Hearing Loss Solutions for TX, FL, CA, CO, and GA Patients

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At Connect Hearing, we offer options and information for patients managing different types of hearing loss throughout TX, FL, CA, CO, and GA. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one out of every 10 people will have disabling hearing loss. While it can affect individuals at any age, it’s most common in adults over 75.

Connect Hearing Helps With Different Types of Hearing Loss

Hearing impairment is a broad category, and the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) defines the condition as anyone having a fluctuating or permanent impairment. However, IDEA’s definition does not include deafness, as it is considered a very severe case of impairment. So, how is hearing loss defined?

Common Terms Used to Describe Hearing Loss

Whether you’re speaking with a primary care doctor, an audiologist, a teacher, or a family member, each may choose different terms when discussing hearing loss. The National Association of the Deaf agrees there are several ways to discuss hearing loss and deafness, such as:

Deaf – Usually used for people who were born with the condition. An uppercase D is used to refer to a community of deaf individuals, as opposed to “deaf” as a condition.
Deafened – Individuals who aren’t born deaf but are deafened as adults are in this category.

Hard of Hearing – This is the most common category and covers a large amount of the population who have lost hearing for various reasons.
Without Hearing –Another term used to reference deafness.

Coping With Hearing Loss

Whether a person’s condition is mild or severe, it can have a significant impact on their quality of life as it affects their ability to communicate and interact with the world. This makes hearing loss treatment an essential service that also provides emotional and mental health benefits.

The challenges of this condition not only affect the individual but it impacts family members as well. A critical part of coping with hearing loss is to foster an environment of understanding and support where everyone feels open to discuss struggles and ways to adapt to daily routines to accommodate people who are hard of hearing.

Woman in Florida learns to cope with Hearing Loss

Common Symptoms of Hearing Loss

Most people experiencing problems hearing will display common signs, which include:

Frequently asking people to speak louder or repeat themselves
Ability to hear in one ear better than another
Difficulty understanding conversation in noisy rooms
Continually turning up the volume on the TV or radio
Being easily bothered by background noise
Ringing in the ears

Hearing Loss Categories

At a high level, there are three types of hearing loss.

Conductive hearing loss is caused by blockages or inflammation of the outer or middle ear, though it may occasionally be congenital. Typically, however, conductive hearing loss is temporary.
Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type of hearing impairment. It most frequently results from damage to the organs of the inner ear or the auditory nerve. Sensorineural hearing loss is generally irreversible.
Mixed hearing loss refers to any combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.

Hearing loss may also be symmetrical or asymmetrical, unilateral or bilateral, and progressive or sudden.

What Causes Hearing Loss?

With hearing loss impacting so many individuals worldwide, you can imagine there are several causes. Common reasons include damage to the inner ear, a buildup of earwax, an infection or tumor in the ear, or a ruptured eardrum. Even in these categories, the circumstances can differ. Certain parts of the population are exposed to greater risk factors for hearing loss, including:

Aging

As people age, it’s natural for the inner ear to break down over time.

Loud Noise

From a short blast of loud noise to constant exposure over a long period, this can damage the cells of the inner ear.

Genetics

Family history plays a role in how likely a person is to suffer hearing loss as they age.

Work Conditions

Constant loud noise in specific industries such as construction, farming, or factory work can lead to hearing loss.

Medications

Some that damage the inner ear for long-term hearing loss include gentamicin, sildenafil, and some cancer treatments. High doses of pain relievers, antimalarial drugs, and loop diuretics can cause short-term loss.

Hearing Loss Treatment Options

Individuals and their families have different options to explore to help manage their condition. Whether it’s a hearing aid device or a surgical procedure, a hearing loss doctor can help find the best option based on the type of condition a person faces.

Conductive Hearing Loss – In this type, something keeps sound from passing through the outer ear to the middle ear. If it’s an ear infection, antibiotics can be used. Surgery is an option to repair ruptured eardrums or remove tumors or earwax buildup.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss – This is caused by damage to the inner ear over time and is a gradual process. Individuals with this type of loss are candidates for hearing aids or cochlear implants.
Mixed – Some individuals are affected by both types and have issues with the inner and outer ears. The treatment option varies based on the person's specific issues within each area.

Can Hearing Loss Be Prevented?

Hearing loss due to age is hard to prevent, as deterioration of the inner ear is a natural progression. Other causes of hearing loss, such as exposure to loud noise at work or during recreational activities, can be managed. If avoiding these conditions isn’t possible, there are steps to help manage noise and other ways to protect your hearing.

Using hearing protection such as earplugs or noise-canceling headphones
Keeping the volume of music from speakers or headphones low
Avoiding sticking objects, such as cotton swabs, into the ear

Getting regular exercise to avoid hearing problems from diseases like diabetes
Managing chronic illness
Quitting smoking

Hearing Loss Statistics

48 million people in the U.S. live with hearing loss–almost one in every five people
Around 1.1 billion people worldwide are affected by hearing loss, which is approximately 16 percent of the world’s population. By 2030, this number might rise to 2.5 billion
Only 2 or 3 in every 1,000 newborn babies is affected by significant hearing loss
One in three people over 60 years of age is affected by hearing loss
A third of all those with hearing loss are of retirement age
65 percent of people with hearing loss have mild hearing loss, 30 percent have moderate hearing loss, and only 5 percent have serious or profound hearing loss
Only one in five people who would benefit from a hearing aid uses one
On average, people with hearing loss wait a full 10 years until they do something about it

Source: World Health Organization

Take the Right Steps to Manage Hearing Loss

If left unaddressed, hearing loss will negatively affect a person's life. Connect Hearing is a nationwide network of professionals offering free hearing loss evaluations and consultations for patients in TX, FL, CA, CO, and GA. Our goal is to ensure people have the right tools to lessen the effect this common condition can cause, such as feelings of social isolation and an inability to communicate. Contact us to find a hearing aid center near you.

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