are you losing your hearing ?

Did you know that approximately 28 million people in the United States have hearing loss? It is one of the most common medical conditions, yet it is one of the least understood as well.

Hearing loss is virtually invisible yet it can interfere with one of our most human qualities -- the ability to communicate with others. Research has shown that hearing loss can affect our relationships, school and job performance, and our emotional well-being.

Our ears are very delicate instruments that can be damaged in a number of ways. The ear contains many tiny mechanisms and the damage or disruption to any part of the ear can cause hearing problems.

Conductive: A conductive hearing loss is a condition of the outer and/or middle ear system where sounds cannot be "conducted" or passed through the ear canal, middle ear to the nerve cells of the inner ear. A conductive hearing loss may be temporary or permanent. Examples of conductive hearing loss are significant ear wax build-up, middle ear infection, a perforated ear drum, damaged or disarticulated ossicles (middle ear bones).

Sensorineural: A sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss for most Americans. It occurs where there is permanent damage to the cochlea (organ of hearing) or to the auditory (hearing) nerve, both of which are in the inner ear. A sensorineural hearing loss is permanent and cannot be medically treated. It is typically caused by aging where over time, part of the ear's delicate mechanism may simply begin to wear out. Other factors that contribute to a sensorineural hearing loss include excessive noise exposure, an accident or illness, congenital (present at birth) factors, hereditary factors, diseases or by some medications.

Mixed: A mixed hearing loss includes both conductive and sensorineaural components that causes hearing loss.

Signs and symptoms of hearing loss can vary. If you or someone you know is experiencing one or more of the following signs or symptoms, it is highly recommended to have a hearing evaluation done by a Doctor of Audiology:

• Frequently complain that people mumble, speech is not clear or hearing only parts of conversations.

• Have to strain to hear when someone talks or whispers.

• Often ask others to repeat what they said.

• Have to turn up the volume on the TV or radio that bothers others.

• Family and/or friends are telling you to get your hearing checked. (They are really telling you to do something about your obvious hearing problem).

• Find it heard to hear in noisy environments like a restaurant, social event, shopping mall or in the car.

• Tend to limit social activities due to difficulty hearing others.

• Often miss the punch line of jokes and nodding your head as if you heard the punch line when you really didn't.

• Experience a sudden drop in hearing in one or both ears.

Hearing loss in children, especially infants, can be difficult to detect by parents. If you notice inappropriate reactions to sound, delay in speech and language development, frequent ear infections or behavior changes, there may be a hearing problem. A comprehensive hearing assessment can be completed for any age.

The most important thing you can do if you think you have a hearing problem is to schedule an examination with an audiologist, who can tell you if there really is a problem and what can be done to treat it. You shouldn't just live with the hearing loss. Nearly 95 percent of people with hearing loss can be helped with hearing aids.

About the author: Dr. Terri Lightbody is an audiologist at Hearing Specialists of DuPage. Her practice specializes in hearing evaluations for children and adults, advanced digital hearing aids and service, custom ear plugs for noise protections and swimming and tinnitus evaluations. She is located at Town Square Wheaton Center and her professional staff can assist you with your hearing needs. Her office phone is 630-580-5777.