Demystifying Hearing Loss: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Our day-to-day life is filled with noise – from the hum of regular traffic to the buzz of our electronics, it’s crucial to understand how these sounds can impact your hearing health. And even with the proper protection in place, age-related hearing loss is a common issue that older adults are combatting. However, even with these factors, it doesn’t mean you should give up on preserving your current hearing health. The more you look after and protect your hearing, the fewer challenges you’ll deal with down the road.

But being afraid of hearing loss isn’t something we should encourage. It’s something we can address and deal with, and has become incredibly common in modern society. That’s why it’s important to demystify hearing loss. Knowing what really causes it, the symptoms to be aware of and how it can be prevented and treated is an important step in maintaining hearing health. Here’s what you need to know to ensure your hearing health is protected at home, work and wherever else you need to go.

Common Causes of Hearing Loss

The causes of hearing loss can vary. During your life, you’re likely to run into many causes that could have an impact on your current level of hearing. Age is one of the most common causes attributed to hearing loss, as it’s something we all have to go through. The second most common factor is exposure to loud noise at work. However, other causes can include:

Genetics

Birth trauma

Ear infection

Bacterial infection

Chronic conditions

Drinking

Smoking

Earwax issues

Genetic causes of hearing loss are wide and often unexplained. A person’s quality of hearing can be affected by their DNA, even if this issue is not present from birth. Over the course of their lifetime, an environmental trigger of a genetic disorder could cause hearing loss to occur.

Similarly, hearing loss can be a result of various infections, diseases, and conditions throughout life. If you’re living with such a condition, it’s important to talk to a hearing instrument specialist if you’re concerned about your hearing health.

Hearing Loss Symptoms You Should Know About

If you’re concerned you’ve developed hearing loss, it’s critical you learn how to identify the most common signs of the condition. They can be different depending on the person, but they all tend to start at home or at work. You may also notice it becoming difficult to interact when you’re outside in a social setting. We’ve listed the most common symptoms you should know about just below:

• Trouble hearing when chatting closely
• Needing to turn up the TV, despite others hearing it fine
• Asking friends to repeat themselves multiple times
• Needing to concentrate while talking and it wearing you out
• Regularly losing your place in conversation when chatting as a group

Someone with hearing loss may not notice these symptoms. It’s actually quite common for loved ones to point them out first. Indeed, habits like these can seem normal to someone who is gradually experiencing hearing loss. They might not even notice that their behaviors have changed.

In conversation, issues with staying a part of the group may also be brought up. A friend, colleague, or even the boss may ask for a word concerning potential hearing loss.

How Hearing Loss is Treated

Hearing loss can be treated in multiple ways, but hearing aids are the most widely recommended solution. These small devices are available in an array of styles to ensure they meet the unique needs of many different patients, including: in the ear (ITE), behind the ear (BTE) and in the canal (ITC). Your hearing instrument specialist will work with you to find the most ideal solution for your lifestyle, budget and aesthetic needs.

Questions About Hearing Loss? Talk to Byron’s Hudson Valley Hearing Aid Centers

Hearing loss doesn’t have to leave an impact on you or your family. The more you know about it now, the better you can spot it as it happens and then treat it. Knowing about the causes behind hearing loss is the best way to understand living with it. Our activities in daily life can affect the way we hear in the future, even if we don’t notice any changes in the present. And if you’re unsure about hearing loss, all you need to do is ask.

If you’ve got questions about hearing loss and want to talk to a hearing instrument specialist, contact one of Byron’s Hudson Valley Hearing Aid Centers. Call us at 845-481-9267 to book an appointment with a member of our experienced team.