In an ear with proper hearing, sound vibrations are funneled by the outer ear into the ear canal where they hit the ear drum. These vibrations cause movement of the ear drum that transfers to the three small bones of the middle ear, the malleus (hammer), incus (anvil), and stapes (stirrup). When the stapes bone moves, it sets the inner ear fluids in motion, which, in turn, start the process to stimulate the auditory (hearing) nerve. The hearing nerve then carries sound energy to the brain, resulting in hearing of sound. When any part of this process is compromised, hearing is impaired.
Hearing Damage
Good hearing depends on a series of events that change sound waves into electrical signals that travel through our cells and nerves to our brains. When the hair cells (cilia) or auditory nerves that make this happen are damaged, your hearing is affected. Most people think of hearing loss (deafness) when the ear is damaged, but you can have other symptoms, too. You may hear a ringing or roaring sound. Most cases of hearing damage in those over 65 are caused by aging and heredity, but doctors are increasingly concerned about hearing damage in young patients, such as those who are exposed to loud on-the-job noises or recreational noise). It's important to understand the causes of hearing loss and what you can do to prevent it.
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Dr. Darius Kohan, MD , Ear, Nose & Throat (Otolaryngology), answered on behalf of Castle Connolly Top DoctorsSee All 3 Answers -
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Frankfort Regional Medical Center answeredBefore signing a contract for a hearing aid, always look at the fine print to know what you’re paying for.
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American Diabetes Association answeredHearing aids are getting smaller and smaller. It is unlikely anyone will notice when you are wearing them. The truth is, people are more likely to notice your hearing loss. People who don't treat their hearing problems can become depressed and try to avoid their friends. On the other hand, studies show that people who wear hearing aids often have a better quality of life.
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Frankfort Regional Medical Center answered
Hearing loss is genetic and can be presented in early childhood or even in late adulthood.
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Occupational hearing loss occurs as a result of workers' exposure to loud noise. Noise levels over 85 decibels can be hazardous to hearing. If you have to raise your voice to speak to someone an arm’s length away, the noise levels may be loud enough to damage your hearing.
Your level of risk is influenced by several factors:
- Noise level: as noise level increases, the risk also increases
- Duration of exposure: the longer the noise lasts, the more hazardous it becomes
- Impulsiveness: noises that have very abrupt starts and stops (such as hammering, gunfire or fireworks) are more dangerous than constant noise of the same overall level
- Intermittency: periods of relative quiet between exposures allow the ear to "rest" and reduce the risk
Ototoxic chemicals can also affect hearing. Workplace chemicals that pose a threat to hearing include:
- Organic solvents such as toluene, styrene, xylene, ethylbenzene and trichloroethylene
- Heavy metals such as mercury, lead and trimethyltin
- Asphyxiants such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide
- Endocrine disrupters such as Aroclor 1254 and Acrylonitrile
All workers are not equally vulnerable to occupational hearing loss. Certain biological factors such as gender, age, race/ethnicity, genetics and health issues can influence a worker's susceptibility to the effects of noise.
The ear does not experience pain in the same way the rest of the body does. If your ears feel stuffy or full, your ears are telling you that you have potentially harmed them. Ringing or roaring in your ears indicate a serious noise exposure, which if continued could lead to permanent damage and hearing loss.
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Sigma Nursing answeredSee All 3 AnswersNoise-induced hearing loss is a preventable type of hearing loss. It occurs when either a sudden, loud noise or long-term exposure to noise damages the inner ear. The damage associated with noise-induced hearing loss is usually permanent.
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The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends preventing hazardous noise exposure through controls for noise exposure and encourages employers to create Buy Quiet programs as a first step. In these programs, companies are encouraged to purchase or rent quieter machinery and tools to reduce worker noise exposure.
Although removal or control of hazardous noise from the workplace is the best solution, use hearing protectors in situations where dangerous noise exposures have not yet been eliminated. NIOSH has developed several tools that provide valuable information about hearing protection devices:
- Hearing Protector Device Compendium is a comprehensive searchable database of hearing protection devices. This web tool was created to help workers and safety professionals select the most appropriate product for their unique environment. The tool identifies hearing protector devices by type, manufacturer and noise exposure level.
- NIOSH HPD Well-Fit™ can quickly and inexpensively test the performance of hearing protection. This fit-testing technology is a significant advancement in efforts to preserve workers' hearing. HPD Well-Fit utilizes technology that is built into just about every computer sold today, requires only four to seven minutes to measure HPD performance and can be used with any earplug.
In order to minimize occupational risks and reduce work-related hearing loss, companies and organizations should implement Hearing Loss Prevention programs. Critical components to any Hearing Loss Prevention Program include:
- Noise exposure monitoring
- Engineering and administrative controls
- Audiometric evaluation
- Hearing protection devices
- Education and motivation
- Record keeping
- Program evaluation
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Noise levels higher than 85 decibels can be hazardous to hearing and lead to noise-induced hearing loss.
To get a rough estimate of noise levels, you can use a smartphone sound level meter app. To learn more about sound measurement apps, read the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Science Blog. If any of these quick screening methods indicate that noise levels may be hazardous in a workplace, companies should conduct a complete noise survey.
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Hearing loss can happen any time during life, from before birth to adulthood.
The following are some of the things that can increase the chance that a child will have hearing loss:
- There is a family history of childhood hearing loss, and 50 to 60 percent of hearing loss in babies is due to genetic causes. So some babies with hearing loss might have family members who also have a hearing loss. About 30 percent of babies with genetic hearing loss have a “syndrome.” This means they have other conditions in addition to the hearing loss, such as Down syndrome or Usher syndrome.
- 25% or more of hearing loss in babies is due to maternal infections during pregnancy, complications after birth, and head trauma. For example, the child:
- Was exposed to infection, such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, before birth
- Spent 5 days or more in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or had complications while in the NICU
- Needed a special procedure like a blood transfusion to treat bad jaundice
- Has head, face or ears shaped or formed in a different way than usual
- Has a condition like a neurological disorder that may be associated with hearing loss
- Had an infection around the brain and spinal cord called meningitis
- Received a bad injury to the head that required a hospital stay
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Challenge America answeredSee All 2 AnswersIf you are diagnosed with hearing loss, a hearing aid might help you to be an active participant in life. Hearing aids can help those with mild to severe hearing loss. While a hearing aid cannot fill in the gap for the hearing loss, it can help magnify what you can hear and improve your quality of life.
With a hearing aid, you are in control. You can change the volume and turn it off and on as you please. The style of today’s hearing aid blends in on most people, whether it is in the ear (ITE), in the canal (ITC), behind the ear (BTE) or part of your eyewear.
The in-the-canal (ITC) hearing aid fits the size and shape of your ear, so it is virtually hidden. A modified version of this is a completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aid. The in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid fits directly into the outer ear. Typically, the behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid is inside of a small curved case that fits behind your ear. Because BTE hearing aids are more powerful, they may be better for people with severe hearing loss.