Conductive Hearing Loss Treatment: Know Your Options
Medication According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, such as from a cerumen plug, the external auditory canal or the middle ear transformer , I invite you to take a closer look at this common type and its treatment options, we treat many cases of conductive hearing loss by using a microsuction device to remove anything blocking the ear, Finally, In the case of ear infections, medicine and hearing aids, Some forms of conductive hearing loss can be treated with simple medical treatments, an ENT or your physician can determine the specific type of hearing issue.
Is Sensorineural Hearing Loss Curable
Lets cut to the chase a bit: sensorineural hearing loss is not a curable condition. Its natural to wonder if it isto hope and wish that it might bewhen you hear this diagnosis. There are treatments that can help you cope with sensorineural hearing loss and live your life in a full way, but theres no complete cure.
Conductive hearing loss is curable in many cases; the obstruction is removed, and voila! But the causes of sensorineural hearing loss can be a bithairier, going well beyond a simple obstructive mass blocking the sounds.
When the tiny sound-sensing hairs in your ear, called stereocilia, suffer enough damage, they become incapable of detecting and transmitting sounds. There are no known therapies that can repair damaged stereocilia. Whats more, this damage tends to occur slowly and over time, making it difficult to spot early without making an intentional effort. But there are treatments available that can help you preserve your hearing, even if the hearing loss itself is not curable.
Other Types Of Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Sensorineural hearing loss occurs if the sensitive hair cells inside the cochlea are damaged, or as a result of damage to the auditory nerve . In some cases, both may be damaged.
Hearing loss caused by age and exposure to loud noises are both types of sensorineural hearing loss.
Sensorineural hearing loss can;also;be caused by:
- the genes you inherit ;some people may be;born deaf or become deaf over time;because of;a genetic abnormality
- viral infections of the inner ear ;such as mumps or;measles
- viral infections of the auditory nerve ;such as mumps or rubella
- acoustic neuroma; a non-cancerous growth on or near the auditory nerve
- meningitis; an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord
- encephalitis; inflammation;of the brain
- multiple sclerosis; a neurological condition affecting the central nervous system
- a head injury
- malformation of the ear
- stroke; where the blood supply to the brain is cut off or interrupted
Some;treatments and medicines, such as radiotherapy;for nasal and sinus cancer, certain chemotherapy;medicines or certain;antibiotics can also damage the cochlea and the auditory nerve, causing sensorineural hearing loss.
People with diabetes,;chronic kidney disease and;cardiovascular disease are also at increased risk of hearing loss.
Sensorineural hearing loss is permanent and hearing aids are often required to improve hearing in these cases.;
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The Skin And Allergies
An allergic response can affect the skin with swelling and an itchy rash, too. The ear has a considerable amount of skin that is at risk when allergies hit. There is the skin that covers the outer ear, known as the pinna, for example. The ear canal is covered with skin that can swell and itch enough to close the passage and prevent sound waves from moving forward.
How Does The Audiologist Treat Hearing Loss
There are a lot of options out there for those with hearing loss. Some of the options for it are below:
Conducive loss. This is usually caused by a condition in the outer or middle-inner ear and is normally temporary. Most of the time, conductive loss is because of a buildup of wax in the ear. Your audiologist can treat this with medical intervention to drain the wax and fluid.
Sensorineural loss. This is the hearing loss that is permanent, and your audiologist can diagnose this during testing. Its not possible to restore the hearing and the most effective way to treat it is with hearing aids. This is an issue with the inner ear or the auditory nerve, and its because of the damage to the fine hair cells. This cannot be repaired.
Hearing aids can improve your quality of life and help you to adjust to the hearing loss that you are experiencing. Additionally, there are assisted listening devices that can improve your experiences while watching television and in everyday situations. You and your audiologist can work together to come up with the best solution for your hearing loss so that you can continue to live a happy and fulfilled life without limitations.
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How To Get Help
If you or a loved one has a hearing loss, visit our directory of consumer-reviewed hearing clinics;to find a;professional;right away. He;or she will;investigate the cause and suggest treatment options to suit your needs. Many conductive and mixed hearing losses can be treated medically and nearly all types of hearing loss is treatable with hearing aids, implantable devices and/or assistive listening devices.;
Learn How To Use Your Device
Whichever type of severe hearing loss treatment you get, you need to learn how to use it properly.
“They have to put in a lot of effort and they have to be very dedicated to learning how to listen again,” says Hull Bell. “You can give them the latest and greatest hearing aid, but if they don’t put the time and effort into it, it’s not going to be successful.”
Before you leave your audiologist’s office, make sure you know how to use your new device. Also ask about being enrolled in an aural rehabilitation program. This program can help you improve your communication skills and adjust to your hearing aids.
