When it comes to our health we think about the obvious things – working out and eating well, but I’m sure most of us don’t consider our hearing health! I recently lost my sense of taste for about two months and this really made me appreciate how important all of our senses are…and also how we can actually suddenly (or slowly) lose them.
All of our senses are vital to our daily wellbeing and quality of life. When it comes to your sense of hearing, imagine losing this and the aspects of your life that you most likely take for granted: listening to your favourite music and talking with friends and family, and also important alerts such as safety tones and sirens.
Around one in six Australians experience hearing loss, with over 50% being over 50 years old and 60% over 60. While those ages may be a fair way off for some of you reading this, it’s important to still consider your hearing health now and learn about the steps you can take to prevent hearing loss from occuring as you age.
Early Signs of Hearing Loss
Some of the early signs of hearing loss include:
- Turning the TV up louder than others prefer (and may comment on)
- Struggling to have a conversation in a busy place
- Feeling like others are often mumbling
- Missing phone tones or the doorbell
- Experiencing ringing in your ears (tinnitus)
Australian Hearing also has a quick 7 step quiz you can take, by clicking here.
Causes of Hearing Loss
It’s natural for us our sense of hearing to change as we age, most commonly after around 50 years old, however this can occur at any time. Certain drugs, illnesses and injuries can all also lead to damage of the delicate and intricate structures in our ears, but the most common is the exposure to loud noise.
Noise damage can come from simple, everyday activities such as loud music from your headphones (hands up for being guilty for this one!), concerts, work related noise, drills and sirens. Luckily, with a bit of care and awareness, we can prevent hearing loss from these causes.
Preventing Hearing Loss
For loud music, the obvious answer here is to use common sense and listen at a moderate level, and without using it to drown out other noise.
For those who are exposed to a noisy work environment, such as a construction site, make sure that use the safety equipment available and speak to your supervisors if it’s needed.
Keeping your ears clean and cared for is also important. While our ears are mainly self cleaning, we can still help them out by avoiding contamination by not swimming in dirty water and also getting the proper care and treatment for any ear or respiratory tract infections. Tempting as it is to clean your ears yourself, never poke anything into the ear canal as this can also cause damage, but instead speak to a professional if you feel as though there is a blockage or issue.
Treating Hearing Loss
As with any health related condition, it’s always ideal to first speak to a specialist, so they can best assess your current condition and advise a suitable solution for you.
To speak to a qualified Audiologist visit the Australian HearingHelp page or simply call them directly on 1800 740 301 (Mon to Fri, 9am – 7pm)
The treatment depends on the type of hearing loss and the cause.
Types of Hearing Loss
- Sensorineural hearing loss: the most common type, where sounds appear distorted or faint. Usually caused by damage to nerve cells in the inner ear by either aging or exposure to loud noise. Once the damage has occured this can’t be reversed, however this can be treated with the aid of hearing devices.
- Conductive hearing loss: this occurs when sounds can’t reach the inner ear, causing sounds to be faint but not distorted. This is caused by a blockage in the middle or outer ear from either a buildup of wax, fluid in the middle ear or perforated eardrums. This type can be treated by medical or surgical means.
- Mixed hearing loss: a combination of both types, resulting in sounds being softer in volume and harder to understand. This is caused by damage to both the inner and outer ear and treatment will be a mixture of treatments, depending on the degree of hearing loss.
- Tinnitus: a constant ringing or buzzing noise in the ears. While it’s not a direct type of hearing loss, it still interferes with the hearing pathway. The cause of tinnitus is not always clear, however it can be due to stress, tiredness, exposure to loud noises or as a side effect from some medications. While there is no known cure, it can be managed.
For more information in general, visit the Australian HearingHelp website.
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