Hearing Loss & Ear Care.

To better understand hearing loss, first it’s important to know how the ear works and then how to take better care of your own.

How the Ear Works:

The ear is divided in three parts: outer, middle and inner ear.
The outer ear (pinna) collects and sends the sound through the ear canal to the eardrum, that vibrates according to the sound waves received.
The middle ear comprises the eardrum (tympanic membrane) and three small bones: hammer, anvil, and stirrup. These ossicles vibrate together with the eardrum, amplifying the sound and relaying it to the inner ear.
​Finally, the inner ear (also called cochlea) contains a fluid that receives the vibrations from the ossicles and therefore moves its hair cells. These hair cells, therefore, send electrical impulses to the auditory nerve that transmit them to the brain, which can interpret them as sounds.

What is Hearing Loss:

Hearing loss is a health problem that affects millions of people worldwide and may be caused by several causes: genetics, noise exposure, ageing, diseases and traumas. 
A hearing impaired person is someone with some degree of diminished sensitivity to sound. On the other hand, a deaf person is someone that can’t understand speech even in the presence of amplification.

Types of Hearing Loss:

Conductive Hearing Loss:
​Conductive hearing loss is any type of problem or injury in the outer or middle ears, preventing the sound waves to reach out the inner ear. The conductive hearing losses are usually mild or moderate and can also be temporary in many cases.
​Conductive hearing losses are not necessarily permanent, they can be reversible by using medicines, surgeries and hearing aids.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss:
Sensorineural hearing loss is a problem or injury in the inner ear or in the auditory nerve. They can be classified as mild, moderate, severe or profound. The sensorineural hearing loss is permanent but hearing aids can most times help a lot. This type of hearing loss is also known as cochlear and retrocochlear.

Mixed Hearing Loss:
Mixed hearing loss is a combination of the conductive and sensorineural hearing losses. Mixed hearing losses can be treated by surgery or with a hearing aid.

Warning signs of Hearing Loss:

​If you experience these signs repeatedly or in combination, they may indicate a hearing loss:

• People seem to mumble more frequently.
• You have difficulty understanding speech in noise – like in a restaurant.
• You experience ringing in your ears – called tinnitus.
• You often ask people to repeat themselves.
• Your family complains that you set the radio or TV too loud.
• You no longer hear normal household sounds, such as the dripping of a tap, the ringing of a doorbell or the ‘beep’ of a microwave oven.
• You have difficulty understanding a conversation when in a large group or crowd.
• You can hear the other person speaking during a conversation, but have trouble understanding all the words.
• You find telephone conversations increasingly difficult.
• You have trouble hearing when your back is turned to the speaker.
• You have been told you speak too loudly or in some cases too softly.

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