Vertigo - The best solutions for hearing problem
Hearing loss is one of the most common health complaints faced by people across the globe.
Although it generally bothers people of advanced ages, hearing loss can sometimes also be seen in middle aged people as well as young adults.
The proper treatment for a hearing problem depends on the exact causes & the underlying illness(es) causing it.
If you’re experiencing hearing loss, the first thing to do is visit a professional & get a hearing test done.
Getting proper treatment for hearing loss is essential at whichever stage it is caught, as it can slowly but surely begin to interfere with your everyday life.
Overtime, it can become difficult for you to follow through with any conversations you’re having with other people, which can significantly impact your personal & professional life.
People suffering from hearing problems & hearing loss are also shown to be at a higher risk of developing psychological issues later in life, including social anxiety & depression.
Hearing loss also increases your risk of physical injuries, traffic accidents, & general mishappenings in your daily activities.
Owing to all these reasons, & also to ensure you have a wholesome, happy life experience, it’s important to get prompt treatment for hearing loss & any other hearing problems you might be having.
Causes of Hearing Loss:
Presbycusis, also known as age-related hearing loss, is by far the most common type of hearing loss encountered today.
This happens due to aging; the hair cells in the ear that help with hearing functions get weaker with advancing age & eventually stop working altogether.
This is also the primary reason why almost half of all people over the age of 75 years experience hearing loss & some type of hearing problems.
Age-related hearing loss is referred to as a kind of sensorineural hearing loss, which means that it originates inside the inner ear &/or the auditory nerves. It is caused by damage to the hair cells of the inner ear, which can either be due to old age or exposure to very loud noise or sounds.
This exposure can take place either at once or over a period of time.
Unfortunately, this type of hearing loss (i.e., sensorineural hearing loss) is permanent in nature, as the damaged hair cells in the inner ear can’t be restored back to normal.
For people experiencing sensorineural hearing loss, hearing aids are the standard treatment option to bring back a degree of normalcy in their lives.
Cochlear implants & bone-anchored hearing aids may also be recommended to you in some particular cases of hearing loss.
Below, we take a deeper look into each of these hearing loss treatment options.
Hearing Aids
Hearing Aids are the best form of treatment for patients with natural hearing loss. If your doctor recommends hearing aids for your hearing problems, then they will work with you to calibrate the hearing aids to your specific condition. This process is also called ‘fitting’.
The basic purpose of hearing aids is to amplify the external sound that the person is hearing.
Today’s hearing aids can be precisely calibrated to your personal requirements, amplifying a few certain sounds while minimizing all the other sounds.
Hearing Aids can’t restore or mimic a person’s natural hearing, but they can ensure a minimal level of hearing for a person with moderate to severe hearing loss.
Depending on the degree of the hearing loss experienced & the extent of the hearing problems faced, your doctor may recommend you to wear your hearing aids either behind the ear or in the ear.
If you experience hearing loss in both ears, then two hearing aids might be better than one.
Since Hearing Aids are used to treat hearing loss externally, there are usually little to no side effects of those.
Cochlear Implants
If hearing aids don’t treat your hearing loss, then your doctor might suggest cochlear implants instead.
Cochlear implants, as the name suggests, are surgically installed inside the ear, & help the patient make sense of the various sounds that are present in the external environment.
Unlike hearing aids, these do not work as soon as they’re installed, & require time for the patient to get acquainted with them.
Post the cochlear implant surgery, you will need to work with a speech specialist, a hearing specialist, & an audiometrist to help you hear external sounds with the cochlear implants.
Cochlear implants are often an excellent choice for older people with age-related hearing loss, as hearing aids might not be very helpful in their position.
Once you get used to the cochlear implants, you will find them extremely helpful in deciphering external sounds & helping you live a better quality of life.
There are also certain other kinds of hearing devices called the Assistive Listening Devices that help you have a better hearing experience while watching TV or listening to music.
When it comes to hearing while talking to others, hearing aids & cochlear implants are the better choices.
Want to know more about hearing problems, hearing issues, & hearing devices? Visit www.vertigoandearclinic.com for more information.
