One attempt to standardize the diagnosis and treatment is the implementation of degrees of hearing loss. Audiologists break hearing loss into five degrees: mild, moderate, moderately severe, severe and profound. Patients are categorized into a degree by the softest sound they are able to hear.

If the softest sound a patient can hear is above 71 decibels but below 90 decibels, he is categorized as having severe hearing loss. While this diagnosis might be helpful in fitting a hearing aid and combating the affects of hearing loss, the boundaries are clearly somewhat arbitrary. Rather than iron-clad prescriptions, these designations should be looked at more as guidelines. A sufferer of severe hearing loss might have hearing closer to a sufferer of “moderately severe hearing loss” than another person with severe hearing loss.

Other than in legal contexts, where severe hearing loss is converted into a percentage to ensure equal treatment in the eyes of the law, the degree to which hearing loss occurs is more of a suggestion than a fact. If you feel like you might be suffering from hearing loss, visit a hearing center to determine the best course of treatment.

But how do you know if you need a hearing aid?

The best way is to get a hearing test.

Hearing tests measure your sensitivity to a variety of sounds. These results are plotted on a graph called an audiogram. From left to right, the frequencies increase. From bottom to top, the volume of the sound decreases:

Your ability to hear is then plotted using a series of “x’s” and “o’s” which demarcate the left and right ears respectively. Hearing is measured on a logarithmic system known as “decibels.” For every 10 decibel increase, the volume you perceive doubles.

If the plotted “x’s and o’s” begin to dip below the 20 Db level as you move to the right on the graph (towards higher frequencies), you may have conditional hearing loss. Normal hearing for these frequencies is sensitive to sounds 20Db and below. If after taking the hearing aid test, you realize you have hearing loss, consult and audiologist as soon as possible.

All hearing aids are not made equal.

If you visit an audiologist and are diagnosed with mild or moderate hearing loss, it may not be necessary for you to purchase a costly top of the line hearing aid.

When choosing a hearing aid by price, it’s important to get all the needed personal features, even if purchasing an inexpensive hearing aid. Luckily, there are lower-cost hearing aids that ably amplify sound – the most crucial goal of a hearing aid. Some are directional hearing aids – making conversation easier by focusing the hearing aid in a particular direction.

Those searching for inexpensive hearing aids will find more digital options than ever before–with a wide range of features that can be tailored to fit your particular lifestyle. If you live a more relaxed lifestyle, you may not need the bevy of features offered by the most expensive hearing solutions. On the other hand, if you live an active lifestyle you may want to look into a more premium hearing aid.

As always, the first step to determining what kind of hearing aid is right for you is visiting a hearing specialist and getting tested.

If you need more information on lower-cost hearing aids or any inquiries in general, please don’t hesitate to call or email us.

We’ve written before about conductive hearing loss, which is treatable, and sensorineural hearing loss, which is not.

What happens when you have both?

The result is a condition known as “mixed hearing loss.”

Conductive hearing loss occurs when sounds are not properly conducted from the outer ear drum to the ear canal and ossicles (tiny bones of the middle ear).  This can be caused by foreign object, an excess of wax, infection or malformation. Generally, some faint hearing is retained.

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear or the nerve pathways from there to the brain. It is irreversible. Causes include trauma, viruses, prolonged noise exposure, and, of course, aging.

Sometimes both types of hearing loss occur in conjunction. This condition is known as “mixed hearing loss.” In mixed hearing loss, there is damage to the outer ear or canal and the inner ear or nerve pathways. The conductive hearing loss may still respond to treatment.

What is it like to have deafness in only one ear?

When one ear has deafness, it can be very difficult to balance hearing – resulting in difficulty measuring localized sound. The unaffected ear sometimes needs to work harder, which can be extremely dangerous in urban environments–background noises like when crossing the street could be disastrous.

To understand how one feels with unilateral deafness, you can perform a simple test. Take a cup and cover one ear with the open end, and as the ear is covered to try to have a conversation with someone or try to listen to a conversation. It will be much harder to understand just about everything that people are saying and it will only help slightly to turn your head towards the person.

Unilateral hearing loss can occur as a result of either conductive or sensorineural hearing loss. If the former, then it may be medically curable and most of the hearing loss may be restored. If it is sensorineural hearing loss, then it will not be so simple to solve the hearing problem. The best option would be to see the audiologist to diagnose the hearing loss and determine the best options to help combat it.

