There are three types of hearing loss:

• Conductive, which involves the outer or middle ear.
• Sensorineural, which involves the inner ear.
• Mixed, which is a mix of the two.

Older people are the largest group affected by hearing loss, the contributive factors range from age, excessive noise, infections, head injury, or head  tumors to hereditary factors.

• Muffing of speech and other sounds
• Troubles understanding words, especially when in a crowd or a noisy place
• Needing to turn up the volume of the television
• Being bothered by background noise
• Ringing in the ears is also known as tinnitus

Hearing loss can make life less pleasant. Seniors with hearing loss often report being depressed and feeling isolated. In part because hearing loss can make communication harder with others, hearing loss has also been linked to loss of thinking skills, also known as cognitive impairment.

There are basic tips that can help prevent hearing loss and help to reduce hearing loss from aging:

• Protect your ears: Staying away from loud noises as much as you can is the best protection. If your type of work requires you to be exposed to loud noises, use ear plugs at all times.
• Do a hearing test: This is very helpful, especially if you have lost some of your hearing. Together with your doctor, you can take the steps necessary to prevent further loss.
• Do not listen to music with the volume too high: Make sure when you use earphones the decibel of the music or noise is less than 85dB.

If you think you or your loved ones are experiencing hearing loss symptoms, visit our ENT department at Total Health. To schedule an appointment, call : +1 (345) 333-2222 or visit our website at totalhealth.ky.