrawal from conversations and voidance of some social settings.
She said causes of hearing loss include damage to the inner ear as aging and exposure to loud noise may cause wear and tear on the hairs or nerve cells in the cochlea that send sound signals to the brain.
“When these hairs or nerve cells are damaged or missing, electrical signals aren’t transmitted as efficiently, and hearing loss occurs,” she said.
Earwax can block the ear canal and prevent conduction of sound waves and earwax removal can help restore your hearing besides that In the outer or middle ear, any of these can cause hearing loss and loud blasts of noise, sudden changes in pressure, poking your eardrum with an object and infection can cause your eardrum to rupture and affect your hearing, she added.
“Factors that may damage or lead to loss of the hairs and nerve cells in your inner ear include aging, loud noise, heredity, occupational noises and recreational noises,” she said.
She added that some types of hearing loss, especially conductive types, can be medically or surgically corrected. The most common treatment for sensorineural hearing loss is properly fitted hearing aids.
“Cochlear implants are a good treatment option for people who aren’t helped enough by hearing aids,” she said.
