What is hearing loss?
A hearing loss is more than the inability to hear loudly enough. People with a hearing loss experience problems in hearing and localising a sound source. They may also have a discrimination loss – that is, difficulty discriminating words from each other, even if they are fairly loud. They can hear the words, but fail to understand the spoken message.
The signs and symptoms of hearing loss my include:
- Speech and other sounds may sound muffled
- Difficulty understanding words or conversations, especially in the presence of background noise or in a crowd
- Frequently asking others to repeat themselves, asking them to speak slowly, clearly and loudly
- Turning up the volume of the television
- Relying on the speaker of your telephone
- Withdrawing from conversations
- Avoiding social situations and noisy environments
The most common type of hearing loss is the natural deterioration of hearing with age. However, in our continuously developing digital era, frequent exposure to loud noises and music can be detrimental to hearing, regardless of age. In addition, hearing loss can occur:
- as a result of infection during gestation
- through infection
- after a head injury
- as a result of untreated diabetes
- after a head injury
- as a result of untreated hypertension
- as a result of some cancer treatments
- or as a result of taking certain medications