One in five Australians suffer from hearing loss.

It is a common belief that hearing-impaired people just cannot hear sounds as loudly; however, it is more complicated than that. The four main problems caused by hearing loss are;

• Soft sounds cannot be heard
• Particular speech cannot be heard
• Sounds are difficult to separate & voices become jumbled
• Reduced range of hearing makes loud noises intolerable

There are three types of hearing loss, including: Conductive hearing loss, Sensorineural hearing loss and mixed hearing loss.

Conductive hearing loss
Conductive hearing loss can be acquired or congenital. It is usually caused by blockage or damage in the outer and / or middle ear. Conductive hearing loss leads to a loss of loudness and can often be helped by medical or surgical treatment.

Sensorineural hearing loss
Sensorineural hearing loss can be acquired or congenital. It may be caused by damage to, or malfunction of, the cochlea (sensory part) or the hearing nerve (neural part). Sensorineural hearing loss leads to a loss of loudness as well as a lack of clarity. The quantity and the quality of sound are affected and sometimes may limit the benefit of a hearing aid.

Mixed hearing loss
Mixed hearing loss results when there is a problem in both the conductive pathway (in the outer or middle ear) and in the nerve pathway (the inner ear). An example of a mixed hearing loss is a conductive loss due to a middle-ear infection combined with a sensorineural loss due to damage associated with ageing.

Common causes of hearing loss

Middle ear infections in children
In children a common cause of temporary hearing loss is due to a middle ear infection. This causes a conductive hearing loss and in younger children can disrupt normal speech and language development. Often middle ear infections can be treated medically, however in some cases grommets can be required.

Age related hearing loss
The most common cause of hearing loss in adults over fifty years is presbyacusis, or age related hearing loss. In fact 1 in 2 Australians will develop a hearing loss of some degree by the age of fifty. Presbyacusis is a sensorineural hearing loss that usually starts in the higher frequencies and progresses to the mid and lower frequencies.

Noise induced hearing loss
Exposure to loud sounds can often cause a temporary change in hearing. However prolonged and continuous exposure to loud sounds can result in a permanent sensorineural hearing loss called a Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). An NIHL hearing loss affects the higher frequencies initially, however with continual exposure to noise can spread to the mid frequencies.

Signs of hearing loss may include;

• Needing to increase the volume of the television or radio
• Often asking people to repeat themselves more than once
• Difficulty understanding conversation when background noise is present
• Difficulty understanding certain types of voices
• Other people notice you do not hear when they are speaking
• Missing the telephone ring, or not hearing the turning indicator in the car

If you think you suffer from a hearing loss, contact Totalcare Hearing today for a complete hearing assessment. Call 02 9387 3637 or click here to email us.