Sudden Hearing Loss – Causes and Treatment

Sudden hearing loss – Introduction

The causes of a sudden hearing loss are many. An underlying infection is one of the most common causes. The Eustachian Tube may be blocked due to this infection. This tube runs between the nose and the middle ear. A build up of earwax in your inner ear might be found due this this tube. This wax can blog the sound waves that travel to your brain. The reason is that this wax is impacted in the ear canal. The resuls is muffled hearing. There is no need for you to use steroids or antibiotics to treat a sudden hearing loss.

You do not need to use an implement that sticks to the ear or cotton swabs. This action will worsen the problem. It will cause you permanent damage because the ear wax will be pushed further down your ear canal. The Meniere’s disease might cause you a sudden loss of hearing. This type of disease causes you dizziness and ringing in the ears. If you listen to music on headphones that is too loud then you might get NIHL (Noise Induced Hearing Loss). The NIHL can be the result of a ear drum that is perforated. It is important to wear protection in noisy environments.

Permanent damanges in the ear can be the result of constant hearing loud noises. Ears need a harmony in every of their parts for them to hear properly. Insects and toxins can affect the harmony of ears. Malnutrition is another cause of sudden loss of hearing. You need to eat the right food to get the nutriest that your body needs. Eating too much junk food will not make you any good in this situation. Small bones might become dregradated thanks to malnutrition. They will not be able to pass on the sound waves as they did.

There is no need for you to resort to surgery or medicines. Hearing degrading can be stopped using natural methods. These methods have been used for centuries. It is important that you educate yourself and take action. The two conditions of sudden hearign loss are: sudden sensorineural hearing and sudden conductive. They have different natures. This is the reason why you need to treat them differently. The sudden conductive is not considered a medical emergency and it can be fixed and diagnosed easily. If you have a sudden sensorineural hearing, you should go to a neurologist or otologist.

Sudden hearing loss – Final words

The sudden sensorineural hearing is considered a serious disease. Among the causes we can mention ulcerative colitis, relapsing polychodritis, sickle cell, blood dyscrasias, red blood cell deformity and lupus. A sudden hearing loss might also be caused by infections and traumas when they are related to toxins and viruses in the body. Those patients with a history of SSHL need to see a specialist right away to assess whether they need surgery or not. Some patients with sensorineural sudden hearing loss may recover with much treatment. Others get some relief and others do not recover at all with all this treatment.

Different Types of Hearing Loss

 

Know More about the Different Types of Hearing Loss

The hearing problems that the current populations are facing are quite a number. As such, it is estimated that hearing loss affects one out of every ten Americans. The ratio is even bigger for the aged persons who are over the age of sixty five years. In essence, the hearing impairments are categorized by checking the specific part of the auditory system that has been damaged. The most common types of hearing loss include: functional hearing loss, the mixed hearing loss, the central hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss and conductive hearing loss. A detailed look at each one of them will go a long way to help people understand what they are all about.

As a matter of fact, ninety percent of the people with some hearing defects suffer from sensorineural problems. A large number of hearing impairments fall under this category. The sensorineural problems are listed as some of the most challenging in the medicine world. These are usually brought about by getting exposed to loud noises for prolonged periods, age related changes, meningitis, stroke, high fever, genetics, circulations issues in the inner ear and disturbances resulting from inner ear fluids among many other factors. The worst part about this type of hearing loss is the fact that, there is no possible cure. The only way out is using the hearing aids for the affected persons. Notably, cochlear implants may also be an alternative to the hearing defect when the hearing aids seem to offer no help.

Conductive hearing loss is also a common type. This occurs when effective conduction of sound is not achieved through the ear canal. This results to a massive reduction of the loudness of the sound that gets to the inner ear. This kind of hearing loss can be attributed to too much earwax that blocks the ear canal, fluid in the middle ear, unusual tumors in the ear and dislocation of the ossicles. This could also be as a result of obstructions and deformations in the eardrum. The people suffering from this defect tend to talk in soft spoken voices as they tend to hear own voices very loudly. Crunchy foods such as carrots may tend to be very loud while being chewed by people with conductive loss hearing. This kind of problem can be corrected through surgical and medical options. All that one is required to do is get some solid evaluations from an audiologist and physicians for the best recommendations.

A mixed hearing loss is defined as one that has both the sensorineural and conductive loss hearing. A central hearing loss on the other hand is described as one that the persons affected have difficulties in processing the sounds that they hear. The functional hearing loss problems are usually emotional and psychological. Unlike the conductive and the sensorineural hearing loss, they have nothing to do with physical damage. Determining the exact emotional cause is never an easy thing. Therapy is however easy if the cause is clearly identified and the correct therapy taken.

Sudden Hearing Loss

SUDDEN HEARING LOSS

 

Hearing loss is defined as the inability for someone to apprehend sound due to impairment of the ear or ears. Hearing loss symptoms common are blood circulation problems, neurological problems such as tinnitus which is the ringing sound in the ears or vertigo which is the spinning sensation one feels. The neurological problems are mainly caused by mal-function of the nerves of the ear or the brain. Ear infections cause pain, trauma and blockages in the ear canals. Fevers may also occur as a result of ear infections and they are quite severe.

Sudden hearing loss can be bilateral, which means affecting only one ear or unilateral which means affecting both ears and is also commonly referred to as Single Sided Deafness. The major cause of bilateral hearing loss is old age, but there are other causes such as underlying diseases, excessive tobacco use and excessive noise exposure. Single sided deafness or unilateral hearing loss is managed by using ear implants that captures sounds from the defective ear and transmits it to the normal functioning ear. These ear devices can also be used on bilateral hearing loss depending on the level of hearing loss.

If the cause of hearing loss is a blockage of the ear canals due to hard earwax build up, over the counter ear drops can be used to make the wax flow out of the ear on its own and clear the canals. Cotton swabbing the ear canal or pouring liquid into the ear is discouraged as this might lead to further damage.

If there is a fever present due to ear infections there are prescription drugs for reducing the fever and others for treating the ear infections. Sadly that is all the prescription drugs will do, they will not treat actual hearing loss, but there are some drugs which might prevent further damage to the ears and make it easier to use implants for a very long time.
For total hearing loss, where no implant or anything will work, it is advisable for the patient to adopt sign language as a form of communication by learning it.

It is important to take safety precautions to ensure your ears are protected from damage. If you work in an environment where there is a lot of noise, wear ear protectors. Avoid environments with very loud music because ear damage might easily occur causing hearing loss which is irreversible, you can regulate the volume if possible. Sticking sharp objects like pins into the ear might cause damage to the ear drum. It is also important to blow your nose gently when its running and always use both nostrils to avoid damage to the ear canals. People suffering from hearing loss have been known to be irritable and frequently stressed because of their inability to hear. Good psychotherapy to make them understand and live with their condition positively is very helpful.

Before deciding on any form of ear treatment it is important to check with a specialist to get an expert opinion on the best treatment option. Note that, hearing loss treatment has not been discovered yet so any products claiming otherwise are scam. The treatment option available only manages the hearing loss condition and prevents further damage but does not heal!