Hearing Impairment – described as mild, moderate, severe, or
profound depending on the intensity of sound required for a person to hear it
Results from
- Conducting hearing loss – mechanical problem in the external ear canal or middle ear that blocks the conduction of sound
- Sensorineural hearing loss – damage to the sensory structures (hair cells) of the inner ear, auditory nerve pathways in the brain
Causes
- Sensorineural hearing loss
- aging- prebycusis
- Conductive hearing loss
- Choleastoma – non cancerous tumor caused by ear infection
- Chronic middle ear fluid – otitis media with effusion
- Middle ear infection – otitis media
- Obstruction of External ear canal – obstruction is caused either by a wax, tumor or pus from an infection
- Otosclerosis – bony growth of the ossicles
Prevention
- Age related hearing loss and most other causes of hearing loss are not preventable
- Noised induced hearing loss – can be prevented by
- Limiting exposure to loud noise
- The volume through headphones should always be kept at a reasonable level
- Use of glycerin filled muffs or ear plugs – for occupational and firearm exposure
