Hearing problems can occur in people of any age. However, ignoring this ailment may have a negative impact not only on the comfort of our life but also on our health. Appropriate prevention at an early stage of life is crucial to react quickly to the first signs of a hearing loss. Today we will check what causes hearing deterioration and how to care for this organ properly.
The causes of hearing loss
At the outset, it is worth emphasizing that hearing problems can arise from many different factors. The most common causes of hearing impairment include:
otitis media
ear or head trauma
exposure to too high pressure
poisoning with toxic substances
genetic load
taking ototoxic drugs
obstruction of the external ear canal with earwax or a foreign body
otosclerosis – or ossicular dysfunction
tumors
congenital disabilities
disturbance of microcirculation in the inner ear, caused by embolism, thrombosis
viral infections – mumps, flu, rubella
In some cases, the hearing loss can occur suddenly, but it happens that the deterioration of hearing develops for months or even years.
Regardless of what caused your hearing problem, you should consult a specialist doctor as soon as possible. First, it is worth going to an ENT specialist who will perform a hearing test and order other necessary laboratory tests. See also: www.phonak.com/uk/en/find-a-hearing-care-specialist.html
Where and how to get a hearing test?
If you notice the first hearing problems, you should contact your family doctor, who will interview the patient and perform an initial examination with an otoscope. If there is an indication, the doctor will refer the patient to an ENT or audiologist for in-depth diagnostics and thus find the source of the problem. Two types of tests are performed in an otolaryngology or audiology office.
The first, called subjective, is tonal audiometry performed in a calm room. Audiograms can visualize hearing thresholds in the range of 0-25 dB.
The second type of research is an objective test, which mainly uses:
– tympanometry (this is a special probe that measures the reflection of the sound wave from the eardrum, taking into account the pressure change in the external auditory canal);
– otoacoustic emission (this is the registration of soft sounds that are emitted by the inner ear in response to selected acoustic stimuli);
– BERA hearing test (assessing the auditory potential of the brainstem, showing the site of hearing damage).
The patient is usually referred to use a hearing aid when diagnosed with a hearing loss. Reconstructive surgery becomes necessary in the case of middle ear defects. The hearing loss problem is solved by removing a foreign body or earwax plug for many patients. If an infection damages your hearing, you should take medication.
Hearing prophylaxis
It would help if you took care of your hearing every day. Prevention includes hygiene and eliminating factors that may mechanically damage the hearing organ.
Here are the basic principles of hearing prevention:
- avoid prolonged exposure to noise
- lower the volume of the radio, TV, or music player
- if you work in a noisy environment, wear ear protection
- remember about early diagnosis of the hearing organ – nowadays, it covers infants several weeks old
- do not use sticks to clean your ears and remove earwax; if you have to, use earwax softeners
- when you are exposed to loud noises such as fireworks, plug your ears
- remember about regular checkups with an ENT specialist and hearing tests – both when there is a risk of hearing loss and when you already have a hearing loss
- control the intake of ototoxic drugs.
Proper hearing organ prevention reduces the risk of hearing problems later in life. The sooner we start taking care of our hearing, the greater the chance we will enjoy its perfect condition for many years.
