Mild hearing loss

Mild hearing loss can have an affect on the way people are able to communicate and if left untreated in young children it can lead to problems occurring with language development and speech. You are said to have mild hearing loss if you have problems at around 26 to 46 decibels.

What are the effects of mild hearing loss?

People begin to suffer as a result of poor communication, while they can understand what is being said if the person is close to them they might have trouble when people are further away from them, if you don’t realise your partner is suffering from hearing loss this can cause problems. Very often the one with the hearing loss will complain that you are mumbling or whispering they might not even realise themselves that they have a problem or maybe not want to admit the problem.

In children hearing loss is often wrongly misdiagnosed by unsuspecting parents who think their child is just ignoring them, but if left untreated hearing loss can cause problems in school for the child and even affect their learning. If your child suddenly starts failing in school then it could be because they are having a problem hearing the teacher properly particularly if they sit towards the back of the classroom.

In younger children warning signs that something could be wrong are if the child doesn’t begin forming simple words, or not being startled when then is a sudden loud noise. If you suspect that your child is suffering from a hearing problem then you should see your doctor as soon as possible. There are many reasons for hearing loss and some of them can be remedied easily and quickly while others may need extensive tests to find the cause. Children do suffer from an infection called otitis media or glue ear as it is more commonly known, this can cause hearing loss but it is usually very painful.

How is mild hearing loss treated?

Treatment for mild hearing loss will depend on what it is that is causing the loss of hearing, if it is an infection then medication such as antibiotics will usually clear it up and the hearing should return to normal. If the extent or reasons for the loss is unknown then your doctor can suggest that you see an ENT specialist or an audiologist for hearing screening.

Unilateral hearing loss is a term which is used to describe the problem when hearing loss only occurs in one ear, people affected like this can hear perfectly in one ear but may be slightly impaired or the person could be totally deaf in the other ear.