Hearing loss is a phenomenon of incomplete hearing impairment, in which the patient hardly perceives and understands sounds. Hearing loss makes communication difficult and is characterized by an inability to pick up the sound, the source of which is near the ear. There are various degrees of hearing loss, in addition, this disease is classified by stage of development.
The content of the article:
Classification according to the degree of development of the disease
Classification by lesion level
Classification by the period of occurrence of hearing disorders
Diagnosis of hearing loss
Treatment of hearing loss
Prevention of hearing loss
Hearing loss
The problem of hearing loss is relevant all over the world, since the total percentage of patients suffering from this disease is constantly increasing. In the CIS, this diagnosis is made by a third of the elderly population, and another 10-15% suffers from hearing loss in middle age. It is possible to detect hearing problems in children. In Russia alone, more than a million minors suffer from this disease. Infants also suffer from this disease — early (before the child began to speak) hearing loss is difficult to treat, because the baby does not yet know how to interpret sounds correctly. Late hearing loss is cured more effectively.
There are several stages of hearing loss development. In addition, there is a classification of this disease according to the nature and features of development.
Classification according to the degree of development of the disease
Hearing loss of the 1st degree is manifested in the inability to parse quiet speech (26-40 dB) in a noisy environment. Also, a patient with such a degree of hearing loss hardly hears soft sounds at all.
If background noise prevents you from making out any speech, then this is the next stage in which hearing loss develops, the 2nd degree is also characterized by the inability to hear sounds of medium volume (41-55 dB).
Hearing loss of the 3rd degree is diagnosed with problems with distinguishing most sounds (56-70 dB). The patient also raises his voice when talking, because this is the only way he hears himself. It is problematic for him to communicate in a team, any conversation requires effort.
Hearing loss of the 4th degree is characterized by almost complete deafness. The patient hears only very loud sounds (71-90 dB). It is almost impossible to maintain communication without using a hearing aid or sign language.
If a person does not hear sounds and speech, the sound range of which rises above 90 dB, then complete deafness is diagnosed.
Classification by lesion level
The separation of hearing loss is carried out according to the degree of damage and hearing impairment. According to this classification, conductive, sensorineural and mixed hearing loss are distinguished.
Conductive hearing loss is a hearing disorder characterized by problems with patency and sound amplification through the outer and middle ear. Conductive hearing loss can be caused by inflammatory processes and chronic diseases, as well as the problematic passage of sound into the inner ear can be caused by sulfur plugs. Conductive deafness can occur due to trauma (damage to the auditory ossicles or the Eustachian tube). This type of hearing loss responds well to treatment.
Sensorineural hearing loss is a hearing disorder caused by dysfunction of the inner ear, the auditory centers of the brain, and the vestibular cochlear nerve. Unlike conductive hearing loss, sensorineural occurs due to the incorrect operation of the sound-receiving apparatus. The consequence of sensorineural hearing loss is a decrease in the pain threshold and the inability to distinguish speech with background noise. This type of hearing loss can occur with age; it can be caused by constant exposure to strong noise. Sensorineural hearing loss is also caused by transferred diseases, for example, mumps or meningitis. This type of hearing loss is not treatable. In order for a patient with sensorineural hearing loss to be able to communicate freely and perceive sounds, he is shown the use of a hearing aid.
Mixed hearing loss — combines the signs and causes of both conductive and sensorineural varieties. Medications can be used for treatment, but most often with this type of hearing loss, the patient uses complex models of hearing aids.
Classification by the period of occurrence of hearing disorders
According to how deafness arose, developed and proceeds, it is divided into sudden, acute and chronic. The causes of each of these types of hearing loss are different, and, accordingly, individual treatment is prescribed in each case.
Sudden hearing loss is a hearing disorder that occurs and develops within a few hours. It is also called perceptual deafness. Sudden hearing loss can be caused by injuries, diseases, infections and inflammation. Perceptual deafness is a consequence of vascular damage. This type of hearing loss is characterized by instantaneity — the patient complains of a lack of hearing that occurred in seconds. It can spread only on one side. In most cases, sudden hearing loss goes away by itself, but sometimes it requires additional attention and separate treatment. If the vascular lesion had a strong character, sudden deafness may be irreversible, or there may be incomplete restoration of hearing.
