HEARING LOSS IN ADULTS

A gradual loss of hearing is a common problem that occurs with aging. Many older adults have a hearing impairment. Hearing loss may be mild, moderate, severe, or total. It may reflect damage to the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear.

The outer ear consists of the visible ear and ear canal. The middle ear is an air-filled cavity containing three small bones. The middle ear is separated from the ear canal by the eardrum. Some hearing loss is due to the interference of sound waves moving through the outer and middle ear. This type of loss can usually be corrected with medication or surgery.

Some causes of outer and middle ear sound wave interference are:

malformation
skull fracture
infection
impacted earwax or foreign object
frozen or disjointed ossicles (the tiny bones in the middle ear)
punctured ear drum or
a cyst or tumor

The most common causes of hearing loss in adults are damage to the structures of the inner ear or damage to the auditory nerve that sends those impulses from the inner ear to the brain. It is usually not reversible, but can often be helped with hearing aids.

Some risk factors for hearing loss are:

natural aging process
exposure to loud noise
infection or disease
some medicines and
heredity

Hearing loss can be gradual or sudden. Because hearing loss is often gradual, many adults are not aware of its presence. Rather, they may feel that people just do not speak clearly. Noise exposure is often responsible for loss of hearing, especially in the male population. Meniere's disease is the third most common hearing disorder in adults. Symptoms include an off and on hearing loss, ringing in the ears, and balance problems.

If you have experienced a change in your hearing, contact your healthcare provider for a hearing test. A hearing test can determine the degree and type of hearing loss.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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