Hearing loss is divided into three basic types: conductive, sensorineural and mixed.
Conductive hearing impairment occurs when something prevents the passage of sound into the middle ear.
Sensorineural loss of hearing occurs when the inner ear, cranial nerve or the central processing centers of the brain are damaged or deteriorate.
Mixed is when an individual has a combination of conductive and sensorineural loss.
Hearing impairment in very young children is usually sensorineural.
It may be caused by genetics or something that occurred during or after birth.
When the loss occurs during or after birth, it is usually related to jaundice, low oxygen levels during birth, meningitis, or trauma to the head.
Premature infants can also suffer from loss of hearing, generally due to the fact that their auditory system was not fully developed.
Hearing impairment in older children is generally the conductive type.
The cause may be earwax buildup, a foreign object in the ear such as a marble or bead, and tumors.
Repeated infections that are not properly treated can also lead to loss of hearing.
This type of hearing loss can generally be treated either medically or surgically and hearing restored to normal.
As people age, they may experience sensorineural hearing loss due to deterioration of parts of the inner ear.
In addition to aging, people who are regularly around loud noises, such as factory workers, generally experience some degree of hearing loss earlier than other people of the same age do.
This occurs because very loud noise kills the nerve endings in the inner ear.
As the nerve endings decrease, so does the ability to hear.
Hearing loss due to noise usually begins as high frequency, sensorineural loss and can be progressive, even when the noise is eliminated.
The damage is permanent and cannot be reversed.
Generally, noise is too loud if an individual has to shout to make him or herself heard; if it makes their ears hurt; makes their ears ring; or if they have difficulty hearing for a period of time after exposure.
Noise exposure can also cause tinnitus.
This is a condition that causes people to hear a ringing type sound in one or both ears or in the head that may come and go or may be constant.
Individuals with tinnitus are usually unable to hear other sounds that are in the same range of frequencies as the ringing.
In addition, it can interfere with sleep and with normal daily activities.
Most sensorineural hearing loss can be helped with hearing aids.
These devices amplify sounds to help boost the hearing ability that remains.
There are four basic types of hearing aids: those that go behind the ear, inside of the ear, inside of the canal and completely inside of the canal.
BTEs are the largest and can be used for most types of hearing loss.
They are especially suitable for young children for growth and safety reasons.
ITEs are suitable for mild to severe hearing loss.
ITCs are one of the smallest styles.
They are suitable for mild to moderate hearing loss in adults.
CICs are the smallest, least noticeable style.
They are suitable for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss.
Individuals are required to be examined by a physician before a hearing aid can be prescribed.
This is necessary to decide the type of hearing loss and whether other treatment options are available that may restore hearing.
After the examination, if it is determined that a hearing aid is appropriate, the physician will assist the individual in choosing the correct hearing aid style to suit his or her needs.