Many people suffer from the hearing problem Tinnitus, the common description is ringing in the ears. Clearly it affects hearing, but is it a type of hearing loss?

No.

Tinnitus affects your ability to hear but does not damage your capacity for hearing itself. While Tinnitus is not a type of hearing loss, many people suffer from both afflictions, as they can have the same root causes.

Tinnitus itself has a variety of causes and levels:

One of the most common causes for ringing in the ears is exposure to loud bursts of sound–if you are near a loud burst (such as a gunshot) or a continued loud sound (such as  at a construction site) and do not wear protection, not only can you suffer from sensorineural hearing loss, but you can also begin to suffer from Tinnitus. This happens if there is trauma to the ear which it is unable to recover from. It has been described alternately as hearing a constant ringing, waves crashing against the shore or a continual buzzing noise.

Tinnitus has other less common causes:

It can be a side-effect of oral medication, such as aspirin, or of psychedelic drugs, like Harmaline or Psilocybin. It can also be the result of a variety of physical disorders, such as Lyme Disease or Thyroid disorder. Furthermore, it can be the result of psychological imbalances, such as low-levels of serotonin or anxiety.

Tinnitus are diagnosed in five different levels of with five being the strongest. At level one, the ringing can be so slight it can be covered by everyday noise and go unnoticed by the person who has it. Level five on the other hand, can be so powerful that nothing can cover the ringing, which makes it hard for the individual to focus or get a good night’s rest.

Unfortunately, there is no way to permanently get rid of or cure Tinnitus, however there are many ways to easing it or covering it up. You can have Tinnitus without suffering from hearing loss but is a rare occurrence. If you have a hearing problem and tinnitus, ask your audiologists what may be done to help combat both simultaneously.

The reasoning is simple- with condunctive hearing loss, it is medically possible to repair the lost hearing, but with sensorineural the hearing loss is  directly affects the nerves and is usually permanent – only assisted with technology. Only a small percentage of patients have a conductive hearing loss. There are many reasons for having conductive hearing loss that are considered:

- Fluid Trapped within the Eustachian tube: If there is an excess of fluid, it can cause some hearing loss. This is eminently treatable; the tube can be drained and hearing loss alleviated.

- Foreign Object: Conductive hearing loss frequently happens  to children. Foreign object entered into an ear and gets stuck and leads to hearing loss. If the object is particularly hard or strong one (e.g. an insect, for which there have been several documented cases) which can’t be flushed out, aural surgery must be performed to remove it.

- Infected or Excess Earwax: Sometimes infected  earwax due to illness or dramatic buildup can causes conductive hearing loss. An examination microscope can be used to remove it, but sometimes surgical removal is needed.

- Ear Infection: The best way to handle these are with antibiotics prescribed based on what type of infection it is.

Since they do not affect the nerves, these are all considered causes for conductive hearing loss. As these causes often have solutions, many hearing professionals agree they are preferrable to long-lasting nerve damage. When dealing with any type of hearing loss, make sure you tell your audiologist and ENT how your ear feels and how your hearing is as SOON AS YOU NOTICE ANY HEARING LOSS.

The question now we all have to ask is, how this hearing loss affects individuals who have it and what can be done to treat this hearing loss?

Thanks to our improvements in technology, now sensorineural loss can be treated more properly. Patients can still lead excellent lives and not have to worry about being at a disadvantage when it comes to their hearing.

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when the auditory nerves are damaged or weakened. This can be the result of a trauma such as a sudden loud noise. It can also be caused by continual loud noises. Many people who work in loud environments such as airport and construction sites are in relative danger of such hearing loss.

However sometimes it is a genetic or inherited problem. Before hearing aid technology or any technology used to combat hearing loss, it was very difficult to assist this type of hearing problem. Fortunately, thanks to drastic improvements, it can now be combated more readily.

Since this is a non-reversible hearing loss, the loss will unfortunately be permanent. However, with the advancement in hearing aid technology the digital hearing aid is rather useful. It would be able to amplify sound strong enough for the nerves to react. The other option is the cochlear implant which can give electric stimulation to the nerves helping improve hearing in those with profound or severe hearing loss. So while this may be a horrible loss, audiologists, ENT’s and anyone else in the audiology field alike will assure you that you have many options to help combat your hearing loss.