Important Facts to Know about Hearing Loss

Many people are unaware of the staggering statistics regarding hearing loss in the United States. It is estimated that nearly 38 million Americans (or roughly 12% of the population) experience significant hearing loss. While most people understand that the loss of hearing can have a serious effect on your ability to communicate with others in professional and social settings. The inability to hear may cause trouble with your family members, negatively affect your performance at work, and may put you in danger while in public.

At Hearing Planet, we want to make sure you are aware of the common problems associated with hearing loss and the steps you may be able to take to restore your abilities and live a healthy, happy life. For some individuals, hearing aids may be able to help. Benefits to those individuals can include hearing sounds at frequencies they were no longer able to pick up on their own, or the amplification of sounds to a level that they can hear.

Causes of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can be caused by a variety of factors including:

• Noise-induced hearing loss
• Head/Ear Trauma
• Acoustic neuroma
• Otosclerosis
• Meniere's disease

A common cause of hearing loss in adults is "presbycusis" which describes the natural process of the degeneration of the inner ear over time. This explains why so many people suffer from significant hearing loss as they get older. Persons who have never suffered trauma, illness, or other negative events may still experience significant loss of hearing ability as they get older through the natural degeneration of tissue.

Hearing loss is also very common among infants, although the causes of such problems are often different from adults. Infants may suffer from:

• Hearing loss caused by low birth-weight
• Bacterial meningitis
• Craniofacial anomalies
• Infections while the child is in utero
• Ototoxic medications
• Neurodegenerative disorders

The Benefits of Hearing Aids

Here at Hearing Planet, we want to make sure you understand the causes of hearing loss and the possible solutions you may pursue to help make your life easier. Hearing aids may significantly improve the quality of the sound that you can hear and may be the tool you need to communicate with family, friends, and co-workers.

Hearing aids help improve the comprehension of speech and sounds through the use of microphones, amplifiers and speakers. The devices typically come in different forms and may rest on different parts of the ear, including:

• Canal devices - may sit completely in the ear canal or just outside the ear canal, and are typically used for mild to somewhat severe hearing loss.
• Behind-the-ear devices - usually feature plastic cases that hold the battery, microphone, and other electronic parts behind the ear. These devices can be used for persons who experience mild to severe hearing loss.
• In-ear devices - are hearing aids that may sit inside the outer ear (but not in the canal) and may feature extra devices like "telecoil" that can help users hear telephone calls, PA announcements, and specific sounds in busy locations.

At Hearing Planet, we understand how difficult dealing with hearing loss can be, even if it is relatively mild. It is estimated that people with hearing loss wait an average of seven years before they seek help for the condition, and their professional and personal relationships may suffer significantly as a result of the condition.

If you or someone you love is suffering from hearing loss and would like more information on hearing aids, visit the Hearing Planet website today.