Hearing Loss

The phenomenon of hearing loss might or might not be serious, depending on the cause, but is truly a scary and disheartening experience for many people. Living in silence is very much like being shut off from the civilized world. This condition affects people of so many age groups and backgrounds, just like death does, so it does not discriminate.

But unlike death, some forms of hearing loss, such as conductive and sensorineural, can be overcome with medication, surgery, and most of all time and patience.

Conductive hearing loss is the mildest form, with little or no post-operative repercussions. In this type, audio waves are not dispensed properly through the concha, ear canal, and inner ear ossicles to the auditory nerve, and so sound is weakened and becomes faint. This can be caused by fluid in the middle ear due to sickness or infection, allergies, eustacian tube or bone malfunction, a damaged eardrum, or wax build-up.

Sensorineural hearing loss, on the other hand, is not as easy to overcome. When this type of hearing loss occurs, more severe damage is inflicted on the inner ear involving the cochlea or the nerve relays leading to the brain. Causes of hearing loss in this case tend to be disease-oriented, such as Diabetes hearing loss; head trauma; loud noise (consider ipod hearing loss); viruses; aging; heredity; and birth defects, as is the case in congenital hearing loss, which may or may not be reparable.

Mixed hearing loss, of course, involves any combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing effects and can be a bit more complicated. This, like the other two, can be a type of progressive or sudden hearing loss.

Do children with hearing loss have developmental delays? This depends on the child, but comprehension is not likely to be a characteristic; any delays that might occur are to do with auditory reception, and yes, that can affect speech patterns as children carry on, if the hearing loss is not corrected. Some children might be taught to listen to or play acoustic guitar due to hearing loss to strengthen vibratory reception skills. Hearing loss simulation techniques help those not afflicted with hearing loss to learn what is like so that sensitivity can be developed. As a matter of fact, a hearing loss simulator actually induces hearing loss instead of merely creating the effects brought on my hearing loss. This is taking the matter full-circle.

Baby Boomers and Hearing Loss, by John Burkey, explains how those with hearing loss can carry on enjoyable lives while bearing the loss. This is not easy nor does it happen overnight, but it can be achieved. In Baby Boomers and Hearing Loss, Burkey goes on to correct the many misconceptions regarding hearing loss and hearing aid use. Such a phenomenon is indeed scary, but it need not be debilitating.

Hearing loss is a very complex issue. Being well-informed by those who are trained and/or experienced in hearing conditions allows many to overcome their fear and deal with such a loss with dignity and self-assurance.