Hearing Loss

Hearing Loss treatment in Charleston, SC

What is Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions people experience as they age. In fact, over 48 million Americans of all ages experience one form of hearing loss, including 1 in 6 baby boomers.

While hearing loss can be caused by trauma, it can also take shape over time, which can make it difficult to notice. If left untreated, hearing loss can greatly impact your cognitive functioning and memory.

Causes

What are the Causes of Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss can have a number of different causes. You may experience hearing loss from one cause individually or from a combination of multiple causes. Causes of hearing loss include:

Congenital Defects

Birth defects or congenital conditions are the leading causes of hearing loss in infants and children. While some issues are apparent from birth, others might not manifest until later in life.

Physical Obstruction

Hearing depends on the unobstructed passage of air vibrations through the outer ear, middle ear, and ear canal. Any blockage in this pathway can impair hearing. Typically, removing the obstruction can
restore hearing.

Infection

Ears are susceptible to primary and secondary infections. Severe or chronic ear infections can damage hearing, sometimes leading to hearing loss.

Noise Damage

Exposure to loud noises, particularly sounds above 85 dB, is a prevalent cause of chronic hearing loss. Prolonged exposure can lead to a gradual and irreversible decline in hearing ability.

Age

Aging can be a primary cause of hearing loss. However, distinguishing between age-related hearing loss and noise-induced hearing loss is often challenging, as they can present similarly.

Trauma

Various traumas can result in hearing loss, including direct injury to the ears or traumatic brain injury (TBI). Such traumas can cause both short-term and long-term hearing impairments.

What are the Types of Hearing Loss?

There are four types of hearing loss, conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, central hearing loss, and mixed hearing loss. Conductive, sensorineural, and central hearing loss are separate
conditions, whereas mixed hearing loss is a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.

Conductive Hearing Loss

This type of hearing loss occurs when there is an obstruction in the hearing pathway, such as an infection, a non-cancerous growth, or even compacted earwax. These obstructions prevent sound waves from traveling through the ear canal, leading to hearing loss.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Hearing relies on tiny hair cells in the ears called stereocilia, which vibrate in response to sound waves and send this information to the brain. The brain then interprets these vibrations as sounds. When stereocilia are damaged, usually due to noise, they cannot repair or regenerate, resulting in permanent hearing loss.

Mixed Hearing Loss

Mixed hearing loss is when people have a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.

Central Hearing Loss

Central hearing loss is also referred to as Central Auditory Processing Disorder. This occurs when the Central Nervous System does not send a signal or sends a signal that is unreadable to the brain. This causes people to hear sounds, but doesn’t allow them to process them.

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Treatment

How is Hearing Loss Treated?

Treatments for hearing loss will depend on the cause and severity of your condition. If you are suffering from something as simple as an infection or earwax blockage, medications or in office treatment may take care of your hearing loss. In other cases, external devices or surgery may be needed. Most people who need hearing aids will require over-the-counter or prescription hearing aids while others with more severe hearing loss may benefit from cochlear implants.

Antibiotics

If your hearing loss is caused by an infection, our specialists may prescribe antibiotics as a treatment. These will be taken as prescribed until the infection has cleared.

Myringotomy

Myringotomy is most commonly associated with the placement of ear tubes. This is a procedure where one of our doctors will pierce the eardrum to allow fluids to be released.

Surgery

Surgery may be needed to remove obstructions like a cyst or a non-cancerous growth.

Hearing Aids

Hearing aids are the most common treatment for hearing loss.

Over-the-counter hearing aids that are worn on the outside or inside the ear can be purchased at most
drug stores or pharmacies. These hearing aids are intended for people with mild hearing loss.

Prescription hearing aids require a visit to an audiologist or hearing instrument specialist. A CSC audiologist or hearing instrument specialist will fine-tune your hearing aid to match your hearing deficiencies. Prescription hearing aids are used when people have moderate to severe hearing loss, but they also work very well for mild hearing loss.

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