Hearing Loss
What causes hearing loss?
Hearing loss can occur at any age. Some people are born with loss of hearing and hearing loss is a natural part of getting older.
By the time we are just 20 years of age we have already lost the ability to perceive some of the sounds infants can hear.
By the time we are 30 to 40 years of age hearing loss will have begun to occur.
By our 80s, more than half of us have significant hearing loss.
It is estimated hearing loss affects more than 9 million people in the UK.
Some of the factors which may contribute to hearing loss:
- excessive noise
- genetics
- birth defects
- infections to the head or ear
- natural aging
- reactions to some drugs or certain medical treatments.
- blockage of the ear canal by an object
- accumulated cerumen (earwax)
- physical trauma to the ears or head
- exposure to high intensity noise at work and at home
- punctured eardrum
- pressure
- objects in the ear
High risk professions:
- factory workers
- construction workers
- heavy industry workers
- firefighters
- police officers
- farmers
- military personnel
- teachers
- musicians
- entertainment industry
See your doctor if you have pain or fluid draining from the ear and if you experience sudden deafness you should treat this as a medical emergency and see a doctor straightaway.
Signs of hearing loss:
Many of us don’t notice the early signs of hearing loss because we slowly adjust to the change. By the time we realize what’s happening, we may already have considerable hearing loss. GP’s do not generally routinely screen for hearing loss. The majority of people with hearing loss are able to hear just fine in quiet environments like your GP’s office and so it may be very difficult for your GP to recognize this problem. Often it is your family members or friends who will begin to recognise your hearing loss.
With loss of hearing our everyday conversations become tiring, requiring intense effort and difficulty, which can lead to isolation and frustration.
If you experience some of the following symptoms you should have your hearing tested.
- People seem to be mumbling or speaking more softly than they used to
- Difficulties understanding the words people are saying
- Frequently asking people to repeat themselves
- Asking people to “speak up” or “speak more clearly”
- Turning up the TV volume so loud that others complain
- Struggling to hear on the telephone
- Struggling to follow conversations
- Withdrawing from conversations as unable to follow them
- Don’t always hear the doorbell or telephone
- Family, colleagues and friends suggest you might have a hearing problem
- Difficultly understanding a speaker at a business meeting
- Struggling with softer and higher tones of speech
- Difficulty hearing women or children speaking
- Often hear a ringing or buzzing in your ears
- Noticing a slight muffling of sound after noise exposure
- Difficultly hearing or understanding people when you leave a noisy area
- Problems hearing due to background noises
- Difficulty hearing people calling and talking from behind you or from another room
- Misunderstanding or “forgetting” what has been said or agreed upon
- Cupping your hands behind your ears to focus
What to do if you recognise any of the above?
As a qualified registered Hearing Care Professional I can provide a free hearing check for you initially.
I may then recommend a full hearing test. During a hearing test your ears will be thoroughly examined and I will use a diagnostic Audiometer which is designed to play sounds at very accurate levels.
I will then be able to determine the severity of your hearing problem, whether or not you could benefit from a hearing aid, and which type of hearing aid would be best for you.
I am registered to practice with the Health Professional Council. The HPC look after the professional registration and conduct of many health professions such as Paramedics, Operating department practitioners, Physiotherapists, Radiographers and Occupational therapists amongst others.
Personal Hearing Solutions is a fully independent company. Being independent means we supply hearing solutions from many manufacturers are so are able to prescribe a personal hearing solution to suit you.
