Deafness
The human sense organs prove to be extremely valuable in everyday life. For this reason it is particularly tragic when a sensory organ no longer functions properly. This fact becomes particularly clear with the example of hearing loss .
What is hearing loss?
In modern medicine, one speaks of hearing loss if one’s own hearing is severely restricted. Hearing loss usually appears as an acute symptom. To date, however, impaired hearing is not regarded as an independent disease. Thus, hearing loss always appears as a result of an independent underlying disease. If left untreated, hearing loss can become chronic. Hearing loss can occur in both newborns and the elderly.
causes
Irrespective of how it progresses, hearing loss can have fundamentally different causes. Hearing loss can be based, among other things, on an increased formation of earwax. If the ears are cleaned incorrectly, the liquid secretion is pushed particularly deep into the ear canals in most cases.It is not uncommon for hearing loss to be caused by a foreign body in the ear canals. As a result, the cotton swabs used to clean the ears should be used with extreme caution. If a cotton swab gets too deep into the ear canals, the affected person’s eardrum can rupture.
Inflammation in the area of the ear canals ( ear infection ) is considered by leading physicians to be one of the most common causes of hearing loss. It is not uncommon for tumors in the area of the auditory canals to be responsible for the occurrence of hearing loss.
A particularly high level of stress can also lead to hearing loss. Since hearing loss can lead to a total loss of hearing if left untreated, a particularly high level of attention is paid to diagnostics.
Diseases
When to the doctor?
If you have a hearing loss, you should always see a doctor. The hearing loss can severely reduce the quality of life of the affected person and must therefore be treated. If the hearing loss is an age-related cause, no real treatment can be carried out because the hearing loss is a non-reversible symptom. It is therefore not possible to treat the auditory canal in the case of hearing loss in such a way that the patient can hear completely normally again.
However, it is possible to support hearing through a hearing aid. This means that the patient can again hear noises, voices and tones at their usual volume despite the hearing loss and does not have to turn the television or telephone very loud. If a doctor is not consulted, the auditory canal will usually deteriorate as the patient increases the volume of the devices. This symptom can be counteracted with a hearing aid.
Hearing loss occurs primarily in older people and is a common problem of old age. Young people should seek immediate medical attention if they experience any signs of hearing loss, as this symptom should not appear at a young age. There may be other causes of hearing loss that a doctor can treat effectively, such as a foreign object or fluid in the ear .
diagnosis and course
A hearing loss can only be diagnosed by an ear, nose and throat doctor. In order to reliably determine the extent of a hearing loss, various tests must be carried out. Prior to these tests, however, the affected patients are always subjected to an extensive survey. As part of the survey, among other things, the symptoms are explained in more detail.
A physical examination is usually carried out after the interview. If, for example, a tear in the eardrum can be seen as a possible cause of the hearing loss, an otoscope must be carried out. When there is a first suspicion of a serious metabolic disease , a blood count is always considered. A suitably trained ear, nose and throat doctor should be consulted at the first sign of hearing loss.
A particularly high level of caution is required, especially with small children. If hearing loss in children is not treated reliably, it can lead to serious problems with their own speech. However, a targeted treatment of the hearing loss can only be tackled after a meaningful diagnosis has been made.
complications
As a rule, hearing loss does not represent a health-endangering condition for the patient and therefore does not lead to a reduced life expectancy. However, the hearing loss has a very negative effect on the quality of life and can significantly reduce it. Normal everyday life or going to a place of work is not easily possible for the person concerned. There may also be limitations in the social sphere, which can lead to depression and other mental disorders.
Direct treatment of the hearing loss is not possible and is not carried out. So there are no complications here. A hearing aid can limit the hearing loss and make it easier for the patient to hear. If a hearing aid is not used, the eardrum will usually be further damaged if the sufferer always hears sounds at a high volume. In the worst case, this can lead to complete hearing loss. Hearing loss is irreversible and in most cases will not go away on its own, so the patient has to spend their entire life with the symptom.
treatment and therapy
With regard to the selection of a suitable therapy, the causes of hearing loss play a role that cannot be neglected. In modern medicine, both surgical and drug treatment methods are available. If the hearing loss can no longer be treated, the creation of a suitable hearing aid must be considered.
With regard to the creation of a hearing aid, a suitably trained hearing aid acoustician is regarded by leading medical experts as a suitable contact person. Since hearing loss is not always based on an underlying physical disease, the existing symptoms can often only be treated within the framework of psychotherapy. This is the only way to reliably treat the responsible underlying diseases. A hearing impairment is a noticeable burden on the human body. For this reason, hearing loss should be prevented as effectively as possible.
prevention
As a rule, hearing loss can only be partially prevented. As soon as the first signs of hearing loss appear, an ear, nose and throat specialist should be consulted as quickly as possible. Since hearing loss that occurs suddenly is always considered an emergency, the causes must be determined as part of a comprehensive diagnosis.As part of prevention, the ears should come into contact with dangerous noise sources as little as possible. According to the regulations of the legislator, for example, an employee must wear hearing protection at his workplace if the noise level exceeds a value of 85 decibels.
Hearing protection should also be worn in the private sphere if a noise source poses a potential risk. For example, discotheques are not subject to any legal provisions with regard to noise protection. Hearing loss can also be prevented by giving your own ears a rest as often as possible.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.