Have you ever noticed a strange ringing sound in your ears either for a long period or for a short moment? Or have you heard sounds even after they are turned off? If your answer is a yes, you will want to pay proper attention to this post which will discuss some important aspects of hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). In general, there are different stages of hearing loss and ignoring early signs can cause more severe and devastating consequences. Tinnitus can be a symptom of hearing loss or a condition depending on how it is acquired. Tinnitus affects up to almost 50 million Americans. Tinnitus is most prevalent in people over the age of 50, but it has been frequently reported among youths as well.
The most common cause of hearing loss and tinnitus is excessive exposure to loud noise. We often ignore our ear-related problems after first noticing them due to a variety of factors. Ignoring early warning signs can eventually lead to hearing loss, tinnitus, and more serious ear disorders. Addressing the early warning signs are critical in maintaining your hearing health. AudioCardio is an evidence based mobile app that aims to strengthen your hearing ability by identifying damaged frequencies and stimulating them just below the audible level.
Let’s discuss some common types of hearing loss to help you get more familiar with them and their potential treatments.
Conductive Hearing Loss
Conductive hearing loss generally occurs in your outer or middle ear where a sound wave doesn’t properly transmit or travel to your inner ear. This can occur when sound waves get blocked either by earwax or by a foreign object located in your ear canal. You can also develop conductive hearing loss when the space in your middle ear develops fluid or infection or your ear drum may have been injured.
Children often develop this type of hearing loss due to recurring ear infections or due to a foreign object being stuck in the ear canal. However, bone-like protrusions may also be a cause for conductive hearing loss. You should immediately seek the help of a medical professional to get the right treatment for your particular condition. Here are some early signs and common symptoms of conductive hearing loss:
- Turning up the volume of the television or music to help you hear it better
- Normal volume is insufficient to communicate as you did once before
- Pain in one or both ears
- Sensation or pressure in one or both the ears
- Difficulty in understanding normal conversations over the phone
- Feeling your own voice to be louder or little different than before
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
This type of hearing loss can develop over time or can be sudden, within a few days. Diseases like Measles, Meningitis, and Mumps are a major cause for this ear disorder to occur. Any exposure to a sudden loud noise or an explosion can also be a valid cause to develop this disorder and hearing problems. You should consult an audiologist or other medical professional the moment you start noticing trouble in hearing and identifying sounds. Damage to your inner ear or auditory nerve can cause sensorineural hearing loss and needs immediate attention for a proper diagnosis and hearing treatment if there is a viable option. Remember, any delay in getting proper hearing treatment for sudden sensorineural hearing loss may reduce the chances of recovery by medications. Hence, you need to take immediate action to give yourself the best chance to recover from it.
Some common symptoms are:
- Difficulty hearing sounds in a noisy background
- Difficulty hearing children and women
- Trouble hearing high-pitched sounds
- Sounds and voices seem muffled
Mixed Hearing Loss
This type of hearing loss develops when an individual experiences both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. This means that there may very well be damage to the outer or middle ear and to the inner ear or nerve pathway that sound signals travel to reach the brain. These individuals may have already developed one type of hearing loss and then develop the other in addition. This results in mixed hearing loss.
The Tinnitus Effect
Tinnitus is a situation where you start hearing some hissing or ringing sounds which have no external source. You hear a subjective sound that no one else can hear. For instance, many people can think of a moment when they attended a loud concert or heard a sudden and loud sound. Oftentimes, they can hear a high-pitched ringing sound for quite a while after. It can be a hissing, whistling, chirping, buzzing, or a roaring sound that you hear. It can happen in one or both ears. Although it is not considered a severe disorder for most, not addressing it in a timely manner can become a cause for a variety of hearing problems.
Addressing your hearing loss and issues before you have to depend on costly hearing aids is important for your hearing and overall health. It is best to seek the help of a professional as soon as you start to notice any issue.
AudioCardio is designed to help you recognize familiar sounds through hearing exercises and aims to improve your hearing capacity. Learn more about AudioCardio at www.audiocardio.com.
