Hearing Center Visit Soon? What You Need to Know About Auditory Loss

Are you one of the millions of Americans who suffers from auditory loss? Are you planning a visit to a hearing center in the near future?

As far as problems associated with hearing loss are concerned, one out of every 10 Americans lives with this reality every day. What this translates to is that at the present time there are 28 million Americans who live with an impairment with their ears. The condition may be serious or mild but it is an issue for them all the same.

If you have an issue with how you hear then you can find out relevant information at a hearing center. You will learn that there are three kinds of loss. There is conductive, sensorineural and mixed. It helps to know what each type involves in order to know which one is affecting you.

Conductive loss occurs when sound waves are unable to travel into the inner ear. This can take place as a result of an ear infection, a punctured eardrum or a build-up of ear wax (also known as cerumen). It can also occur because of fluid that has appeared in the middle ear as a result of an infection or otitis media.

Sensorineural loss (also simply called nerve loss) makes itself known when the hair cells or the auditory nerve found in the middle ear become damaged due to any number of things. Infection or an illness can cause damage, as can an injury such as a head trauma, an inherited condition, toxic medications or excessive noise. This can also happen simply because of the aging process.

A mixed auditory condition can be diagnosed at a hearing center as can the other two types of auditory conditions. As the name suggests, this kind is a combination of conductive and sensorineural. If it leans more towards the conductive variety then it can often be made better with a medical treatment or in some cases, a surgical procedure. On the other hand, if it is more sensorineural in nature then it is more likely to be a permanent condition that is unable to be reversed. The treatment in this case would have to be an aid to improve the person's ability to discern sounds and voices.

Going to a hearing center to have your hearing checked if you think that you have a problem is a good idea because such a test is not often an element of a physical exam given by a medical doctor. It has been estimated that only 15 percent of physicians make it a habit to make an auditory check an aspect of routine exams. A screening is wise for everyone but is particularly essential for those who struggle to hear voices and sounds.