Hearing Health

48 million people have hearing loss in America.

One of the effects of hearing loss is a reduced ability to distinguish speech from noise. This is why, if you have hearing loss, you may feel that you hear fine in quiet situations but not in noisy ones. It is also common that high-pitched sounds like birdsong may disappear altogether.

The causes of hearing loss vary and the type of hearing loss is determined by the part of the ear in which the impairment occurs.

There are generally four different types of hearing loss

Conductive Hearing Loss

A conductive hearing loss is often temporary and can sometimes be corrected with wax removal, medication or surgery. Conductive loss stems from problems in the outer or middle ear and can be caused by:

– Infection
– Build-up of wax or fluid
– Punctured eardrum
– Otosclerosis – an abnormal bone development in the middle ear

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss. In fact, it accounts for 90% of all adult hearing problems. Although the cause is not always known, it is often related to aging and a history of noise exposure. With sensorineural loss:

– There are problems with the cochlea* and the auditory nerve*
– Sounds not only diminish in volume, but become distorted
– The ability to hear high-pitched sounds is usually affected first.
– The ability to hear low-pitched sounds, such as vowel sounds, may be normal or relatively well-preserved

Mixed Hearing Loss

With mixed hearing loss, both conductive and sensorineural losses occur at the same time.

In these cases, you may need treatment such as wax removal, medication, or surgery in addition to hearing aids.

Temporary Hearing Loss

There are times where a hearing loss is temporary. A temporary hearing loss is common and can be caused by any of the following:

– Excessive earwax
– Ear infections
– Allergies
– Sinus problems
– Certain medications

1

Conductive Hearing Loss

A conductive hearing loss is often temporary and can sometimes be corrected with wax removal, medication or surgery. Conductive loss stems from problems in the outer or middle ear and can be caused by:

– Infection
– Build-up of wax or fluid
– Punctured eardrum
– Otosclerosis – an abnormal bone development in the middle ear

2

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss. In fact, it accounts for 90% of all adult hearing problems. Although the cause is not always known, it is often related to aging and a history of noise exposure. With sensorineural loss:

– There are problems with the cochlea* and the auditory nerve*
– Sounds not only diminish in volume, but become distorted
– The ability to hear high-pitched sounds is usually affected first.
– The ability to hear low-pitched sounds, such as vowel sounds, may be normal or relatively well-preserved

3

Mixed Hearing Loss

With mixed hearing loss, both conductive and sensorineural losses occur at the same time.

In these cases, you may need treatment such as wax removal, medication, or surgery in addition to hearing aids.

4

Temporary Hearing Loss

There are times where a hearing loss is temporary. A temporary hearing loss is common and can be caused by any of the following:

– Excessive earwax
– Ear infections
– Allergies
– Sinus problems
– Certain medications

To find out if you or someone you love has hearing loss, please contact your local Hearing Care Professional.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the name for the perception of sounds, such as ringing in your ears, buzzing or hissing, when these sounds are not present in the environment. Although the tinnitus sounds can be perceived as quite loud, objective measurements show that they are often fainter than the sound of a leaf falling to the ground.

As you notice the tinnitus sound and start paying attention to it, a strong negative emotional response can be triggered.

A vicious cycle is created where you pay even more attention to the tinnitus, and your brain loses its ability to filter out the irrelevant noise before it reaches your consciousness.

How Common is Tinitus?

Tinnitus is essentially heard by most people at some point in their lives, even those with normal hearing. There are many causes for tinnitus: it can be a by-product of loud noise exposure, such as a rock concert or a night out at a club, disappearing after a few hours or the morning after. It can also happen spontaneously without any reason, and then disappear as suddenly as it began. Many professionals believe this is just a function of the normal hearing system.

Understanding Your Tinnitus.

If you have tinnitus, you are not alone. Between 10-15 percent of the population suffer from some degree of tinnitus, with more than half affected in both ears. 1 in 5 people in United States experience tinnitus and nearly 12 million people a year seek medical advice.

Beltone Tinnitus Calmer App

Distract your brain from focusing on your tinnitus with the help of Beltone’s Tinnitus Calmer app. Available on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Android devices, the app offers a combination of Sound Therapy and relaxing exercises which can help provide relief from tinnitus.

Hearing Update from Beltone

Hearing loss is now linked to Alzheimer’s disease & dementia.

According to several major studies, older adults with hearing loss are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, compared to those with normal hearing. Further, the risk escalates as a person’s hearing loss grows worse. Those with mild hearing impairment are nearly twice as likely to develop dementia compared to those with normal hearing. The risk increases three-fold for those with moderate hearing loss, and five-fold for those with severe impairment.