Hearing loss impacts millions of Americans. Nearly 30

million people live with impaired hearing, making this a common health concern.

Hearing loss often occurs gradually so changes to hearing can easily be

overlooked and remain untreated. This is particularly dangerous because it can

worsen one’s hearing and exacerbate other existing health issues. It is

important for people to have their hearing assessed to determine if there is

any impairment, the degree, and the specific type. Early detection of hearing loss

can make a significant difference in treatment and transitioning to better

hearing health!

The treatment and curability of hearing loss depends on the

type and degree. Typically, hearing loss is not curable but can be effectively

treated. There are three types of hearing loss: sensorineural, conductive, and

mixed hearing loss.

How Hearing Works

Hearing involves a complex process that requires the complete function of the ears which can be divided into three parts:

• Outer Ear: consists of the most visible part of the ear as well as the ear canal.

• Middle Ear: the ear drum separates the

  outer ear from the middle ear which also includes three connected bones (among

  the smallest in the human body) known as the ossicles and the eustachian tube.

• Inner Ear: is made up of the cochlea

  which is filled with thousands of hair cells and fluid in addition to three

  canals that help with maintaining balance.

The outer ear absorbs as much sound as possible from the

environment and these soundwaves travel through the ear canal. Landing on the

ear drum, the soundwaves produce vibrations that reach the ossicles which

amplify and push the sound further into the ear. This causes the hair cells and

fluid to move in the cochlea which helps translate these soundwaves to electric

signals that the auditory nerve sends to the brain to process. 

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

The most common type of hearing impairment that people

experience is sensorineural hearing loss.  This occurs when there is damage to the hair

cells and/or the nerve pathways between the inner ear and the brain.

• Causes: there are various factors that

  contribute to sensorineural hearing loss including: the aging process,

  environmental exposure to loud noise, various medical conditions (diabetes,

  hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke), viral infections, and tumors.

• Impact: damage to the inner ear causes

  sounds and speech to be muffled and unclear, hearing soft sounds becomes

  difficult, hearing distinct words is challenging, and a ringing noise in one or

  both ears (known as tinnitus) is common.

• Treatment: this type of hearing loss is

  permanent. Damage to the hair cells in the inner ear is irreversible. We are

  born with all of the hair cells (thousands in each ear) that we will ever have,

  these cells do not regenerate. Sensorineural hearing loss is typically treated

  with hearing aids.

90% of people who experience hearing loss suffer from sensorineural which is not curable.

Conductive Hearing Loss

Conductive hearing loss is caused by damage or injury of the

outer or middle ear. This type of obstruction blocks sound from travelling

through the ear canal to the inner ear.

• Causes: common causes of include wax

  build up, ear infections that create excessive fluid or pus, damage of the

  ossicles (three tiny bones located in the middle ear), injury caused by foreign

  objects entering the ear, abnormal bone growths, and tumors.

• Impact: because sound is restricted or

  blocked from moving through the middle ear, the intensity of soundwaves is

  decreased. Though the inner ear is still functioning properly, the soundwaves

  arrive with less energy, impacting one’s ability to perceive sound. In other

  words, the ear’s ability to amplify sound is reduced.

• Treatment: several causes of conductive

  hearing loss can often be treated by surgical procedures or medical treatments.

  Wax buildup can be extracted, medications can cure eczema or any inflammation,

  abnormal bone growths and tumors can be surgically removed etc. This means that

  this type of hearing loss is often temporary.

Mixed hearing loss is a combination of sensorineural and

conductive. This means that there is damage to any part of the ear (outer,

middle, inner).

Hearing Aids

The most common way hearing loss is treated is through the

use of hearing aids. Hearing aids are small electronic devices that help

absorb, amplify, and process sound. Similar to other electronics, hearing aids

have experienced significant innovation over recent years. There is a vast range

of options available that include diverse technologies and features that can be

customized to meet specific hearing needs.