Hearing Loss Overview

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Hearing loss is the third most common medical condition in the United States, after arthritis and heart disease. Hearing loss may occur for anyone, at any age, and can range from mild to profound. For older Americans, presbycusis (age-related hearing loss) is a fairly common experience. Changes happen naturally in the inner ear as we age, and while this process is gradual over the years, it may lead to changes in a person’s personality and cognitive abilities. Untreated hearing loss often has a significant impact on a person’s quality of life.

Prevalence of Hearing Loss

According to the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), about 20% of Americans – 48 million people – report some degree of hearing loss. The statistics rise with age: approximately one-third of Americans age 65 and 50% of Americans age 75 and older experience hearing loss.

In the workforce, approximately 60% of workers experience hearing loss across a wide range of industries from academics to factory work. In children, two or three of every 1,000 have some degree of hearing loss, while approximately 30 school children per 1,000 have a hearing loss. Additionally, 60% of veterans returning from combat zones report cases of hearing loss and tinnitus.

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Signs of Hearing Loss

Because hearing loss is an invisible condition, we only see its effects. People who experience hearing loss may:

Ask people to repeat what they say
Have trouble hearing in groups
Think others mumble
Fail to hear someone talking from behind
Turn up the volume on TV and car radio
Have difficulty on the phone
Have trouble hearing the alarm clock, doorbell, or phone ring
Have difficulty hearing at the movies
Avoid noisy parties and restaurants
Withdraw from social situations
Feeling tired or irritable after a long conversation

Types & Causes of Hearing Loss

Conductive hearing loss occurs when outer or middle ear structures such as the eardrum or the three middle ear bones do not function correctly. Potential causes of conductive hearing loss include: conditions associated with middle ear problems, such as middle ear infections or otosclerosis; head injury that damages middle ear bones; or birth defects.

Conductive hearing loss may range from mild to moderately-severe in level. Other voices may seem softer, while your own voice may sound louder, as though you are listening with plugged ears. Conductive hearing loss is often treated with medical intervention, such as Pressure Equalization (PE) tubes for middle ear infections, or depending on the degree of hearing loss, conductive hearing loss may be treated with hearing aids.

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when structures located in the inner ear (cochlea, auditory nerve) do not function properly. Potential causes may include: hereditary/genetics, noise-induced hearing loss, head injury, certain ototoxic medications (which damage inner ear hair cells), illnesses (measles, mumps, meningitis, Meniere’s), the normal aging process, birth defects, or tumors in the auditory nerve pathway.

Sensorineural hearing loss may range from mild to profound in degree. With this form of hearing loss, sounds are not only softer, but may seem muffled or distorted, making it difficult to separate one sound from another – such as speech in a noisy setting. Sensorineural hearing loss may be treated with hearing aids, or for more profound degrees, with cochlear implants.

Mixed hearing loss is a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. The cause may be found in a combination of outer and/or middle and/or inner ear disorders, including damage to the cochlea and/or auditory nerve pathway. Mixed hearing loss may range from mild to profound degrees of hearing loss, and sounds may be both softer in volume and more difficult to understand. Mixed hearing loss may be treated with hearing aids.

Single-sided deafness (SSD) is sensorineural hearing loss in one ear, while the other ear hears normally. Potential causes may include sudden hearing loss, birth defect, tumors of the auditory nerve, head injury, or diseases. The degree of hearing loss in SSD may range from severe to profound in just one ear. SSD may cause difficulty understanding speech from the poorer hearing side, especially in a noisy room, and the impaired ability to tell the direction a sound is coming from. SSD is treated with CROS or Bi-CROS hearing aids.

Treating Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can have a huge impact on your mental and emotional wellbeing, especially its impact on your cognitive function. Even a mild hearing loss in adults can put you at greater risk for cognitive decline if not treated.

Hearing well allows us to be more socially active and connect with others. Individuals with untreated hearing loss tend to withdraw socially, isolating themselves from friends and family, which can lead to negative emotions. With proper treatment of hearing loss, you will be able to fully immerse in conversations and enjoy interacting with your loved ones.

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Call Dirigo Hearing Center at (207) 810-7256 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

413 Alfred Rd. Biddeford, ME 04005