Hearing loss is a term for all conditions and diseases that cause disturbances in the hearing process. This condition can be caused by many things, starting from exposure to loud noises for a long time until disorders of the nervous system hearing.
The ear is an organ of hearing that plays an important role in transmitting and receiving sound or sound. The ear consists of 3 parts, namely the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear.
When there is interference in the parts of the ear, there will be interference in the hearing process. As a result, the sound can be heard indistinctly or not at all.
Causes of hearing loss
There are 3 types of hearing loss that can occur, namely conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, and mixed hearing loss. Here is the explanation:
conductive hearing loss
Conductive hearing loss occurs when the process of transmitting sound or sound is disturbed due to interference with the ear. Some conditions or diseases that can cause conductive hearing loss are:
- A buildup of fluid in the middle ear due to a cold or rhinitis
- Middle ear infection or otitis media
- External ear infection or otitis externa
- Disorders or damage to the eustachian tube, which is the tube that connects the ear to the nose and throat
- Torn eardrum or tympanic membrane perforation
- Tumors or abnormal tissue growths in the outer and middle ear, such as cholesteatoma
- Earwax that builds up and blocks the ear canal or cerumen prop
- The presence of a foreign object stuck in the ear canal, such as pebbles or beads
- Ear deformities or ear malformations, such as microtia, missing auricles, or abnormalities of the ossicles of hearing
- Diseases of the ossicles, such as otosclerosis
Sensorineural hearing loss
Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear and disruption of the nerve pathways between the inner ear and the brain. There are several conditions and diseases that can cause sensorineural hearing loss, including:
- Certain diseases, such as autoimmune diseases that attack the ear or Meniere's disease
- The use of drugs that can cause side effects on the ear, such as aminoglycoside antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, high-dose aspirin, and loop diuretic
- Certain genetic conditions that run in families
- Disorders of the formation of the inner ear
- The aging process is also known as presbycusis
- A blow or injury to the head
- Prolonged exposure to loud noises, such as working on a high-noise project
Mixed hearing loss
Mixed hearing loss occurs when conductive hearing loss is accompanied by sensorineural hearing loss. This condition can indicate damage to the outer, middle, and inner ear, or to the nerve pathways to the brain.
Hearing Loss Risk Factors
There are several factors that can increase the risk of hearing loss, namely:
- The aging process, which causes structural changes in the inner ear
- Genetic factors, some hearing loss can be inherited from parents
- Exposure to loud noises, such as sounds from explosions, airplanes, jet engines, construction or factories, music, tv shows, or firearms
- Experiencing an infectious disease during pregnancy, such as TORCH infection which increases the risk of congenital abnormalities including hearing loss in the newborn
- Suffering from certain diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart problems, stroke, tumors, and brain injury
Symptoms of Hearing Loss
The ear consists of 3 main parts, namely the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. Sound waves enter through the outer ear and cause vibrations in the eardrum.
The eardrum and 3 small bones in the middle ear then propagate the vibrations to the inner ear. Next, the vibrations enter the fluid in the cochlea (cochlea) which contains thin hairs.
The vibrations then attach to the thin hair nerves and are converted into electrical signals that are sent to the brain. Electrical signals are eventually converted by the brain into audible sounds.
When there is interference from the process of sending sound vibrations and receiving processed sound, hearing will be disturbed. Below are the symptoms that can arise due to hearing loss:
- Voices or words sound low
- Always turn the TV and music at a loud volume
- Ringing in the ears or tinnitus
- Difficulty hearing other people's words and mistaking what is meant, especially when in a crowd
- Difficulty hearing consonants and high-pitched sounds
- Need to concentrate hard to hear what people have to say
- Frequently asking others to repeat the conversation, speak more clearly, quietly, or loudly
- Often avoids social situations
The symptoms of hearing loss in infants and children are slightly different from those of adults. Some of the symptoms of hearing loss in infants and children are:
- Don't be surprised when you hear a loud sound
- Does not turn towards the sound source (for babies aged 4 months and over)
- Can't say a single word when he's around 15 months old
- Does not hear when his name is called and only realizes someone's presence when he sees
- Slow when learning to speak or not clear when speaking
- Often speak loudly or turn on the TV at a loud volume
- The child's answer does not match the question
- The child asks you to repeat a word or question
When to go to the doctor
Check with a doctor if you experience the above symptoms, especially when the hearing loss interferes with daily activities. Immediately see a doctor if suddenly can not hear anything.
