Hearing Loss
Hearing loss
Hearing loss means that you have trouble hearing sounds, whether it's all the time or just in certain situations. It can happen to anyone, at any age, but it’s more common as people get older.
What are the types of hearing loss?
For better understanding of the types of hearing loss, please refer to the diagram below, of how the human ear is divided to an outer, middle and inner ear.
When sound can’t get through the outer or middle part of your ear, this causes a conductive hearing loss. Usually, it is caused by too much earwax, a cold, or even things like fluid in the middle ear. Sounds are muffled or that it feels like there's
pressure in your ear, like when you're underwater or in an aeroplane. Conditions like these are often treatable and curable. Sometimes it’s as simple as getting earwax removed, taking medicine for an infection, or maybe even surgery if something's blocking the ear. Dr Fragkiadakis, will remove any impacted ear wax using microsuction and a surgical microscope, to make the procedure safe and comfortable.
On the other hand, when the damage lies in the inner part of your ear, the cochlea or the nerve that sends sound signals to your brain, termed as sensorineural hearing loss. This can cause a usually permanent hearing loss, that cannot be cured. You might have trouble hearing high-pitched sounds, or understanding others when there’s background noise, like in a busy room. It can be treated very often successfully with hearing aids, which help by making sounds louder. For more severe cases, a cochlear implant, which is a tiny device placed in the ear can help send sound signals directly to the brain.
Often after our consultation, you might need to have further tests, like a hearing test (audiogram) or imaging, such as MRI/CT. These will help for an accurate diagnosis and help to develop an individualised treatment plan together.
My hearing went suddenly in one or both ears, what do I need to do?
If you feel that your hearing worsened considerably within hours to days, you must seek immediate medical review. The same applies if along the hearing loss, you have experienced earache and/or ear discharge and/or vertigo. There are conditions that need to be treated promptly, as any delay in treating them might not have the desired outcomes.
How can I protect my hearing?
There are a series of actions that you can take to reduce the likelihood of ending with some type or degree of hearing loss. Firstly, you need to avoid trying to clean the ear canals with cotton buds, like Q-Tip’s. Use a towel to wipe the ear or a hairdryer kept
from a distance in case the ear still feels wet. This will reduce the chances of getting an infection, or causing trauma to your ear, as well as ending up with impacted ear wax. Moreover, you need to protect your ears from any loud sounds, by turning down
the volume of the headphones. Wear ear protection when you are around loud noises such as concerts and sporting events. Give your ears a break after listening to loud music. Lastly get your hearing checked if you have any ringing or buzzing or
feel that your hearing has worsened.
For further information please use the link below
Hearing loss
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