Hearing loss can seriously impact our quality of life and impede social interactions. It can occur at any age, and can be permanent or only temporary depending on the underlying cause. Permanent loss is more frequently a concern that becomes prevalent in seniors. For information on other common concerns for seniors, please click here. Depending on the underlying cause of the hearing difficulty, complete restoration of hearing may or may not be possible.

TYPES OF HEARING
There are two major pathways that sounds waves can use to reach our auditory nerve, which is the nerve responsible for our ability to hear. These two sound conduction pathways are called air and bone conduction.

Air conduction occurs when sound waves pass through the external ear canal and vibrate the tympanic membrane (ear drum). This vibration is transmitted to a series of tiny bones in your middle ear that pass the movement to the fluid inner ear, creating tiny waves. These tiny waves move hairs lining the inner ear (cochlea), and the movement of these hairs is sensed as sound.

Bone conduction, on the other hand, involves sound directly vibrating the bones of the skull, which in turn vibrates the hairs in the cochlea, resulting in our brains hearing a sound.

Because there are two types of hearing, there are also two major types of hearing loss.

TYPES OF HEARING LOSS

Hearing loss can be gradual or sudden depending on the underlying cause. It can be mild and cause only minor difficulties with conversation, or it can be more severe, even causing complete deafness. These symptoms can be temporary or permanent depending on the underlying cause.

Conductive Hearing Loss
When air conduction cannot be completed, it creates a condition known as conductive hearing loss. Air conduction can be blocked at a number of different places, since so many sections of the ear are involved in this type of hearing. Blockage in the external ear canal by excess earwax (cerumen), or a foreign body (like ear plugs) is the most common cause of hearing loss. This is also the easiest form to treat. Another type of conductive hearing loss is perforation of the tympanic membrane (ear drum), caused either by directly being pierced by something like a Q-tip, or by rupturing from the inside due to pressure from a middle ear infection. For more information on the treatment of ear infections, please click here. Ear infections can also cause a buildup of pus in the middle ear that can inhibit the proper movement of the bones and form another cause for conductive hearing loss.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Sensorineural hearing loss happens due to damage done to the sensing hairs in the inner ear or by damage done to the nerves which relay sound impulses. Trauma might occur from pressure changes (like divers experience), trauma and loud noises. Think twice before sitting next to a speaker at a loud concert. Head trauma can cause sensorineural hearing loss if the temporal bone holding the cochlea is damaged. Some other causes of this particular healing loss are viruses, blood disorders, tumours and certain medications. The subtype of sensorineural hearing loss that occurs with age is called ‘presbycusis’.

Symptoms of Hearing Loss
Beyond the obvious loss of hearing acuity, hearing loss can often also be associated with pain and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). For more information on tinnitus, please click here. Some hearing loss may also be associated with vertigo (dizziness), which is especially true if there is damage to the inner ear, since this is the area of our body also responsible for maintaining our sense of balance. For more information on vertigo, please click here. Often the other symptoms associated with your hearing loss can help your healthcare practitioner to discover the underlying cause.

TREATING HEARING LOSS

The treatment of hearing loss is targeted at the underlying root cause of the problem. See treatments for each of the most common underlying causes listed below.

Wax Buildup / Blockage
Excessive earwax accumulation can be treated by a number of different methods. Oil can be added to the ear canal to help soften wax for easier removal. Some companies make ear oils that contain antimicrobial herbs to help prevent and treat infection while softening the wax. It is important to avoid the use of Q-tips and other penetrating objects to remove the wax as they can cause damage to the ear and impact the wax further into the ear canal. The hairs in our external ear canal naturally sweep wax towards the opening, so long as the wax is soft enough to be moved. Scraping the lining of the external ear can damage these hairs and actually worsen future wax buildup. For large wax buildup, you can gently flush out the external ear using a bulb-type syringe or an ear irrigation device using warm clean water. If there is a foreign body present in the ear, it is important not to attempt removal on your own. Failed attempts can push the object deeper into the ear and can even damage the tympanic membrane (ear drum). Seek medical attention for help with removal of large blockages.

Ear Infections
It is important to try to treat an ear infection prior to it becoming serious enough to cause hearing loss and/or rupture of the tympanic membrane. For information on how to treat and prevent ear infections, please see our Ear Infection article.

Sensorineural Damage
Obviously, the best way to treat sensorineural hearing loss is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Avoiding loud environments, and wearing a helmet during sports are both great ways to protect your future hearing. Viral infections can be prevented and treated with proper immune system stimulation and hand washing techniques. For more information on the prevention and treatment of viral infections, please see our Flu article. Ensuring adequate blood flow to the inner ear and to the auditory nerves, and promoting healthy adrenal function are both great ways to help protect your hearing. For more information on supporting peripheral blood circulation, please see our Cardiovascular Health article. For more information on supporting proper adrenal function, please click here.

I have permanent hearing loss, what now?
In addition to treating the underlying cause, it is important to learn to deal with the symptom at hand. Sensorineural damage often ends up being permanent, but having diminished hearing doesn't have to be the end of your social life or your entertainment. There are a huge number of options available for those with hearing difficulties. The most commonly used of these are hearing aids. Despite the stigma so often associated with them, there are smaller and more discrete units being created all the time. They amplify the sound available and help those with diminished hearing to have a more full and socially active life. For entertainment purposes there are TV listening systems, TV closed captioning, conference microphones and amplified telephones, amongst others. No matter your current situation, don't let hearing loss interrupt you from living a happy and fulfilling lifestyle!