Keep in touch with your audiologist and/or ENT. They can make adjustments, if needed, to make sure your hearing device continues to work well for you over the long term.
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Conductive Hearing Loss Treatment
Many things can cause conductive hearing loss, so treatment varies. The first step to treatment is seeking help and finding a diagnosis. Your family doctor or audiologist can help you with this. Once the issue has been identified, treatment can move forward.
Most cases of conductive hearing loss are caused by earwax buildup and ear infections. While these issues seem benign, they can be dangerous if left alone or treated improperly.
If you are suffering from earwax blockage, do not try to remove the earwax yourself. You can easily puncture your eardrum or shove the impaction further into your ear. Avoid putting anything in your ears, including ear canals and cleaning tools.
Meanwhile, those suffering from frequent ear infections should seek treatment. While isolated treatments might be solved easily, chronic issues can lead to scarring of the ear canal. Never let an ear infection fester, and talk to your doctor. Its important that you receive the proper antibiotics to clear up the infection. Do not rely entirely on home remedies.
For those with tumors, growths, or protrusions in the ear, surgery is an option to remove these issues. If the issue cannot be solved with a procedure, other avenues of treatment do exist.
Hearing aids for conductive hearing loss do exist. Some standard forms of hearing aids can provide relief, and specific hearing aids known as bone conduction hearing aids tackle conduction issues specifically.
How Do Audiologists Treat Hearing Loss
In the world we live in today, we have advanced technology that allows an audiologist to effectively and efficiently treat hearing loss. With a range of tests available to diagnose the severity of hearing loss, audiologists are now able to diagnose more easily and treat hearing loss carefully. Almost 20 percent of people now over the age of 12 have some degree of hearing loss. Sometimes, this is due to age while other times, this is because of an exposure to loud noise that has damaged the eardrum. As hearing loss is something that can have a drastic impact on your life, its important to seek the help of an audiologist and get your hearing tested.
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Hearing Health: Conductive Hearing Loss
Among the four types of hearing loss, conductive hearing loss is the most easily treated. However, it’s still important to understand how and why it occurs.
About hearing
When exploring the topic of deafness, you might come across information for varying forms of hearing loss. All of these conditions take away or diminish someones hearing, but they impact people in different ways and require differing treatments. Because of that, its important to make distinctions between them.
Conductive hearing loss, while rarer than sensorineural hearing loss, can affect anyone. While many cases are temporary or completely curable, some result in lasting damage and permanent hearing loss.
Before we delve into the symptoms and treatment for conductive hearing loss, we need to understand what it is and how it can occur.
What Are The Causes Of Conductive Hearing Loss
There are a range of causes of conductive hearing loss which are described below.
| Ear wax accumulation can block the ear canal causing temporary hearing loss | |
| Ear infections | For example otitis media can cause a buildup of fluid in the middle ear or an inflamed eardrum |
| Foreign body in the ear | May perforate the eardrum or cause blockage of the ear canal |
| Head trauma | May damage any part of the hearing system |
| Tympanic membrane perforation | This can be due to an ear infection, head trauma, excessively loud sound, insertion of objects into the ear or pressure build up in the middle ear |
| Ossicular discontinuity | The bones within the middle ear become disconnected due to an ear infection, tumour, head trauma or were misaligned from birth |
| Otosclerosis | The bones within the middle ear progressively harden or overgrow causing progressive hearing loss. This could be due to a genetic condition however researchers are not certain why this occurs |
| Tympanosclerosis | The causes of this condition are not fully understood Can result in significant hearing loss |
| Tumours | These may grow in the outer or middle ear and may be benign or malignant |
| Malformation of the outer ear, ear canal or middle ear structures | From birth |
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Treatments For Conductive Hearing Loss
Conductive hearing loss may be compensated for using a range of conventional hearing aids. Modern forms of hearing aid include bone-conduction hearing aids, which use a small implant to pick up sound waves traveling toward the skull and conduct them to auditory centers. These may be implanted through the skin into the part of the skull near the ear. They are made of medical-quality metals such as titanium, which integrate into the bone and thus act as an alternative route for wave conductance. Bone-conduction aids that do not need to be implanted and are secured with the handles of spectacles or a headband, are also available. These are regarded as more useful for people with hearing loss thresholds above 35dB.Damage to the outer or middle ear may be corrected through surgery. This may restore partial to full conductive hearing ability. Ear infections may be treated with medication such as anti-infectives or antibiotics, depending on the micro-organism causing ear damage. Chronic middle ear infections may also require surgery, to repair or restore the conductance of the eardrum.Modern techniques make it possible to cure or at least improve the vast majority of cases involving problems with the outer or middle ear. Dr. Kohan treats conductive hearing loss using a variety of techniques, always selecting the treatment best suited for you.
