Hearing Health

Did you know that one in ten New Zealanders experiences hearing loss – but sadly we typically wait seven years before visiting a hearing clinic such as Bay Audiology. Although hearing loss can really impact on your quality of life, so you don’t have to put up with it. Keep reading and you can learn more about the different types of hearing loss, and also find a few simple ways to protect your ears.

 

 

The ear is a precious and delicate organ. Before we hear anything, sound waves in the air need to be converted into nerve impulses that our brain then reads as ‘sound’. To fully understand how it works, it’s important to realise that the ear is made up of three parts:

 

1. The outer ear

2. The middle ear

3. The inner ear.

Sound waves are gathered by the outer ear, move down the ear canal and strike the eardrum, causing it to vibrate. The drum is connected to three tiny bones that are housed in the middle ear. The third bone acts as a piston, moving in a small opening at the start of the inner ear. This movement sets up waves in the fluid of the inner ear. These waves, like a swell in the ocean, move over tiny hairs that stick out of nerve cells lining the inner ear, and as these hair cells move they generate nerve impulses. The nerve impulses are then carried along nerve fibres to the brain – it’s here they are registered as sound.

There are three types of hearing loss:

 

1. Conductive hearing loss is when there is a problem in the outer or middle ear, which prevents sound from getting to the inner ear. It can be caused by:

2. Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is a problem in the ear canal that prevents sound from getting from the middle ear to the brain. Hearing aids are usually very effective at compensating for this kind of hearing loss. Causes of sensorineural hearing loss can include:

3. Mixed hearing loss occurs when two of the above problems combine; one in the outer or middle ear and one in the inner ear or nerve.

Ringing ears or tinnitus is that persistent ringing or buzzing in your ears. It affects one in three Kiwis at some time in their life, so if your ears are buzzing, it’s not a mosquito! If you suffer from this common and annoying hearing problem, a visit to Bay Audiology for a thorough hearing test can help us diagnose the issue and prescribe a course of action.

 

Hearing devices can often mask out the tinnitus symptoms. Another approach uses noise generators to disguise the tinnitus sound with ‘white’ noise, distracting the brain from the buzzing of tinnitus. And take note: aspirin, caffeine, alcohol and smoking are all known to exacerbate tinnitus.

 

Outer or middle ear hearing loss can sometimes be corrected by surgery, antibiotics, or removal of an obstruction (such as ear wax). Inner ear hearing loss is not as easily fixed with surgery or medication. Hearing aids are really the only option. They amplify sound, which means they only work when some degree of hearing is retained. So, visit one of Bay Audiology clinics to find out which hearing aids are suitable for you.