Hearing Loss and Communication
Your ability to effectively communicate relies heavily on your hearing. Even relatively mild hearing loss can disrupt how you interact and connect with others. You deserve to hear your best and be fully a part of the conversation.
If hearing loss is making it difficult for you to interact with your loved ones, contact us for an appointment! You can successfully manage hearing loss and rejoin the conversation again.
Signs of Hearing Loss
There are some common indicators of hearing loss you should be aware of. These include:
- You can hear but you lack clarity
- It’s difficult to hear when there is background noise
- You frequently ask others to repeat themselves
- You feel like you miss parts of the conversation
- You avoid social interactions
- Others complain you need the volume on the TV too high
- You hear a ringing in your ears
If you have noticed any of these signs, then it’s time for a hearing check.
Types of Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is measured in degrees (mild, moderate, moderately severe, severe or profound). In addition, there are different types of hearing loss.
Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common, affecting how sound is received from the inner ear to the brain. This is often due to age, loud noise exposure, ototoxic medications, or underlying health conditions. While irreversible, sensorineural hearing loss can be managed with hearing aids.
Conductive hearing loss is when there is an issue “conducting” sound from the outer/middle ear to the inner ear. Causes can include earwax blockage, ruptured eardrum, fluid in the middle ear, or frequent ear infections. This type of hearing loss can be cleared by a medical doctor or ENT.
Mixed hearing loss is a combination of the two. For treatment, medical correction would be needed for the conductive portion and hearing aids would be suggested for the sensorineural portion.