Acute hearing loss is a hearing disorder that occurs and develops over a period of no more than three days. This type of hearing loss should be examined by a doctor urgently, since it can be very difficult to identify the cause of this hearing impairment. Thus, acute hearing loss can occur due to heredity, trauma, inflammation, viruses, diseases, somatic disorders and problems with the cardiovascular system. A wide range of procedures are used for diagnostics here.
Chronic hearing loss occurs and develops over a long period of time. A gradual, systematic decline in human sensitivity to sound waves is characteristic. Chronic hearing loss can occur for several months, years or decades. This type of hearing loss can be stable or progressive, and hearing can drop to a state of complete deafness.
A patient who has hearing problems is diagnosed and determined what caused hearing loss, the causes that caused partial deafness will help determine the treatment and method of restoring hearing.
Diagnosis of hearing loss
In case of hearing problems, it is necessary to apply a wide range of diagnostic tools, to find out, firstly, why hearing loss occurred, the symptoms of this disease may also indicate the possible nature of partial deafness. Doctors are faced with the task of fully characterizing the nature of the occurrence and course, type and class of hearing loss; treatment can be prescribed only after such a comprehensive approach to analysis.
The primary test for deafness is carried out by an otolaryngologist. This analysis is the simplest and is carried out as planned for adults and children. It is called speech audiometry. ENT tests the patient’s ability to recognize whispers and spoken language. If this simple test shows the presence of a problem, then a person should contact other specialists, for example, a sign language therapist. It is possible to have hearing loss in a mild form. In order to confirm or exclude the diagnosis, the doctor will conduct additional tests on a tuning fork or audiometer.
If a conductive type of deafness is detected, the patient is shown additional tests to accurately separate it from the sensorineural. ENT procedures such as audiometry or otoscopy are used here.
Since conductive deafness is caused by injuries and damage to the ear due to diseases, tests are separately prescribed that check the structure of the ear for integrity, absence of tears, scars, conductivity.
Especially difficult is the diagnosis of hearing loss in young children. Due to the fact that such a child does not know how to speak and correctly interpret sound stimuli, and also cannot explain what hurts, how hard it is to hear, etc., it is impossible to conduct routine tests. There are special techniques, such as computer audiometry, acoustic impedance measurement of the middle ear, which allow you to conduct tests even for the youngest children. It is difficult to diagnose hearing loss in a small child, but it is necessary in order to start treatment as early as possible, and it has produced a pronounced effect.
Treatment of hearing loss
Conductive hearing loss, as we have already noticed, responds well to treatment. Complete or partial restoration of hearing is possible. For the treatment of conductive hearing loss resulting from damage to the structures of the ear, respectively, a wide range of ENT operations are used. They can be non-invasive or surgical, include restoration, prosthetics and plastic surgery of individual parts of the auditory system.
Sensorineural hearing loss, unfortunately, cannot be corrected. It is caused by neurogenic problems, so it can be cured only at the earliest stage, when the hair cells are still intact. Here it is advisable to use a complex of medications combined with procedures aimed at stimulating the auditory nerve. However, if the hair cells are destroyed, they cannot be restored even by surgery. In this case, the doctor will select a hearing aid for the patient. An alternative to this device can be a modern, innovative cochlear implantation.
Prevention of hearing loss
Prevention of hearing loss should be regular and carried out for both children and adults. Detecting problems in the early stages makes recovery more likely.
To prevent hearing loss, it is necessary to undergo regular examinations, conduct a primary and simplest speech recognition test. In addition, to protect hearing, a person needs to exclude risk factors that negatively affect health. This means quitting smoking, alcohol abuse, fatty and spicy foods, overwork.
Separately, it is recommended to study heredity and undergo a series of genetic consultations to determine the likelihood of hearing loss with age. If there are patients with such a problem in the family medical history, a person can regularly undergo stimulating and preventive ENT procedures that will help avoid hearing loss in the future.
If there is a risk of hearing damage due to professional activity, it is necessary to protect the ears from the constant influence of noise and vibration. People who already have hearing problems should not be allowed to do such work, so as not to aggravate hearing loss. Harmful professional activity is also prohibited for pregnant women.
Those patients who already suffer from hearing loss should be no less demanding of themselves, so that the disease does not become progressive. In case of hearing problems, it is necessary to equip the house with such objects, the signals of which will be loud enough and audible. This increases the likelihood of preserving hearing, preventing further development of hearing loss.
Children are recommended to have regular checkups, exercise and procedures, and spend their time in music classes. Overall good health and constant stimulation of hearing will allow the whole system to develop normally and prevent the appearance of hearing loss problems in the future.