Check with your doctor if you feel that your hearing ability is gradually decreasing, especially if you have suffered from ear infections, diabetes, hypertension, heart problems, strokes, and brain injuries, before.
Ideally, hearing tests should be done annually or at least every 10 years until you are 50 years old. After the age of 50 years, have a hearing check at least every 3 years.
Hearing Loss Diagnosis
The doctor will ask about the complaints suffered and the patient's medical history. Doctors also ask patients about the sounds that are often heard, and activities that they often do or have recently done before experiencing hearing loss.
Next, the doctor will perform an examination using an otoscope to examine the outer ear canal and see the eardrum. From that examination, the doctor will see if there is damage to the eardrum, blockage, inflammation, or infection in the ear canal.
In addition to these examinations, the doctor will ask the patient to undergo a hearing test in the form of:
- Tuning fork test, to check for hearing loss and detect the location of damage to the ear
- Speech audiometry test, to find out how soft or how small the words can be heard and understood
- Pure tone audiometry test, to find out the range of audible tones
- Tympanometry test, to measure pressure in the ear membrane and middle ear and detect any obstruction or abnormalities in the eardrum
Hearing Loss Treatment
The goal of treatment for hearing loss is to treat the underlying cause and prevent it from getting worse. If it's caused by a buildup of earwax, an outer ear infection, or a middle ear infection, hearing loss is generally treatable.
Meanwhile, in sensorineural hearing loss, especially due to the aging process, treatment aims to improve hearing function or help the patient to adapt and be able to communicate in other ways.
Treatment methods that can be used to treat hearing loss and help sufferers communicate include:
- Cleaning the buildup of wax in the ear by giving ear drops, ear irrigation, or the use of a special suction device
- Perform surgery to treat abnormalities in the eardrum and ear bones
- Changing drugs or adjusting the dose of drugs suspected of causing hearing loss
- Treating other diseases suspected of causing hearing loss
- Using hearing aids to help with sound transmission
- Installing a cochlear implant to stimulate the auditory nerve, especially for patients whose auditory nerves are normal but cannot be helped with hearing aids
- Installing a brainstem auditory implant to send electrical signals directly to the brain with special cables, intended for people with severe hearing loss
- Get a middle ear implant to multiply sound waves so they sound clearer and louder, especially for people whose ears don't fit the shape of a hearing aid
- Teach and train the use of sign language or lip reading, both by hearing impaired people and those around them so that they are able to communicate with each other
- Use assistive listening devices (ALDs) to help make the sound of someone's TV, music, or phone directly connected to the hearing aid they are using
Hearing Loss Complications
Hearing loss will interfere with the activities and productivity of sufferers. This condition can also increase the risk of depression and shame or low self-esteem. In addition, hearing loss caused by disturbances in the inner ear can also cause balance disorders.
Hearing Loss Prevention
To reduce the risk of hearing loss, you can do the following:
- Protect the ears from loud noises, by using earplugs, such as headphones or earphones,earplugs or small earplugs, and earmuff or earmuffs shaped likeheadphones
- Have a hearing test every year if possible, or at least have a hearing test every 10 years if you are under 50 years old, or every 3 years if you are over 50
- Listening to music or watching TV at a lower volume
- Dry ears after bathing or swimming
- Ask the doctor about the effect of the drugs used on hearing
- Follow the advice and treatment given by the doctor when you have an ear infection or suffer from other diseases
- Getting vaccinated and immunizing children with vaccines, such as the meningitis vaccine and the MR or MMR vaccine
- No smoking and fingering, cotton bud, or tissue into the ear
- Carry out routine pregnancy checks, so that the health of pregnant women and fetuses can be monitored