Hearing loss is also known as
hearing impairment which is defined as the partial or total inability to hear
in a person. This medical condition can occur in one or both ears. Hearing loss
can be temporary or permanent, depending on the causative agent of the medical
complication. There are different factors such as genetics, aging, exposure to
high decibel (dB) of sound, chronic infections, birth complications, trauma,
toxins, or occupational hazards. There are certain infections which occur
during pregnancy such as syphilis and rubella, which can result in birth
complications and hearing loss in child. Based on the degree of hearing loss,
the hearing loss is classified as mild (25-40 dB), moderate (41-55 dB),
moderate-severe (56-70 dB), severe (71-90 dB), and profound (greater than 90
dB). Hearing loss is also categorized into- conductive, sensorineural, mixed,
and auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder, based on the conduction of sound.
Type of Hearing Loss
§ Conductive Hearing Loss: This type of hearing loss is caused by an
obstruction in the outer or middle ear for the conduction of sound. This type
of hearing loss can be treated with the help of medication or surgical
procedure.
§ Sensorineural Hearing Loss: This type of hearing loss is caused by
an obstruction in the conduction of sound in the inner ear or failure in the
hearing nerve.
§ Mixed Hearing Loss: This type of hearing loss is a combination of
conductive and sensorineural hearing loss in a patient.
Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum
Disorder: This type of hearing loss occurs when there is a conduction damage in
the inner ear, or the hearing nerve and the brain is unable to interpret the
sound.
According to the Centres for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hearing loss can also be classified as
follows:
§ Unilateral or Bilateral: Unilateral type of hearing loss caused in
one ear, whereas bilateral hearing loss occurs in both ears.
§ Pre-lingual or Post-lingual: Pre-lingual type of hearing loss
caused in a person before he/she learned to talk, whereas post-lingual type of
hearing loss is acquired in a patient after he/she learnt to talk.
§ Symmetrical or Asymmetrical: Symmetrical hearing loss is a type of
hearing loss where the intensity of loss is same in both ears, whereas in
asymmetrical hearing loss the intensity of sound conduction is different in
each ear.
§ Progressive or Sudden: Progressive hearing loss is a type of
hearing loss which can worsen over a period, whereas sudden hearing loss occurs
abruptly due to various factors such as genetic, occupational hazards or
exposure to high dB of sound.
§ Fluctuating or Stable: Fluctuating hearing loss is a type of hearing
loss which is irregular in a patient whereas the hearing loss which is stable
during a period is known as stable hearing loss.
§ Congenital or Acquired/Delayed Onset: Congenital type of hearing
loss occurs at the time of birth, whereas acquired or delayed onset of hearing
loss occurs later in the lifetime of a patient.
For the treatment of hearing loss,
hearing aid devices are used. Hearing aid is a small medical device used for
the amplification of sound in a partially deaf or completely hearing-impaired
patient. The device is designed to improve a person’s hearing ability. There
are different variants of hearing aid devices used for curing hearing loss in
individual of all age groups. The types of hearing aid devices have been
discussed further in the report, along with the factors influencing the market
demand for these devices.
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