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Hearing Loss: The Number One Disability in the World!
 With the combined effects of noise exposure, aging, and
heredity, hearing loss has become the number one disability in
the world. In the United States alone there are over 28 million
Americans to suffer some type of hearing loss. The fact that
weighs heavy on my heart is: hearing loss is also the most
preventable disability in the world.
Hearing is a very complex process. It involves the wonderfully
sophisticated workings of our ears as well as the highly complex
processing which takes place in our brain. Any breakdown along
this elegant chain compromises our primary means of
communication.
Types of Hearing Loss and Treatment
Hearing loss can occur at any location in our auditory system.
We will examine the types of hearing loss and treatment
beginning at the part of the ear we can see, known as the outer
ear.
Conductive hearing loss occurs when the outer ear or middle ear
fail to work properly. Abnormalities can “block” sound and thus
are not carried to the inner ear properly. Common causes of
conductive hearing loss include fluid behind the eardrum, wax
buildup or trauma to the ear. Conductive hearing loss is usually
successfully treated by your physician with medicine or surgery.
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Sensorineural hearing loss is by far the most common form of
hearing impairment and it incorporates two anatomical areas:
sensory and neural.
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Sensory hearing loss: The inner ear is the sensory portion of
our ears. The most common causes of damage to the inner ear
include noise exposure, presbycusis or age-related hearing loss,
and inner ear infections. Most people with sensory hearing loss
are successfully treated with hearing aids.
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Neural hearing loss: Neural hearing loss strikes deeper in the
system and affects the hearing nerve or the nervous system. The
inner ear generates impulses that travel through the hearing
nerve to the brain. If the nervous system is damaged, these
impulses no longer arrive at the brain in an orderly fashion and
thus create a variety of difficulties for the listener. This
type of hearing loss can be caused by tumors, genetics and
degeneration caused by aging.
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A mixed hearing loss, is a combination of both sensorineural and
conductive type hearing impairments. This may occur when
somebody has nerve damage because of noise exposure, and then
develops an ear infection in addition to the nerve damage.
Treatment of this type of hearing impairment involves medical
management such as medicine and nonmedical interventions such as
hearing aids.
Hearing Loss Prevention
Noise exposure is by far the most common cause of hearing
impairment. Almost 34% of all hearing impairment can be
attributed, at least in part, to noise exposure. Three easy
steps can help you avoid a permanent hearing loss:
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Use hearing protection when exposed to loud noises. They only
help when you wear them properly.
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Try to limit the amount of time you are exposed to noise. Quiet
time is almost a thing of the past in our society.
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When possible, reduce the volume! Reduce the volume of iPods,
car radios and any other listening devices you may use.
In addition to limiting exposure to noise, we need to take care
of our ears medically. If you are prone to ear infections or
other diseases of the ear, regular medical checkups and hearing
evaluations may help prevent the development of permanent
hearing loss.
By taking some simple steps, you can enjoy listening to your
family, friends, coworkers and loved ones for an entire
lifetime. Happy Hearing!
Dr. R. Patrick Francis
Board Certified Audiologist
FRANCIS AUDIOLOGY &
ASSOCIATES, LLC.
7000 Stonewood Dr. Suite 210
Wexford, PA (near Atria's)
724-933-3440
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