Understanding Hearing Loss: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

Hearing is an important part of your everyday life. Hearing loss can impact your life in so many ways. It can be temporary, but many people have hearing loss that doesn’t go away. You may feel as if you’re missing out on life. You may feel uncomfortable trying to carry on telephone conversations or frustrated because you can’t enjoy your favorite movies or shows. You may feel isolated or depressed. If you think you have hearing loss, talk to a healthcare provider or audiologist. They’ll determine the best way to improve your hearing.

Types of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss refers to any reduction in the ability of our ears to hear sounds. Hearing loss can be categorized into three main types: sensorineural, conductive, and mixed.

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear or the auditory nerve. Symptoms often include difficulty understanding speech, especially in noisy environments, and a perception of muffled sounds.
Conductive hearing loss results from problems in the outer or middle ear that prevent sound from being conducted to the inner ear. This occurs when sound waves cannot efficiently travel through the outer ear canal to the eardrum and the tiny bones of the middle ear.
Mixed hearing loss is a combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.

Causes of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can arise from various factors, each contributing to the decline in auditory function. Many things can harm hearing. Older adults are the largest group affected by hearing loss. As you age, some hearing loss is normal. With aging, tiny hair cells in the inner ear undergo changes. Nerve cells, also part of the inner ear, can also be affected. This is called presbycusis. Most people don't notice normal hearing loss until their middle years. Others might not notice it until late in their lives. It's most often a slow and painless process.

However, long-term exposure to loud noise can speed up the loss. Exposure to loud noise may cause brief hearing loss and ringing in your ears called tinnitus. If your exposure was short, you may recover. You lose more than the ability to hear how loud a sound is. You also lose the ability to hear certain types of sounds.

Symptoms of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can manifest in various ways, and recognizing the symptoms early is vital for effective treatment.

Difficulty Understanding Speech: Individuals may struggle to follow conversations, especially in noisy environments.

Recognizing these symptoms is essential for seeking timely intervention. If you or a loved one experiences any of these signs, consulting a healthcare professional can lead to appropriate assessments and treatment options.

Diagnosing Hearing Loss

To find what's causing your hearing loss, and how to manage it, see your healthcare provider for a complete exam. Your hearing must be tested to find the nature and extent of your hearing loss. Hearing tests show if hearing aids are needed. They also show what sounds you can and can’t hear, so hearing aids can be customized for your personal needs.

During the exam, your ears are examined. Word recognition tests show if you can tell the difference between certain words. Also, you’ll be asked about your health, your hearing, and any family history of hearing loss.

What to Expect During a Hearing Test:

Diagnosing hearing loss typically begins with a hearing test, which assesses the ability to hear sounds at various frequencies and volumes. During the test, you will be in a soundproof room. The audiologist will present a series of tones and speech at different volumes. A hearing test shows which tones, sounds, and speech sounds you can and can’t hear. You wear earphones that are attached to an audiometer (computer) in another room.

Types of Hearing Tests:

Physical exam: A health care provider looks in your ear for possible causes of your hearing loss, such as earwax or an infection.
Screening tests: App-based hearing tests.
Tuning fork tests: Tuning forks are two-pronged, metal instruments that make sounds when hit. Simple tests with tuning forks can help find hearing loss.
Audiometer tests: A specialist in hearing loss, known as an audiologist, does these more-thorough tests. Sounds and words are directed through earphones to each ear.

Professionals Who Can Help

Audiologists: These professionals specialize in diagnosing and treating hearing disorders.
Otolaryngologists: Also known as ENT doctors, they evaluate medical conditions affecting the ear, nose, and throat.

Hearing Aid Types and Technology

Treatment Options for Hearing Loss

You can get help for hearing problems. Some forms of hearing loss are due to causes that can be corrected. Once treated, hearing will improve and the hearing loss will no longer be an issue. Treatment options vary and may include hearing aids for amplification or surgical interventions to address conductive components. In some people, hearing loss can be corrected with surgery.

Available treatments:

Removing earwax: Earwax blockage is a cause of hearing loss that can be fixed.
Surgery: Some types of hearing loss can be treated with surgery.
Hearing aids: If hearing loss is from damage to the inner ear, a hearing aid can be helpful. A hearing specialist, known as an audiologist, can talk about how hearing aids can help and what kinds there are. Hearing tests show if hearing aids are needed. They also show what sounds you can and can’t hear, so hearing aids can be customized for your personal needs.
Cochlear implants: When a regular hearing aid isn't likely to help much, a cochlear implant might be an option. A cochlear implant isn't like a hearing aid that makes sound stronger and directs it into the ear canal. Cochlear implants may be an option for individuals with severe sensorineural hearing loss who do not benefit from hearing aids. They convert sound into electrical signals, stimulating the auditory nerve directly.
Assistive listening devices (ALDs) enhance sound in specific situations, making it easier to hear.

Hearing Aid Details:

Hearing aids are electronic devices designed to amplify sound for individuals with hearing loss. An audiologist can talk about how hearing aids can help and what kinds there are.

Tips for Better Communication

Here are some tips that can help you communicate better:

Tell your friends and family about your hearing loss.
Put yourself in a good position to hear.
Turn off background noise.
Ask others to speak up, but not too loud, and speak clearly.
Get the other person's attention before speaking.
Choose quiet settings.
Consider using a listening aid. Hearing devices can help you hear better while lessening noises around you.

Preparing for Your Appointment

If you think you have hearing loss, call your health care provider. Write down your symptoms and how long you've had them. Is the hearing loss in one ear or both? Ask friends and family to help you make the list. Write down key medical information, especially related to ear problems. Include any repeated infections, injury to your ear or ear surgery you've had. Describe your work history. Take a family member or friend along. How would you describe your symptoms? Does either ear hurt? Do you often ask others to speak up or repeat themselves?

Specialized Care Centers:

At UC Health, we are experts in the most complex conditions of the ear that affect your hearing and balance.
As the region’s most experienced, and only specialized team in cochlear implantation, our audiology and hearing loss experts provide individualized care for each patient’s unique hearing needs.
Our Smell, Hearing & Communication Disorders Center brings together subspecialists who are experts in the full spectrum of neurologic disorders of the senses.