Hearing Loss

Some form of hearing loss is relatively common in older people; all of us lose a little bit of hearing as we age. But the aging process and exposure to loud noises over the years are just two of the possible causes of hearing loss. Injury to the head or ear, certain medications and infections and even birth or hereditary factors, among other things, could potentially damage your auditory system; actually, statistics show that congenital hearing loss is one of the most common birth defects in the country.

People with hearing impairment find it especially difficult to follow conversations in the presence of background noise and will often not participate in conversations and avoid large social gatherings. Many musicians can no longer play the acoustic guitar due to hearing loss and many parents wonder, “Do children with hearing loss have development delays?”

To understand hearing loss, first you need to understand how hearing occurs. Your ear is divided into three regions: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. Sound waves enter into the outer ear and hit your eardrum, a membrane separating your outer inner from your middle ear. The eardrum vibrates and causes three small inner ear bones to vibrate as well.

Some form of hearing loss is relatively common in older people; all of us lose a little bit of hearing as we age. But the aging process and exposure to loud noises over the years are just two of the possible causes of hearing loss. Injury to the head or ear, certain medications and infections and even birth or hereditary factors, among other things, could potentially damage your auditory system; actually, statistics show that congenital hearing loss is one of the most common birth defects in the country.

People with hearing impairment find it especially difficult to follow conversations in the presence of background noise and will often not participate in conversations and avoid large social gatherings. Many musicians can no longer play the acoustic guitar due to hearing loss and many parents wonder, “Do children with hearing loss have development delays?”

To understand hearing loss, first you need to understand how hearing occurs. Your ear is divided into three regions: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. Sound waves enter into the outer ear and hit your eardrum, a membrane separating your outer inner from your middle ear. The eardrum vibrates and causes three small inner ear bones to vibrate as well.