What is Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss that you gradually feel with age (presbycusis) is common.

Hearing loss is of three types:

• Conductive (involves outer or middle ear): If there is a disease or problem in the outer or middle ear, usually its conductive hearing loss. For example ear wax or middle ear fluid.
• Sensorineural (involves inner ear): Sensorineural hearing loss occurs if the infection involves inner ear or deafness from birth due to various causes.
• Mixed (a combination of the two): If the disease spreads from the middle ear to the inner ear, it causes mixed hearing loss.

Hearing loss can’t be reversed, but your ENT can improve your hearing.

How do we hear?
The sounds are collected by outer ear pinna and carried through the ear canal. This vibrates the eardrum and the tiny bones of hearing in turn. These vibrations are carried to the inner ear or Cochlea where it is converted to electrical impulses and finally carried to the brain through the nerve of hearing. The auditory area of the brain interprets the sound.

What are the symptoms of Hearing Loss?
The symptoms of hearing loss include:

• Muffling of speech and other sounds
• Difficulty in understanding words, especially in a noisy environment
• Trouble hearing consonants
• Needing to turn up the volume of the television
• Withdrawal from the conversations

How is Hearing Loss Diagnosed?
Your hearing specialist will look in your ear for possible causes of hearing loss such as earwax and inflammation due to infection.
The ENT doctor will perform the whisper test to see who well you hear the words.
Clinical examination and audiological tests are performed to diagnose the problem. Sometimes we may need scans-HRCT/MRI.

How is hearing loss treated?
Depending on the diagnosis and the severity of hearing loss, treatment is planned. The treatment of Sensorineural hearing loss also depends on the diagnosis. If its Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss, it may need oral steroids as the cause is usually Viral. However many times an MRI Scan is ordered to rule out other pathology.

The options for treating hearing loss include:

• Removing Wax blockage: The doctor removes earwax using suction or a small tool with a loop on the end.
• Surgical Methods: Abnormalities of the eardrum or bones of hearing can be treated with surgery. 
• Hearing aids: If your inner ear is damaged then a hearing aid can be used.
• Cochlear implants: If you have a severe hearing loss then a cochlear implant is an option. A cochlear implant bypasses the damaged part of the inner ear and directly stimulated the hearing nerve. Cochlear implants are the electronic device which uses a sound processor that fits behind the ear. The processor receives sound signals and sends them to a receiver implanted under the skin behind the ear. The receiver sends the signals to electrodes implanted in the snail-shaped inner ear (cochlea).

If you have any doubt, you can discuss it with your ear, nose and throat specialist in Sakra premium clinic Bangalore.