The ability to hear is often taken for granted. It is not until you have a hearing deficiency that you notice how important hearing can be.
Hearing loss is a lot more common than you may realize. Being deaf if not the only form of hearing loss. There are actually different levels of hearing loss that you need to be aware of.
“This means that hearing loss is a health problem that a lot of people face on a daily basis.”
It is possible for hearing loss of different degrees to impact aspects of your daily life. It is important to know what hearing loss really is and what the levels really are so that you can be more informed and be proactive when dealing with it.
Here you can find more information about hearing loss in general and the different levels of hearing loss.
It is important for you to understand that there is not just one general cause of hearing loss. You can have a loss of hearing for a number of different reasons.
Sometimes you may have hearing loss due to genetics and in other instances, you could have hearing loss due to other contributing factors that you are unaware of.
The cause of hearing loss could play a part in the level of hearing loss that you are experiencing.
Early Stage
One of the first symptoms of hearing loss involves a high pitched sound. This is normally a symptom that you will deal with if your hearing is fading slowly.
There are even certain sounds that become more difficult to decipher when you are dealing with the beginning stages of hearing loss.
“It is important to have your hearing tested when you notice the first signs of hearing loss.”
There is not a cure for hearing loss, but there are a variety of treatments that can be effective.
Severe Hearing Loss
This is a level of hearing loss that is more significant and involves hearing loss that can impact different aspects of your life. This means that you can’t even hear enough to follow a conversation if you are not wearing a hearing aid. Even with a hearing aid, it can still be difficult to hear clearly.
As you can see, hearing loss can range and not all levels are the same. No two people experience hearing loss in exactly the same way, which is normal.
Profound Hearing Loss
The level of hearing loss that has the biggest impact on your life is a profound hearing loss.
This is a type of hearing loss that impacts people that do not have the ability to hear at all if people are not shouting loudly. You might even require to be fitted for a cochlear implant if you are dealing with hearing loss of this level and type.
This means that you will not even be able to hear others speak if you are dealing with profound hearing loss. This type of hearing loss can be gradual, which means that it begins as a hearing loss that is minimal until it worsens over time to be classified as profound hearing loss.
Treatment Options
When you are looking for available treatment options that can be used to treat hearing loss, it comes down to the level of hearing loss that you are dealing with.
There are some treatments that are only suited for people that are suffering from profound hearing loss and others that are only designed for people that are dealing with minimal hearing loss.
“This means that you need to have a proper diagnosis of your hearing loss before you can find the treatment options that are most effective.”
For example, if you are dealing with minimal hearing loss that is caused by infection, it is possible for antibiotics to be a treatment option that is available. However, this is not the case if you are dealing with severe hearing loss that is genetic in nature.
This type of hearing loss will most likely require a hearing aid or cochlear implant to correct. Those people that are dealing with permanent hearing loss often adapt well over time and learn how to deal with the level of hearing loss that they are suffering with.
Hearing Loss and Age
If you do not deal with hearing loss at a young age, it is still possible to have hearing loss as you get older. Hearing loss is something that is more common as you get older.
This means that your hearing might have been fine when you were younger, but as you get older the ability to hear correctly can fade away with time. This might result in you needing a hearing aid as you age in order to hear completely.
“A proper diagnosis of your level of hearing loss is key.”