INFORMATION ON DEAFNESS

Conductive hearing loss occurs when the structures of the outer or middle ear don't work correctly. This type of hearing loss is more likely to respond to medical or surgical treatment. Sensorineural hearing loss is linked to problems of the inner ear structures, and is sometimes called "nerve deafness." Mixed hearing loss occurs when someone experiences both types of hearing loss.

There are three types of hearing loss.

1 Conductive hearing loss is caused by diseases or obstructions in the outer or middle ear. Conductive hearing losses usually affect all frequencies of hearing evenly and do not result in severe losses.
2 Sensorineural hearing losses result from damage to the delicate sensory hair cells of the inner ear or the nerves which supply it. These hearing losses can range from mild to profound. They often affect the person's ability to hear certain frequencies more than others.
3 A mixed hearing loss refers to a combination of conductive and sensorineural loss and means that a problem occurs in both the outer or middle and the inner ear.

SYNONYMS OF DEAFNESS

Synonyms of deafness any include:
1. Sensorineural deafness.
2. Perceptive hearing loss.
3. Perceptive deafness.

CAUSES OF DEAFNESS

Some but main causes of deafness are:
1 Heredity that is some of the people is born deaf. Sometimes it si due to something that happened to the mother during her pregnancy, but this is often just guessing.
2 Ear infections are diseases which can cause fluid or mucus to build up inside the ear. If pressure builds up inside the ear, the eardrum is less flexible than it should be.
3 Injuries of the Ear: Certain injuries cause deafness as ear get affected by then and the eardrum is destroy or serious affected by them results in deafness.

SYMPTOMS OF DEAFNESS

Hearing loss usually comes on gradually, but may come on suddenly.
Symptoms may include:
1. Difficulty hearing.
2. Ringing in the ears.
3. Dizziness.
4. Ear pain.
5. Feeling of ear fullness.

DIAGNOSIS OF DEAFNESS

Diagnostic tests that may be performed include:
1. Audiometry (an electronic hearing test).
2. Auditory response test.
3. CT scan of the head.
4. X-ray of the head.
5. Tympanometry.
6. Caloric test.
7. MRI of the ear.

TREATMENT OF DEAFNESS

Age-related hearing loss and most other causes of hearing loss are not preventable.
Many measures can be taken to help prevent noise-induced hearing loss, such as:

Limiting exposure to loud noise. Reducing noise levels whenever possible. Staying away from the source of the noise. The volume of music played through headphones should always be kept at a reasonable level. The louder the noise, the less time a person should spend near it. For occupational or firearm exposure, the use of hearing protectors, such as plastic or foam rubber plugs in the ear canals or glycerin-filled muffs over the ears, is essential. Plastic plugs can also be used in other loud environments.

Other major treatment is:
1. Hearing aids.
2. Cochlear implants.
3. Personal amplifiers.
4. Lip reading.
5. Cued speech.