Have you ever seen a t-shirt promoted as “one size fits all” but when you went to try it on, you were discouraged to find that it didn’t fit at all? That’s truly annoying. The truth is that there’s pretty much nothing in the world that is truly a “one size fits all”. That’s true with t-shirts and it’s also relevant with medical conditions, like hearing loss. This can be accurate for numerous reasons.
So what’s the cause of hearing loss? And what is the most prevalent kind of hearing loss? Let’s see what we can find out!
There are different forms of hearing loss
Everybody’s hearing loss scenario will be as unique as they are. Maybe when you’re in a noisy restaurant you can’t hear very well, but at work, you hear fine. Or perhaps you only have trouble with high or low-pitched sounds. There are numerous forms that your hearing loss can take.
The underlying cause of your hearing loss will dictate how it manifests. Lots of things can go wrong with an organ as complex as the ear.
How your hearing works
Before you can completely understand how hearing loss works, or what degree of hearing loss requires a hearing aid, it’s practical to consider how things are supposed to work, how your ear is typically supposed to work. Check out this breakdown:
- Outer ear: This is the visible part of the ear. It’s where you’re first exposed to a “sound”. The shape of your ear helps direct those sounds into your middle ear (where they are processed further).
- Middle ear: The middle ear consists of your eardrum and a few tiny ear bones (Yes, there are some tiny little bones in there).
- Inner ear: This is where your stereocilia are found. These fragile hairs pick up on vibrations and begin converting those vibrations into electrical energy. Your cochlea helps here, too. Our brain then receives this electrical energy.
- Auditory nerve: This nerve is located in your ear, and it’s responsible for transmitting and directing this electrical energy towards your brain.
- Auditory system: All of the components listed above, from your brain to your outer ear, are elements of your “auditory system”. The total hearing process depends on all of these parts working in concert with each other. In other words, the system is interconnected, so any problem in one area will typically affect the performance of the whole system.
Types of hearing loss
Because there are multiple parts of your auditory system, there are (as a result) multiple forms of hearing loss. The underlying cause of your hearing loss will determine which kind of hearing loss you experience.
The prevalent types of hearing loss include:
- Conductive hearing loss: This kind of hearing loss happens because there’s a blockage somewhere in the auditory system, frequently in the middle or outer ear. normally, fluid or inflammation is the cause of this blockage (when you have an ear infection, for example, this usually occurs). A growth in the ear can occasionally cause conductive hearing loss. Typically, with conductive hearing loss, your hearing will return to normal once the blockage is gone.
- Sensorineural hearing loss: When the fragile hairs that pick up sound, called stereocilia, are damaged by loud sound they are normally destroyed. Usually, this is a chronic, progressive and irreversible form of hearing loss. As a result, individuals are usually encouraged to prevent this kind of hearing loss by wearing ear protection. If you have sensorineural hearing loss, it can still be treated by devices such as hearing aids.
- Mixed hearing loss: It’s also possible to have a combination of sensorineural hearing loss and conductive hearing loss. This can often be difficult to treat because the hearing loss is coming from different places.
- Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder: ANSD is a relatively rare condition. It occurs when the cochlea does not effectively transmit sounds from your ear to your brain. A device known as a cochlear implant is usually used to treat this kind of hearing loss.
Each type of hearing loss requires a different treatment method, but the desired results are usually the same: improving your hearing ability.
Variations on hearing loss kinds
And there’s more. Any of these common types of hearing loss can be further categorized (and with more specificity). For example, hearing loss can also be classified as:
- Progressive or sudden: You have “progressive” hearing loss if it slowly gets worse over time. If your hearing loss arises all at once, it’s known as “sudden”.
- Symmetrical or asymmetrical: If your hearing loss is the same in both ears it’s symmetrical and if it isn’t the same in both ears it’s asymmetrical.
- Fluctuating or stable: Fluctuating hearing loss refers to hearing loss that comes and goes. Stable hearing loss stays at relatively the same level.
- Acquired hearing loss: If you experience hearing loss due to outside forces, like damage, it’s known as “acquired”.
- Congenital hearing loss: If you’re born with hearing loss it’s called “congenital”.
- Unilateral or bilateral hearing loss: It’s possible to develop hearing loss in one ear (unilateral), or in both (bilateral).
- High frequency vs. low frequency: Your hearing loss can be categorized as one or the other depending on which frequency range is getting lost.
- Pre-lingual or post-lingual: Hearing loss is called pre-lingual when it develops before you learned to speak. If your hearing loss developed after you learned to speak, it’s known as post-lingual. This will affect the way hearing loss is treated.
That may seem like a lot, and it is. The point is that each categorization helps us more precisely and effectively manage your symptoms.
Time to have a hearing exam
So how can you tell what type, and what sub-type, of hearing loss you’re experiencing? Unfortunately, hearing loss isn’t really something you can accurately diagnose by yourself. It will be hard for you to determine, for example, whether your cochlea is functioning properly.
But that’s what hearing tests are for! It’s like when you have a check engine light on in your car and you take it to a qualified auto technician. We can connect you to a wide variety of machines, and help establish what type of hearing loss you’re dealing with.
So call us today and schedule an appointment to find out what’s happening.
References
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/hearingloss/types.html
https://www.asha.org/public/hearing/types-of-hearing-loss/
