How Is Sensorineural Hearing Loss Treated?

Hearing loss comes in many different forms, and sensorineural hearing loss is the most common. Around the world, it affects the lives of millions of people every year. So how do you treat it? And what are the available options?

Why Should You Have Your Hearing Checked?

If you believe that you have some issues with your hearing, it is important to get them seen straight away. Some of the things which can affect your hearing can be fixed simply. For others, it is better to have them identified early to help manage the effects that they have on your day-to-day life. Research has shown that leaving hearing loss untreated can affect more than just your hearing. Trips and falls are reduced, depression is lower and cognitive decline is prevented or slowed.

Symptoms of hearing loss include:

• Muffled hearing
• Difficulty understanding speech
• Sudden or steady loss of hearing
• Full or stuffy sensation in the ear
• Ringing in the ear
• Dizziness

If you are dealing with any of these symptoms, you may need to speak to your audiologist to help discover the cause for the sensations in your ears.

What Is Sensorineural Hearing Loss?

Sensorineural hearing loss is a type of hearing loss that affects the inside of the ear. This means it originates in the inner ear or auditory nerve and is generally caused by damage to the inner ear hair cells. This is different from other forms as it is an issue with the ear, rather than something blocking the noise getting to the ear. In children, the most common causes of sensorineural hearing loss include inner ear abnormalities, genetic variations, jaundice and viral infection from the mother during pregnancy. 

In adults, sensorineural hearing loss is most commonly caused by aging, exposure to loud noises, head trauma or other conditions. Along with aging, loud noise exposure is another big risk factor for this type of hearing loss. As we get older, the hair cells in our ears stop functioning as well as they used to and eventually stop working altogether. Nearly half of all people 75 or older have hearing loss. 

Other issues which can cause hearing loss are:

• Aging: Gradual sensorineural hearing loss that cannot be reversed and is the most common.
• Acoustic trauma: Exposure to loud noises. For example, industrial machinery or explosions and gunfire close to the ear. This can be prevented with proper protection
• Head trauma or abrupt changes in air pressure: This can cause the space that contains inner ear fluid to rupture.
• Autoimmune inner ear disease: The body’s immune system attacks the inner ear and causes progressive hearing loss in both ears.
• Meniere’s disease: A condition characterized by fluctuating hearing loss, dizziness, ear fullness or ringing in the ears which is called tinnitus.

How Can Sensorineural Hearing Loss Be Treated?

Sensorineural hearing loss is permanent; hair cells can't be repaired once they're damaged. If your audiologist recommends hearing aids, they will work with you to calibrate them to your specific hearing loss, during a process known as fitting. Hearing aids do not cure or restore hearing:

• Other treatment options can include:
• Continuing observation with repeated hearing tests.
• Low-sodium diet
• Evaluation and fitting of a hearing aids or other assistive listening devices.
• Preferential seating in class for school children

The basic purpose of a hearing aid is to amplify sound. But modern hearing aids can be highly customized to your specific hearing needs. They can amplify the sounds you need to hear while minimizing those you don't. While they can't exactly mimic normal hearing, they work very well for people with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. To learn more about Physicians Hearing Center, call us today at (334) 441-4090. Our friendly staff are waiting to take your call and discuss how they can help you.