Hearing loss, often known as a silent disability has a tremendous impact on many aspects of one’s life. Individually it affects our communication and speech with others. Others might have to raise their voice, repeat or move closer when speaking to the person with hearing difficulties.
Research has shown the profound impact hearing loss has on individuals, which may lead to social isolation, loneliness and stigma.
In developing countries, children with hearing loss and deafness often do not receive schooling. Adults with hearing loss also have a much higher unemployment rate. Among those employed, a higher percentage of people with hearing loss are in the lower grades of employment compared with the general workforce.
It is estimated that unattended hearing loss has an annual global cost of US$980 billion and this figure continues to rise unless addressed. This includes health sector costs, educational support costs, productivity loss, and societal costs.
When a person struggles to hear as well as someone with normal hearing is said to be suffering from hearing loss. Hearing loss varies between individuals and is measured by its severity – mild, moderate, moderately severe, severe or profound.
Hearing loss can affect one or both ears leading to difficulty and challenges hearing others and environmental sounds.
This type of hearing loss happens when the hearing organ; cochlear within the inner ear or the hearing nerve, is damaged. The cochlear houses hearing cells, known as hair cells, a crucial organ in hearing hence damaged, they lead to sensorineural hearing loss.
Sensorineural loss is the most common type of hearing loss and can result from ageing, exposure to loud noise, infection, blunt trauma, certain ototoxic drugs or a genetic condition. It is typically not medically treatable but can be managed with hearing aids which amplify sounds to help one hear better, or through the use of Hearing Implants like Cochlear implants and Bone conduction Implants.
This type of hearing loss happens when sound waves cannot reach the inner ear due to issues in the outer or middle ear. The transmission of sounds may be blocked by earwax or a foreign object located in the ear canal, or the middle ear space may be filled with fluid due to infection or a bone abnormality. The eardrum may be damaged too.
Conductive hearing loss may be managed through medical or surgical intervention. Interventions such as ear wax removal or medication to resolve ear infections can help one regain hearing.
Conductive loss can sometimes be congenital, leading to malformations of the ear canal or pinna. In this situation, they can be easily managed through bone conduction hearing aids.
When there is damage in the outer or middle ear and the inner ear or nerve pathway to the brain, this can lead to mixed hearing loss.
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