Types of Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is not a single affliction; there are different degrees and types of hearing loss that people of all ages can experience. Anyone from a toddler to an elder can experience hearing losses in the low, middle, and high frequencies.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is a problem with the function within the inner ear or with the connection to our brain. This can be due to factors at birth such as herpes, low birth weight, and hereditary factors, or acquired by an over-exposure of loud noise, a trauma, infections, or side effects from medication.
Conductive hearing loss
Conductive hearing loss is the result of a problem in the middle or outer ear where sound waves are not sent to the inner ear correctly. Conductive hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss in children and usually isn’t congenital. Some of the acquired factors that may develop this type of hearing loss are excessive ear wax, tumors of the middle ear, chronic ear infections, or eardrum perforation.
How to Prevent Hearing Loss
Preventative actions toward your health go a long way. Think about your hearing health and take these simple steps to prevent showing signs of hearing loss:
- Limit your exposure time to noisy activities
- Pay attention to your medication and avoid those that can be dangerous to your hearing
- Wear hearing protection, such as foam or silicone plugs. Foam plugs are available at your pharmacy while muffs and specialized ear protection can be purchased at sporting good stores or safety equipment retailers
- Maintain the volume of televisions, radios, audio players, and car stereos to a responsible level
- Wear ear plugs or muffs when using loud equipment such as heavy machinery, lawn mowers, or construction equipment
- Purchase products with lower dB levels
