• You know what hearing is, but what is hearing loss?
    Hearing loss, or hearing impairment happens when there is a problem with one or more parts of the ear or ears. Someone who has hearing loss or impairment may be able to hear some sounds or nothing at all. Impairment means something is not working correctly or as well as it should. People also may use the words deaf, deafness, or hard of hearing when they're talking about hearing loss.
  		• How Hearing Works?
    The ear is made up of three different sections: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. These parts work together so you can hear and process sounds. The outer ear, or pinna (the part you can see), picks up sound waves and the waves then travel through the outer ear canal.

    When the sound waves hit the eardrum in the middle ear, the eardrum starts to vibrate. When the eardrum vibrates, it moves three tiny bones in your ear. These bones are called the hammer (or malleus), anvil (or incus), and stirrup (or stapes). They help sound move along on its journey into the inner ear.

    The vibrations then travel to the cochlea, which is filled with liquid and lined with cells that have thousands of tiny hairs on their surfaces. The sound vibrations make the tiny hairs move. The hairs then change the sound vibrations into nerve signals, so your brain can interpret the sound.
  		• Types of hearing loss
    There are a few different types of hearing loss: conductive, sensory, mixed (conductive and sensory combined), and neural.

      Conductive hearing loss:
      This happens when there is a problem with a part of the outer or middle ear. Most kids with conductive hearing loss have a mild hearing loss and it is usually temporary because in most cases medical treatment can help.
      Sensory hearing loss:
      This happens when the cochlea is not working correctly because the tiny hair cells are damaged or destroyed. Depending on the loss, a kid may be able to hear most sounds (although they would be muffled); only some sounds; or no sounds at all. Sensory hearing impairment is almost always permanent and a kid's ability to talk normally may be affected
      Neural hearing loss:
      This happens when there is a problem with the connection from the cochlea to the brain. Neural means related to nerve, so neural hearing loss means the nerve that carries the messages from the cochlea to the brain is damaged.

  		• Conductive Loss
    Conditions that interfere with the conduction of sound through the outer, middle, or inner ear. Some may be treatable medically or surgically.

    Ear Infections
    Temporary hearing impairment can result from cold - or allergy related fluid build-up in the ear and /or Eustachian tubes.

    Disease / Trauma
    Ailments such as otosclerosis, which affects movement of middle ear bones, tumors, injuries to the outer ear or ear-drum, like sudden air pressure changes.

    Earwax Or Objects
    Hearing loss may simply be caused by an accumulation, blockage of earwax or foreign objects. Let us examine and remove whatever is in there!
  		• Sensorineural loss
    Caused by damage to the inner ear or nerve pathway to the brain. These types of losses are usually permanent and noncorrectable medically or surgically.

    Age-Related
    Known as presbycusis or nerve damage. Very gradual, even unnoticeable, it usually occurs in the higher frequency range vital to understanding speech.

    Noise Damage
    Exposure to military and sport firearms, industrial and home machinery, musical concerts. Can result from single incident or prolonged exposure.

    Disease / Trauma
    Meniere’s Disease (which may also be accompanied by vertigo, nausea, ringing), tumors, birth injury, skull fractures, as well as some viral infections.

    Medication
    Large doses of aspirin, some forms of antibiotics, diuretics, and chemotherapy can cause loss. Obey dosage levels and consult your physician.


  		• What Causes Hearing Loss?
    Hearing loss can happen because a person was born with parts of the ear that didn't form correctly and don't work well. Other problems can happen later because of an injury or illness, including:
      - middle ear fluid

      - serious infections, such as meningitis

      - head injury

      - listening to very loud music, especially through headphones

      - repeated exposure to loud sounds, such as machinery

  		• Do I have a hearing problem?
    Ask yourself the following questions. If you answer "yes" to three or more of these questions, you could have a hearing problem and may need to have your hearing checked by a doctor.
      - Do I have a problem hearing on the telephone?

      - Do I have trouble hearing when there is noise in the background?

      - Is it hard for me to follow a conversation when two or more people talk at once?

      - Do I have to strain to understand a conversation?

      - Do many people I talk to seem to mumble (or not speak clearly)?

      - Do I misunderstand what others are saying and respond inappropriately?

      - Do I often ask people to repeat themselves?

      - Do I have trouble understanding the speech of women and children?

      - Do people complain that I turn the TV volume up too high?

      - Do I hear a ringing, roaring, or hissing sound a lot?

      - Do some sounds seem too loud?