Hearing loss is prevalent in modern societies as a result of the combined effects of noise, aging, disease, and heredity. Hearing loss is the number one disability in the world; approximately 28 million Americans suffer some type of hearing loss. In addition, 15 of every 1000 people under the age of 18 have a hearing loss, and nearly 90% of people over age 80 have a hearing impairment. The incidence of hearing loss is greater in men, than women. The sad part is, that hearing loss is the most preventable disability in the world.



Wear ear plugs when operating noisy equipment (i.e. lawn mower, motorboat or power tools).Set car, home and portable stereos to below half volume. Beware of music levels in exercise classes, concerts and bars.

The three basic components of a hearing aid are microphone, amplifier and the receiver. The microphone serves as the reception device that captures sound waves. The microphone is responsible for taking auditory sounds (sounds that humans can hear) and converting them into electronic sounds that are detected by the amplifier. The amplifier takes the sounds transmitted from the microphone and makes them louder. Hearing aids are often designed for specific hearing needs; this is because amplifiers can ?choose? which sounds to augment. In modern hearing aids, precision amplifiers often eliminate background noise. The receiver simply serves as a speaker function and converts sound waves from auditory to electronic.

Sensory hearing loss happens when the cochlea is not working correctly because the tiny hair cells are damaged or destroyed. Depending on the loss, a patient may be able to hear most sounds (although they would be silent); only some sounds; or no sounds at all. Sensory hearing impairment is almost always permanent and a patient's ability to talk normally may be affected. It could be due to age-related hearing loss that people experience as they get older, injury caused by loud noise to the hair cells, viral infections of the inner ear (may be caused by viruses such as mumps or measles), Meniere's disease (abnormal pressure in the inner ear), a brain tumor or a stroke.

The successful treatment of hearing loss depends on the cause. A bacterial infection of the middle ear can be treated with antibiotics; blockages of the outer and middle ears can be cleared; damaged eardrums can be repaired surgically; and ossicles affected by otosclerosis can be replaced with artificial bones. Some causes of sensorineural hearing loss can also be improved. For example, an acoustic neuroma can be removed surgically.

If no cure is successful, a hearing aid for one, or both ears usually helps, whether the loss is a result of conductive or sensorineural problems. Many different types of hearing aid are available and an audiologist will advise as to which type best suits the needs of the individual.

Almost always, the doctor will tell you that you have tinnitus, which means that he cannot find a cause for the nerve damage and there is no specific treatment. Drugs are ineffective. People with this condition often find it difficult to sleep at night because of the noise. Doctors prescribe a special hearing aid radio to be placed in the ear.