Hearing loss overview

There are four main types of hearing loss; conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, central hearing loss and mixed hearing loss. Hearing loss and deafness can affect anyone at any age with some people being born deaf while for others hearing loss is a gradual or sudden occurrence depending on the circumstances which brought about the deafness or hearing loss. Deafness or hearing loss can also occur for many different reasons ranging from ear infections to trauma of the ear drum.

Conductive hearing loss

Conductive hearing loss is usually associated with obstructions to the outer or middle ear and can also be caused by certain diseases, this type of hearing loss will affect all frequencies and the loss usually isn’t severe. The person suffering from conductive hearing loss will usually be able to be helped surgically or has great success when using a hearing aid.

Sensorineural hearing loss

This type of hearing loss is usually brought about by damage to the sensory hair cells or nerves of the inner ear, hearing loss due to this will normally be more profound than conductive hearing loss and it usually affects only certain frequencies. Even when wearing a hearing aid the person affected by sensorineural hearing loss may still have great difficulty in hearing certain sounds.

Central hearing loss

This type of hearing loss is usually done by damaging the nerves of the central nervous system; this can be either in the brain itself or the pathways leading to the brain.

Mixed hearing loss

This type of hearing loss is a combination of conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss, this means that the person can suffer from problems relating to both the middle and outer ear as well as the inner ear.

What can be done to help those hard of hearing?

There are many things that can be done to help the hard of hearing, people who have been hard of hearing or deaf for a number of years will usually have learnt to lip read or even sign. They may also wear a hearing aid to help them hear more clearly and there are several steps a person can take to make life easier for them.

• Always make sure the person knows when you are going to speak by facing them.
• Make sure you talk in good lighting conditions.
• Try to have your conversation away from distractions, such as heavy traffic or loud background noise.
• Don’t mumble or use a lot of slang words.
• Speak in a clear voice but don’t shout at the person.
• Remember that just because the person cant hear it doesn’t affect their intellectual capacity.