Hearing Loss Overview

Hearing loss can affect anyone.

While hearing loss is most common in older adults, it can affect people of any age, and some babies are even born with it. Between the ages of 60–69, about one-third of people have hearing loss. Above age 69, somewhere between half and two-thirds of people have it. It is the third most common chronic health concern in America.

Hearing loss doesn’t only affect the person who has it. It can be painful for loved ones to lose the ability to communicate easily with a spouse or family member who has hearing loss. Indeed, those who treat hearing loss with hearing aids commonly see an improvement in their relationships with friends and family.

Causes of Hearing Loss

Conductive hearing loss is a type of hearing loss that involves an anomaly somewhere in the outer ear or middle ear. Conductive hearing loss might be the result of problems ranging from a build-up of excess earwax to abnormal bone growth in the middle ear (otosclerosis). Most of the time, if conductive hearing loss is contributing to a person’s experience of hearing loss, it can be identified and cured. The cure might range from simply cleaning earwax out of the ear, to more invasive surgeries on the parts of the middle ear.

Sensorineural hearing loss is the more common type of hearing loss, and the kind we usually think about when we imagine hearing loss. It is the result of damage to the tiny, hair-like cells in the inner ear, called “stereocilia,” that transduce (convert) the mechanical energy of sound into the electrochemical impulses that can be understood by the brain.

Stereocilia can be damaged by sound that is too loud, disorders of the blood, ototoxic medications, and more. They are some of the most sensitive organelles in the body, which means that hearing loss can sometimes be the first sign of an underlying health condition. Once stereocilia are damaged, they do not regrow or repair. The consequence is permanent hearing loss. The degree of a person’s hearing loss depends on the percentage of stereocilia which are damaged.

Mixed hearing loss is quite simply a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. While sensorineural hearing loss must be treated with hearing aids, the conductive part of mixed hearing loss may be cured.

Part of a comprehensive hearing exam involves getting to the root of any hearing problems that are discovered. A physical examination of the ear is always administered before the hearing test, and the hearing test itself may reveal clues as to the causes of any hearing loss.

Causes of Hearing Loss

We usually think of noise as the main cause of hearing loss. While noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is responsible for more hearing loss than any other cause besides aging, there are many other ways a person can incur hearing loss. Researchers at the Stanford Initiative to Cure Hearing Loss also note that nearly every type of hearing loss involves a genetic component. Some of the common causes of hearing loss include:

Aging
Noise exposure
Infections such as otitis media (middle ear infection) and meningitis
Gout
Traumatic brain injury
Cardiovascular diseases
Diabetes
Meniere’s disease and other diseases of the inner ear
Autoimmune diseases
Ototoxic medications, like certain life-saving cancer drugs
Otosclerosis
Some neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis
Earwax build up
Tumors
Birth defects, such as a structural malformation of the ear

Problems Related to Hearing Loss

While hearing loss may once have been imagined as a relatively benign part of getting older, today we know much more. The consequences of untreated hearing loss include loneliness, depression, anxiety, decreased physical activity, increased risk of accidental injury, increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia, and more.

Untreated hearing loss is one of the main causes of decreased quality of life in older adults. Treating hearing loss doesn’t just make communication more convenient—it is critical to maintaining our health and well-being over time. If you suspect that you or a loved one may have hearing loss, please make an appointment for a hearing test today. While hearing loss can be devastating when left untreated, the use of a good set of hearing aids can nearly eliminate the risk of adverse outcomes related to hearing loss.

     Good  
     Based on 5 reviews 
    
 
 
   
 
 
        
   Doris Van Vleet 
 2019-06-17
 
 
  Competant, caring, listens, excellent product.
  
 
       
   Garreth Llewellyn 
 2019-05-22
 
 
  Best place for service when we are in Green Valley. Joe is always fast, friendly, and thorough with my dad.
  
 
       
   Linda Pandolfi 
 2019-05-12
 
 
  Very competent, friendly and attentive staff.  Joe Kopp has done a great job of adjusting my new Beltone Trusts which do an excellent job of managing background noise.  The phone app gives me the capability of managing and controlling my hearing aids in every changing environment.  I love having this ability. The Trust hearing aids have improved my experience while listening to music, playing the piano and singing.  I highly recommend Giraffe Hearing!
  
 
       
   Trista Hibberd 
 2017-07-25
 
 
  They helped me when I needed cleaning tools. They have great maintenance plans available for decent prices.