Hear Hear: Hearing Loss is More Common Than You Think

A common misconception is that you only suffer hearing loss when you are old. While it’s true that hearing tends to deteriorate in the silver years for most people, there is an increasing trend of hearing loss starting younger. 5 out of every 1000 babies in Singapore are born with hearing loss, and 1 in 6 youths are at risk due to noise exposures in everyday life.

How does hearing loss affect me?

The ability to hear contributes to better health, intelligence, social economic status, and social and family relationships. Hearing loss reduces quality of life by cutting off the ability to communicate effectively with others.

Normal hearing is defined as being able to soft sounds between 250-8000Hz. Hearing loss can be mild or profound, defined over a spectrum and categorized by a range of deficiencies. For instance, a person may lose the ability to hear higher frequency sounds on both ears but have perfect hearing for the remaining audible range to humans, while another may be able to hear the full range of frequencies perfectly but only in one ear.

The three main types of hearing loss are sensorineural hearing loss (when the inner ear or hearing nerve is damaged), conductive hearing loss (when sound waves are unable to travel all the way to the inner ear due to infections or damage) and mixed hearing loss (a combination of both). Hearing loss can be caused by different factors, including chronic loud exposure, genetics, age, injury and more.

The severity of hearing loss affects people differently, especially if the ability to hear affects their livelihood (e.g. musicians). However, even the most minor of deficiencies can impact a person’s life. A person with mild hearing loss will have difficulty hearing conversations in noisy environments and situations where there are multiple people speaking. Losing hearing in one ear (unilateral hearing loss) would dull a person’s ability to tell which direction a sound is coming from. This makes crossing the road or walking a busy pathway dangerous.

If left untreated, hearing loss can lead to further health complications. Studies have shown that patients with hearing loss may be two to five times more likely to develop dementia, due to the resultant social isolation and cognitive decline from a lack of communication. In addition, hearing loss has also been found to increase the risk of cardiovascular death by 28%. However, with the right hearing solutions, it is possible to treat hearing loss.

Recognising and managing hearing loss

Early detection and management are crucial components in dealing with hearing loss. Depending on the cause, type and severity, there are different treatment options available.

For most individuals, modern hearing aids are programmed to amplify sounds the person has trouble hearing.

For individuals with severe-to-profound hearing loss, the inner ear (cochlea) is too damaged to be able to carry sounds to the brain. A damaged cochlea is like a radio that is not properly tuned to the radio station’s frequency – no matter how loud you crank up the volume, you will only hear static. In such cases, no amount of volume amplification can restore clear speech to an individual with a badly damaged cochlea.

That’s where cochlear implants come in. Cochlear implants are designed to mimic and replace the damaged inner ear. The implant consists of tiny electrodes which bypass a damaged cochlea, and transmit signals to the hearing nerve and then to the brain, where they are translated into sounds.

Modern day cochlear implant technology has also advanced significantly to become a discreet part of every recipient’s life, with features such as direct audio streaming from a smartphone, and dynamically adjusting hearing levels to the environment.

If you have any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor about getting a hearing test and getting a professional assessment by an ENT specialist or audiologist.

  • You can’t make out every word when someone is speaking to you because it sounds like they’re mumbling.
  • You regularly request that someone repeat themselves.
  • You must be attentive in order to hear speech.
  • In loud venues like a restaurant or party, you have trouble hearing someone.
  • Having to crank up the radio or television’s volume.
  • A persistent buzzing or ringing in your ears

This article was contributed by Chermaine Teo, Specialist Audiologist of Faith Hearing Specialists.


Images: Cochlear (featured) and Envato

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