What Is Mixed Hearing Loss
Some people have a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. This may happen, for example, if someone has age-related hearing loss, then suffers trauma to the eardrum or other outer or middle ear parts. If you have mixed hearing loss, your doctor can recommend which type is to be treated first in order to maximize your chances of success.
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What Type Of Conductive Hearing Loss Can Be Treated With Hearing Aids
Mild to moderate forms of conductive hearing loss may be treated with regular hearing aids if;other treatments like medications or surgery are unable to reverse the loss. Alternatively, they may be used in the interim before a surgery is undertaken or prior to completing a course of antibiotics. For more severe forms of conductive hearing loss, bone conduction hearing aids may be a more suitable option.
Medical Journals To Extend The Research
Advanced study in;Otorhinolaryngology to detect sound level differences;;Medical Study to determine prevalence of hearing loss in child with down syndrome-;Laryngoscope study ;to determine the hearing affects after procedures on the canal wall-;;
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Conductive Vs Sensorineural: Can Hearing Loss Improve
If earwax is the culprit, once you get that earwax removed, its likely that your hearing will pop back up into a normal range. If youre diagnosed with hearing loss, your first thought is probably something along the lines of: can hearing loss improve?
The good news is that most people who suffer from conductive hearing loss can look forward to improvements once the underlying issues are resolved.
So if your hearing loss is caused by an infection, or a fluid buildup, or a significant amount of earwax, treatment will improve your overall hearing ability. On the other hand, if you are diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss, most treatment options are designed to preserve your hearing and to help you hear in spite of your hearing loss rather than improve it.
Surgery For Conductive Hearing Loss
Conductive hearing loss occurs when there is an;obstruction or damage to the outer or middle ear that prevents sound from being conducted to;the inner ear. Conductive hearing loss may be temporary or permanent, depending on the cause and sometimes, medical or surgical intervention can restore hearing.
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Hearing Loss Surgery Is Not For Everyone
Hopefully,;in the not-so-distant future, people with hearing loss will have more options for restoring lost hearing. Currently, surgeries for hearing loss can only correct very specific losses while people with the most common types still benefit the most from simply wearing hearing aids. If you have hearing loss, see a hearing healthcare professional near you for regular hearing evaluations.
Seasonal Allergies And Hearing Loss
Each year millions of people in this U.S. seek treatment for seasonal allergies. The other symptoms like congestion might keep them suffering enough that they fail to notice a change in their hearing. The ears rely on sound waves reaching a nerve in the inner ear, so they can be translated into something the brain can understand and allergies interfere with that process.
An allergic response typically leads to swelling and congestion. They, in turn, change the fluid pressure and prevent sound from traveling to the inner ear. You might notice pressure or a sense of fullness in the ears when that happens. The body produces more earwax in response to an allergy, too, creating a buildup that blocks sound.
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Who Is Surgery Suitable For
Surgeries on the ear are performed by ear nose and throat surgeons and are are often appropriate for individuals with long-lasting middle ear infections, ossicular discontinuity, otosclerosis, tympanosclerosis, malformation of any part of the ear and those whove experienced head traumas. One surgical procedure regularly performed on children with middle ear infections is the insertion of grommets into the eardrum. This drains out the excess fluid from the middle ear, resulting in improved hearing.
Aural Rehabilitation And Listening And Auditory Communication Enhancement
Unfortunately, hearing aids will not correct hearing loss or restore hearing to normal levels. However, the use of hearing aids and assistive listening devices along with auditory training can help maximize hearing abilities. Training may consists of:
- Audiologic rehabilitation classes
- Learning good listening strategies
- Establishing guidelines for communicating with those around you
In addition, UCSF Audiology researchers are leaders in the quest to develop home based therapies for enhancing listening ability.
UCSF Health medical specialists have reviewed this information. It is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or other health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your provider.
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Causes Of Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is the result of sound signals not reaching the brain. There are two main types of hearing loss, depending on where the problem lies.
- Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by damage to the sensitive hair cells inside the inner ear or damage to the auditory nerve. This occurs naturally with age or as a result of injury.
- Conductive hearing loss;happens when sounds are unable to pass from your outer ear to your inner ear, often because of a blockage such as earwax or;glue ear.
These causes are explained below.
Surgical Treatment For Hearing Loss
Some types of hearing loss hearing loss can be treated with special types of surgery. TriHealth audiologists work together with trained ear, nose and throat physicians to treat patients who would benefit from advanced technologies, such as surgical implants, to treat hearing loss. Below we have provided some information to help you better understand some of these surgical options.To be evaluated for your individualized plan of care for hearing loss, please schedule an appointment with a TriHealth ENT at 513 246 7010.
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