Hearing Impairment – Causes and Symptoms
Hearing impairment refers to people who struggle with hearing loss due to complications in the inner ear and other ear canal parts. Many people who struggle with hearing impairment find it hard to adapt to life after hearing loss.
Still, there are multiple ways you can lighten the burden – with a positive attitude, the assistance of an audiologist or specialist, and the continued support of friends and family, you will lead a full and delighted life. Many things could lead to loss of hearing, and there are symptoms to which you can identify if you feel like you might have a hearing impairment. That said, here are some of the causes and symptoms of hearing impairment.
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Causes of a hearing impairment
Some instances may lead to a damaged eardrum, such as continuous loud noises like playing the radio too loud in your car. Also, people affected by diabetes have been known to be more at risk of suffering a hearing loss of some kind. Other illnesses can cause loss of hearing or deafness, like Lyme disease, chickenpox, arthritis, meningitis, or sickle cell disease. Some treatments for diseases also add to the risk factor for loss of hearing, like streptomycin, which is a drug used for treating tuberculosis.
Symptoms of hearing impairment
Suppose you feel like you are struggling to understand someone you have a conversation with, or you repeatedly have to ask someone to repeat what they said, or you constantly need to turn the volume of the television or radio up. In that case, you may need to visit a healthcare professional for a physical examination to establish the problem’s root. Other symptoms of hearing impairment may also include the following:
- The build-up of earwax causes sound vibrations to not travel through the ear canal properly;
- Muffled speech as well as other incoming sounds;
- Having trouble hearing other people talk over the phone;
- Localization – meaning you can hear a sound but cannot distinguish where it is coming from;
- Tinnitus – a constant ringing noise in your ears. Several tips on tinnitus management may help you cope better with the symptoms if you are experiencing tinnitus;
- Feeling you can hear someone talk but cannot understand what they’re saying, especially in noisy places.
Treatments
In older times, hearing aids worked partially but could only increase the volume of sounds or boost treble and bass sounds. These hearing aids were also very large and not at all discreet.
Things have changed in the modern age, seeing as the advancement of technology has adapted hearing aids to digital devices that can drown out background noise for you to distinguish sounds better. It can even shape incoming sounds better to fit your ear and hearing impairment more efficiently. These digital hearing aids are also much smaller and can hardly be noticed, which adds to the appeal.
Hearing impairment may be a disheartening situation to deal with at first. Still, with the help of your doctor, modern technology, and the continued support of your loved ones, you will adapt your way of living in no time and be able to function as normally as anyone else before you know it.
In the realm of this modern technology, a notable development is a call to text app, which converts spoken words into written text in real-time. This technology has been a game-changer for individuals with hearing loss.
The app, available on most smartphones, enables those with hearing impairment to have telephone conversations, participate in meetings, or have a chat with friends and family without missing out on crucial information. It is accessible, easy to use, and can be customized according to user preferences.
