These are the characteristics of severe hearing loss, and possible treatments.
In addition, there are countless groups and associations that offer support to these people and greater visibility of this condition, as well as the defense that a person with deafness is as capable as any other. Throughout this article we will talk about what deafness is, its different types, symptoms, causes and treatments.
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What is deafness or hearing impairment?
Known as deafness, hearing impairment or hearing loss, this condition refers to the difficulty or inability to hear or perceive sounds , either totally or partially.
A person with mild deafness may have difficulty perceiving the sounds of speech, especially if there is noise around, while a person with moderate to severe hearing impairment may have to resort to assistive devices such as a hearing aid, to lip reading. or sign language.
These last resources require a learning process that allows them to simultaneously understand what another person wants to transmit to them.
This loss of the ability to hear can be present from birth or appear progressively. Regardless of whether there is a physical condition that causes it or not, it is likely that from 55-65 years of age the person begins to experience some degree of hearing loss, while almost half of people over 65 years of age have some degree of hearing loss. type of deafness
Aging and constant exposure to loud noise are important risk factors for deafness or hearing loss. In other cases, excess earwax in the ear canals can be a temporary cause that causes our ears to not perceive sounds as well as they should.
In most cases, deafness is not curable or reversible. However, there are treatments, devices or measures that can be adopted to enhance the capacity of the auditory system or to compensate for the difficulty of listening with another type of language.
types of deafness
There are three different types of deafness, depending on the cause of the hearing loss , which are classified as: conductive hearing loss, sensorineural deafness and mixed hearing loss.
1. Conductive hearing loss
In conductive hearing loss, sound vibrations do not pass from the outer ear to the inner ear, specifically they do not reach the cochlea. This can be caused by a buildup or plug of earwax, inflammation of the ear due to infection, a perforated or defective eardrum, or malfunction of the ossicles.
2. Sensorineural deafness
In this case, the hearing loss is due to a dysfunction of the inner ear, the cochlea, the auditory nerve or due to brain injury or damage, although, generally, this type of deafness is caused by damage to the hair cells. of the cochlea.
With the passage of time and the aging of the person, the hair cells lose part of their ability to function properly and, as a consequence, the ability to hear worsens. Another cause of hair cell damage is constant exposure to loud noises or high-frequency sounds.
These damaged cells cannot be rebuilt or replaced so the person may experience some degree of deafness.
Finally, there is also the case of total sensorineural deafness which can be caused by birth defects, inner ear infections or head trauma. Assuming the eardrum and middle ear are working properly, a person can get a cochlear implant in which a thin electrode is inserted into the cochlea that stimulates electricity and enhances hearing.
3. Mixed hearing loss
This last type of deafness is a combination of conductive hearing loss and sensorineural deafness. In most cases, a recurring or long-lasting ear infection can damage the eardrum or ossicles, affecting hearing.
What happens with sudden deafness?
Sudden deafness, known clinically as sudden sensorineural hearing loss, occurs as a sudden, rapid hearing loss without any apparent cause or explanation. This is considered a medical emergency since a delay in diagnosis and treatment can be critical to hearing recovery. In most cases, sudden deafness is perceived when waking up in the morning, while others perceive a kind of abrupt, strange and alarming noise that precedes hearing loss. In addition, on many occasions this sudden change is accompanied by dizziness and/or ringing in the ears.
About half of people who experience sudden deafness spontaneously recover their hearing, either fully or partially, within two weeks of onset. On the other hand, if the person receives the appropriate treatment, the probability of recovering hearing capacity increases to 85%.
Associated symptoms
On many occasions, in addition to hearing loss, the person with deafness may experience the following signs and symptoms:
- Muting of speech and other sounds
- Difficulty understanding words, especially if there is background noise
- Trouble hearing consonants
- Avoid some social settings or situations
- social withdrawal
- depressive symptoms
Is there a treatment?
Although there is no treatment that can make deafness disappear, those with hearing difficulties can resort to various help or treatment options . The choice of one or the other of these options depends largely on the cause of the deafness and the severity of the hearing loss.
Treatment options include:
1. Removal of earwax buildup or plug
The accumulation or agglomeration of wax in the ear canal is the only reversible cause of hearing loss. The medical professional can remove the plug by rinsing the wax and then removing or suctioning it out.
2. Surgical procedures
Those whose deafness is caused by traumatic injury to the ear or experiencing recurrent infections may require a surgical procedure to drain the ear canals.
3. Hearing aids
If hearing loss or difficulty is caused by damage or injury to the inner ear, there are a number of devices known as hearing aids that can help make sounds louder and easier to hear.
4. Cochlear implants
Finally, for people with severe hearing loss, a cochlear implant may be the best option. While the hearing aid works to amplify sound and direct it into the ear canal, the cochlear implant compensates for damaged or malfunctioning areas of the inner ear.
Bibliographical references
- Olusanya, B. O., Neumann, K. J. & Saunders, J. E. (2014). The global burden of disabling hearing impairment: a call to action. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 92(5): 367–373.
- Stucken, E. Z. & Hong, R. S. (2014). Noise-induced hearing loss: an occupational medicine perspective. Current Opinion in Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, 22(5): 388–393.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.