What is hearing loss test?

Hearing Is a valuable and very essential function in every persons life. Hearing is the ability to recognize noise and sounds. It helps in maintaining relationships and communications with friends and family and socialize. Hearing not only helps us to stay connected to the outside world but also helps in staying alert by warning potential dangers.

Hearing loss:

It is a partial or total inability to hear. It can affect any one ear or both the ears. People face difficulties in hearing speech and other noise. It makes your day to day life difficult. It is also termed as deafness and hearing impairments.

What can cause hearing loss?

There are multiple causes for hearing disorder. It is very important to identify the cause to help with the proper treatment. The causes for deafness can be classified as:

Congenital causes:

The causes which leads to hearing loss at the time of birth or immediately after birth.

  • Infections such as maternal rubella, syphilis and other infections during pregnancy. It can be heredity. and at times certain complications during pregnancy such as.
  • Inappropriate use of certain drugs during pregnancy.
  • Birth asphyxia, which is low level of oxygen at the time of birth.
  • Severe jaundice in newborn babies.
  • Low birth rate.

Acquired causes:

These are the causes which develop over a period of time.

  • Ageing.
  • Noise exposure.
  • Head injury or trauma.
  • Damage to inner ear.
  • Genetic factors.
  • Illness such as high blood pressure, heart disease, meniere’s disease, meningitis and diabetics.
  • Infections or earwax.
  • Certain medications such as antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs and pain reliever abnormal bone growth or tumor.
  • Fluid in the ear.

What are the symptoms of hearing loss?

  • Frequently asking others to repeat themselves.
  • Asking people to speak louder and slow.
  • Difficulty in understanding day to day conversations.
  • Having turn up the volume of music or TV.
  • Tinnitus, ringing or buzzing sound in the ear.
  • Trouble understanding consonants.
  • Difficulty in hearing on telephone.
  • Avoiding social situations.

How can hearing loss be treated?

Hearing loss treatment depend upon the type of hearing loss and causes to it. Some of the treatments are:

  • Removing Wax Blockage: It is a reversible cause of hearing loss. The doctor removes excess wax using an instrument called curet or by suction. And also, by loosening the earwax with oil and flushing the softened wax out.
  • Surgical Procedures: Some of the types of hearing loss may be treated with a surgery, Such as repeated ear infections, Abnormality in ear drum or bone.
  • Hearing Aids: If the hearing loss Is due to the damage to the inner ear and cannot be treated by surgery then your doctor will advise you to use hearing aids.
  • Cochlear Implant: If the hearing loss is severe and hearing aid does not provide you with much relief then the doctor will suggest you a cochlear implant. Cochlear implant directly stimulates the hearing nerve bypassing the damaged or non-working parts of inner ear. An audiologist and ENT doctor will explain the risks and benefits of cochlear implantation.