Hearing loss is not a laughing matter. At least 22 million Americans have hearing loss, one of the most common disabilities in America. It is the most common age-associated disability, accounting for just over half of all Americans considered disabled, according to recent federal definitions. About of these people are completely deaf. Hearing impairment and loss can be caused by several factors, including:
-Heredity
-Exposure (usually constant) to loud noises
-Cold and sinus problems, diseases and viruses
-Age
Some amount of hearing loss is nearly inevitable. A third of Americans between 65 and 74 have some degree of hearing loss, nearly half of people over 75, and by the age of 85 all men and 95% of women suffer from some form of hearing loss.
As we stated earlier, hearing loss eventually affects almost all people. Here are some common signs:
-You have difficulty hearing at places such as resturants among family and friends.
-People often joke about your hearing ability, or lack thereof.
-People tell you that they often have to repeat things they say to you.
-You attend social functions less frequently because of your inability to hear well.
-You find that you have to turn up televisions or radios to levels beyond normal volume.
-You have feelings of frustration when conversing with others because you can not hear everything they say.
If you find yourself answering yes to any of these questions, you may want to consult a otolaryngologist(ear, nose, and throat doctor).
One of the most common devices used to treat hearing loss conditions is the hearing aid. What this does is amplify the sounds that an individual hears so that they can better recognize the phonetic components of speech, and thus communicate better. Hearing aids typical consist of a microphone, an amplifier, a volume control, an earphone(receiver), a power source, and an earmold. Today, there are several different models available that provide people with options as to the type of hearing aid they want to have. The most obvious drawback of the hearing aid, however, is the fact that it can not help completely deaf people. This is an excellent improvement for people with only partial hearing loss, though
A new type of hearing aid was recently created by Geoffrey Ball while at Stanford University. It attaches to one of the tiny bones of the inner ear and oscillates the bone that it is attached to. It has many of the same problems as the old type of hearing aid, except that the new type is more comfortable, has less irritating feedback noise, and distorts sound less. For more information about it, see the January 1998 issue of "Popular Science".
There all also some hearing loss conditions that are treatable by medical means. Some such as Otosclerosis are can be treated by one-time surgey, but others such as Meniere's Disease must be treated with a thorough medical regime.
If you have any questions about the material presented in this page, feel free to contact Jeffery Leaf at JLeaf@lan.tjhsst.edu.
You can also see the Americans With Disabilities Act.
To understand the various types of hearing loss, you must first know how your hearing system works.
Sound Waves pass through the auditory canal (1) and beat against the eardrum (2), causing vibrations in the chain of three small bones in the middle ear (3). The third bone, called the stapes or stirrup, is the smallest bone in the human body. It fits into an area called the oval window, located between the middle ear and the inner ear (4). When the stapes vibrates with the sound waves passing through, fluid in the inner ear carries the vibrations into the canal of a delicate, spiral structure called the cochlea (5). Thousands of hair cells in one part of the cochlea are connected to fibers that make up the auditory nerve. Each hair cell has many microscopic hairs at one end. Movements of the fluid, with the aid of an overlying membrane, bend the tiny hairs. Movement of the hairs stimulates the hair cells to generate electrical impulses, which are carried up the auditory nerve to the brain.
Thanks to Hearing Health for that information.
Collier's Encyclopedia, Volume 8, Collier's, New York, 1997.
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, 8th Edition, 1997. "Hearing Aid", p. 373-374.