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Causes -

Some of the most delicate bones in the body are located in the inner ear. And damage to the eardrum or middle ear can cause hearing loss and deafness in a range of ways. Some diseases that can cause deafness include chicken pox, Lyme disease, diabetes, and arthritis.

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Hearing loss vs. deafness -

Hearing loss and deafness aren't the same, and it's important to distinguish between their different levels.

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Mild deafness or mild hearing impairment -

Mild deafness is a reduced ability to hear sounds in the same way as other people.

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Mild deafness or mild hearing impairment -

The person can only detect sounds between 25 and 29 decibels (dB). They may find it hard to understand what other people are saying, especially if there's a lot of background noise.

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Moderate deafness or moderate hearing impairment -

Moderate deafness happens when a person can't understand speech through hearing, even when sound is amplified.

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Moderate deafness or moderate hearing impairment -

The person can only detect sounds between 40 and 69 dB. Following a conversation is very difficult without using a hearing aid.

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Severe deafness -

The individual only hears sounds above 70 to 89 dB. A severely deaf person must either lip-read or use sign language in order to communicate.

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Profound deafness -

Anybody who can't hear a sound below 90dB has profound deafness. Communication is carried out using sign language, lip-reading, or reading and writing.

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How it's categorized -

The severity of hearing impairment is categorized by how much louder volumes need to be set at before the individual can detect a sound.

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Different definitions -

Some define severe and profound deafness the same ways. Others say that a diagnosis of profound deafness is the end of the hearing spectrum.

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How does hearing work? -

Sound waves enter the ear, move down the auditory canal, and hit the eardrum, which vibrates. These vibrations pass to three bones known as the ossicles in the middle ear.

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The vibrations -

These ossicles amplify the vibrations, which are then picked up by small hair-like cells in the cochlea.

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The brain interpreting sound -

These small hair-like cells move as the vibrations hit them, and the movement data is sent through the auditory nerve to the brain. The brain processes the data, which a person with working hearing will interpret as sound.

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Types of hearing loss -

Now, hearing loss isn't all the same. There are actually three different types of hearing loss.

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Conductive hearing loss -

Conductive hearing loss means that the vibrations aren't passing through from the outer ear to the inner ear, specifically the cochlea. This can result for a number of reasons, such as an excessive buildup of earwax or an ear infection with inflammation and fluid buildup. 

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Sensorineural hearing loss -

This kind of hearing loss is normally due to damaged hair cells in the cochlea. As humans age, hair cells lose some of their function, and hearing deteriorates.

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Mixed hearing loss -

This is a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. Long-term ear infections can damage both the eardrum and the ossicles.

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Deafness and speech -

Hearing loss can affect speech ability depending on when it occurs.

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Prelingual deafness -

Prelingual deafness is when a child is either born deaf or who lost their hearing early in childhood, before acquiring language.

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Post-lingual deafness -

Most people with hearing loss have post-lingual deafness. This means they acquired spoken language before their hearing was diminished.

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Unilateral and bilateral deafness -

Then there's also unilateral and bilateral deafness. Unilateral deafness refers to hearing impairment in just one ear, while bilateral deafness is hearing impairment in both.

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Symptoms -

The symptoms of hearing impairment depend on its cause. For people developing post-lingual deafness, symptoms progress gradually over time. Some conditions may have hearing loss as a symptom, such as tinnitus or stroke.

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Treatment -

Help is available for people with all types of hearing loss. However, sensorineural hearing loss is incurable. When the hair cells in the cochlea are damaged, they can't be repaired.

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Hearing aids -

Available in different shapes and sizes, hearing aids are wearable devices that assist hearing. However, they're not suitable for someone with profound deafness.

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Lip-reading -

Some people with hearing impairment may have speech problems, and lip-reading can help them with communication. But this isn't the case for those who are born hearing-impaired.

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Sign language -

Mainly used by those who are deaf, sign language uses signs made with the hands, facial expressions, and body postures. Completely different from the spoken form, there are several types of sign languages around the world.

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Prevention -

There's no way to prevent hearing problems that occur from birth, or hearing impairments due to illnesses or accidents. But there are some measures that can reduce the risk of losing some of your sense of hearing.

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Headphones -

Instead of turning the volume up, focus on isolating the sounds you want to hear and blocking out as much environmental sound as possible.

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TV, radio, music players, and toys -

Don't set the volume too high on your TV or stereo. And when it comes to noisy toys, those can also put children’s hearing at risk.

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Loud environments -

If you're in a loud environment, whether it's for work or leisure, wear earplugs or earmuffs.

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Cotton swabs -

When it comes to cotton swabs, don't shove them into adult or infant ears. Cotton swabs tend to push in and impact wax, which can lead to hearing loss, pain, and potential infection.

Sources: (World Health Organization) (NHS) (Medical News Today) 

See also: Interesting facts about sign language

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