Deafness
Hearing loss that occurs gradually bye age (presbycusis) is common. Aging and chronic exposure to loud noises are significant factors that contribute to hearing loss. Other factors, such as excessive earwax, can temporarily prevent your ears from conducting sounds as well as they should.
Symptoms:
- Muffling of speech and other sounds
- Difficulty understanding words and trouble hearing consonants
- Needing to turn up the volume of the television or radio
- Withdrawal from conversations
- Avoidance of some social settings
Causes: Damage to the inner ear, a buildup of earwax, infections and a ruptured eardrum.
Risk factors:
- Aging
- Loud noise
- Heredity
- Occupational noises as construction or factory work, farming.
- Recreational noises-Exposure to explosive noises, such as from firearms and jet engines, snowmobiling, motorcycling or listening to loud music.
- Some medications-Drugs, such as the antibiotic gentamicin and certain chemotherapy drugs, high doses of aspirin, other pain relievers, antimalarial drugs or loop diuretics.
- Some illnesses- Diseases or illnesses that result in high fever, such as meningitis, may damage the cochlea
Complications:
Diagnosis:
- Physical exam: earwax or inflammation from an infection.
- General screening tests: Doctor may ask to cover one ear at a time to see how well the patient hear words spoken at various volumes and how he respond to other sounds.
- Tuning fork tests
- Audiometer tests
Treatment:
- Removing wax blockage: The doctor may remove earwax by loosening it with oil and then flushing, scooping or suctioning out the softened wax.
- In traumatic ear injury or repeated infections patient Surgery is necessary, that require the insertion of small tubes that help the ears drain.
- Hearing aids: If hearing loss is due to damage of inner ear, a hearing aid can help by making sounds stronger and easier to hear. An audiologist can discuss the potential benefits of using a hearing aid, recommend a device and fit you with it.
- Cochlear implants: If the patient have severe hearing loss, a cochlear implant may be an option for him.
Prevention:
- Protect ears in the workplace by wearing specially designed earmuffs that resemble earphones can protect the ears by bringing most loud sounds down to an acceptable level.
- Turning down the volume when listening to music can helps to avoid damage of hearing.
- Foam, pre-formed or custom-molded earplugs made of plastic or rubber also can help protect ears from damaging noise.
- Avoid some activities, such as hunting or listening to rock concerts for long periods of time, riding a snowmobile can damage hearing.
