Hearing Loss Causes and Treatments
Over 10% of the U.S. population reports hearing difficulties, including nearly half of those over the age of 65. Hearing loss often leads to emotional, physical, mental, psychological, and economic issues. If you don’t hear as well as you once did, call or make an appointment online today with an audiologist at Hearing & Balance Services in Reston, Virginia.
What causes hearing loss?
When sound waves reach the inside of your ear, they get converted into nerve signals that your brain recognizes as sound, enabling you to hear. Sound distinction occurs through differentiated vibrations, causing your nerve cells to send different messages to your brain.
The most common factors that lead to hearing loss include:
- Genetics
- Trauma
- Disease
- Aging process
The most common kinds of hearing loss include:
- Conductive hearing loss: earwax buildup maybe be the cause
- Sensorineural hearing loss: occurs due to missing or damaged hair cells in your cochlea
- Mixed hearing loss: is a combination of both conductive and sensorineural
- Central hearing loss: results from strokes and central nerve system diseases
How is hearing loss diagnosed?
When you visit Hearing & Balance Services of Reston because of hearing loss, your audiologist begins your appointment by reviewing your medical history and performs an examination that includes several tests to help determine the cause and severity of your issue. These tests include:
Audiometer tests
Your audiologist uses thorough tests that involve wearing earphones to respond to various tones directed to one ear at a time. The sounds get fainter to help determine your hearing ability.
How is hearing loss treated?
Your treatment depends on the cause and severity of your hearing loss. The most common options include:
- Earwax removal: to get rid of blockages
- Hearing aids: make sounds stronger and easier to hear
- Cochlear implants: to help those with damaged or nonworking inner ear parts performed at a Major Medical Center.
If hearing loss is causing you problems and interfering in your ability to enjoy life, call or make an appointment online today with the audiologists at Hearing & Balance Services of Reston.