OM SAI CLINIC

While most noise is just in the background for us, loud noises, either in small spurts or prolonged exposure, can cause hearing loss. This has been happening more frequently as the levels of noise in an industrialized society go further up.

Noise induced hearing loss explained
Loud noises may damage the sensitive structure of your ear, which process the sound waves into information. They eventually become nonfunctional, resulting in a loss of hearing in that range. If exposure to loud noises continues, then this might extend to the entire range of hearing and may cause total hearing loss.

What may cause noise induced hearing loss?
Some of the scenarios which may cause noise induced hearing loss are as follows:
1. Listening to music on high volume: If you constantly listen to music or watch movies at your home on very loud levels, then it may result in noise induced hearing loss. In fact, listening to music or watching movies with headphones in your ears is one of the leading causes for hearing loss. Headphones have deceptively loud levels and may result in damaged hearing overtime.

2. Noise of household tools: Household tools such as drills, mixers, grinders, mowers, and saws can expose you to loud levels of noise. Even a quick exposure for a few seconds could temporarily damage your hearing. 

3. Occupational problems: Occupations such as construction, factory work and military that require the use of power tools on a constant basis can also cause hearing loss. The sound from the resulting friction might damage your hearing very quickly. Explosions and impacts are also causes of hearing loss in the military and law enforcement departments.

Prevention and treatment
Treatment: It is difficult to treat hearing loss as in most cases; it may be permanent, except sudden shocks, when your hearing might come back to normal. The only treatments for hearing loss are hearing aids or cochlear implantswhich can restore hearing partially.

Prevention: Prevention is the best method to avoid hearing loss and in most cases, you should wear ear protection such as mufflers or sound level reduction devices to protect your hearing. Also, practice listening to music, watching TV or movies at lower levels, especially if you are on the headphones.

Loss or impairment of hearing can happen due to a variety of causes and may be temporary or permanent in nature, depending on the type and severity of the condition. One of the most common causes of hearing impairment is age. The degeneration of one's vital organs and senses becomes a reality for many people as the advancement of age happens, and the delicate insides of the ears are no different. Noise pollution, injury to the ear drum or any other part of the ear, as well as the movement of particles inside are only a few of the many reasons for loss of hearing. One of the many ways of dealing with long term hearing impairment is by using a hearing aid.

Read on to know how you can regain your hearing with hearing aids:

1. Long Forgotten Sound: A hearing aid will help you reacquaint yourself with long forgotten and subtle sounds that you may not have been able to hear for a long time. Many times, this kind of impairment also makes us forget to notice the fact that we do not hear so many normal sounds in our everyday lives - sounds that we probably did not notice even earlier. This may include the whirring of a fan, the whoosh of the air, the pitter patter of pets' feet and so much more. A hearing aid will help in bringing about an adjustment to these sounds that you will actually end up discovering again.
2. Technicalities: The hearing aid basically works by letting your hearing and ears readjust to the various volumes, intensity and vibrations that one feels when different sounds reach the ears. This helps in hearing better.
3. Amplification: A hearing aid is basically an electroacoustic device that fits in neatly behind your ear where it is tucked away from plain sight. This device helps in amplifying sounds so that you can catch them and hear them more clearly.
4. Modulation: The Audiologist, who are specalized in hearing assessment and diagnosis, will prescribe the type and detail of hearing aid based on your individual condition in terms of volume, size, power and circulation. These factors help in modulating the sounds in a certain way so that they reach the nerve pathways from the inner ear and travel to the brain in a proper and effective way. This is usually done in a customised way to cater to the specific type and cause of your hearing loss.

Using a hearing aid is a matter of retraining your hearing rather than restoring it completely. These aids will be helpful in regaining a better sense of hearing within the condition you are going through, rather than reversing the condition completely.

What is Hearing loss?

Hearing loss is a decreased ability to hear. There are two main categories of hearing loss: Conductive hearing and sensorineural hearing. 

Symptoms of Hearing loss-

• Unable to hear high or low level sounds
• A little Hearing but not understanding
• Unable to hear when there is background noise
• Humming sounds in the ears
• Social withdrawal
• Fatigue and stress
• Speak loudly

Causes of Hearing loss-

• Fluid in the middle ear
• Ear infections
• Ear injury or fractured bones in the middle ear
• Damage of ear drum
• Rigid bones in the middle ear
• Ear surgery damage to the inner ear
• Tumors 

Risk factors of Hearing loss-

• Genetics
• Age
• Not receiving all recommended immunizations
• Ear infections
• Exposure to earsplitting music or noise
• Use of certain medicines
• Meniere’s disease
• Collagen vascular diseases 

Complications of Hearing loss-

• Diabetes
• Deafness 

Diagnosis of hearing loss:-

• Medical history
• Physical exam
• Tests may include: Weber test, Rinne test, Audiometric tests, Tympanometry, Electrocochleography and Brain stem auditory evoked responses test. 

Precautions & Prevention of Hearing loss

• Quit smoking
• Always wear ear protection
• Get all appropriate immunizations.
• Treat all medical conditions.
• Avoid noisy environment
• Use sufficient ear protection when using noisy equipment.
• Sufficient treatment of ear problem

Treatment of Hearing loss

• Homeopathic Treatment of Hearing loss
• Acupuncture Treatment of Hearing loss
• Conventional / Allopathic Treatment of Hearing loss
• Surgical Treatment of Hearing loss
• Dietary & Herbal Treatment of Hearing loss
• Other Treatment of Hearing loss

Treatment of Hearing loss

Homeopathic Treatment of Hearing loss-

Homeopathic remedies depend upon patient condition or level of hearing problem. Homeopathic treatment reduces the symptoms of hearing loss. It helps both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. Following homeopathic remedies are very beneficial for hearing loss symptoms:

• Calcarea carbonica
• Cimicifuga
• Graphites
• Carbo vegetabilis
• Kali carbonicum
• Lycopodium
• Coffea crud
• Natrum salicylicum
• Salicylicum acidum 

Acupuncture and Acupressure Treatment of Hearing loss-

In Acupuncture treatment, the ringing in ears disappeared and the volume and pitch in ear were appreciably muted. Acupuncture treatment has been shown tremendous improvement in hearing loss. 

Psychotherapy and Hypnotherapy Treatment of Hearing loss-

Psychotherapy and hypnotherapy can help in stress relief. They can help in better coping and early relief. 

Conventional / Allopathic Treatment of Hearing loss-

Allopathic treatment of hearing loss includes some antibiotics, analgesics, immunosuppressant, oral contraceptives, and mood-altering drugs.  

Surgical Treatment of Hearing loss-

Surgery treatment may be performed in some cases of serious hearing loss to correct the middle ear problem, such as in otosclerosis, damage and ear infections. 

Dietary & Herbal Treatment of Hearing loss-

• Limit Caffeine, chocolate, and sodium
• Avoid tobacco and alcohol
• Eat fresh pineapple
• Plenty of garlic, kelp, and sea vegetables in diet

 Other Treatment of Hearing loss

• Removal of Earwax
• Use Hearing Aids
• Sign language and lip reading (if severe hearing loss)