Hearing Loss

What is hearing loss?

Hearing loss is the partial or complete loss of your ability to perceive sounds. It can develop very slowly or very quickly, depending on the cause. Although you won’t recover your original hearing after hearing loss, there are treatments and services available to help you detect and interpret sounds effectively. 

The team at Professional Hearing Center understands that hearing loss cases are vastly different from one another. They help you identify the factors contributing to your hearing loss and teach you about your treatment options.

What are the symptoms of hearing loss?

If your hearing loss happens gradually, it might be hard to tell that it’s happening at all. Signs that indicate your need for a hearing test for possible hearing loss include:

• Constantly turning up the volume on the television
• Asking others to repeat themselves often
• Avoiding or feeling anxious about social situations
• Ear ringing (tinnitus)

If your hearing loss is related to your age, you might find that you struggle to hear high-pitched sounds before noticing hearing loss with other sounds. 

Am I at risk for hearing loss?

Hearing loss can affect you regardless of your age or background, but a few factors put you at higher-than-average risk of experiencing it. The more risk factors apply to you, the more likely you will experience some degree of hearing loss. Common risk factors include:

• Old age
• Frequent loud noise exposure
• Family members with hearing loss
• Head trauma
• Certain medications
• Meniere’s disease
• Acoustic neuroma

As soon as you notice a decline in your hearing, you should book an appointment at your nearest Professional Hearing Center location for an audiology consultation complete with a comprehensive audiogram. An audiogram gives your audiologist information about the type and extent of your hearing loss. 

How is hearing loss treated?

The team at Professional Hearing Center offers treatment as well as hearing protection to help you preserve your hearing and prevent hearing loss. A few of the treatments and services available to treat or prevent hearing loss are:

Earplugs

Earplugs, often made with earmolds, sit in your ear to reduce the amount of noise that reaches your inner ear. Musician earplugs, a specific type of earplug, can help you prevent hearing loss if you’re a musician and frequently listen to loud music.

Musician monitors

Musician monitors, or in-ear monitors, allow you to hear the music you play at a lower volume. This helps protect you from damage that could lead to hearing loss. 

Hearing aids

Hearing aids are the most popular option for hearing loss treatment. Professional Hearing Center offers numerous hearing aids to amplify your hearing, including receiver-in-canal hearing aids, in-the-ear hearing aids, and invisible-in-canal hearing aids.

To find out more about hearing loss and your hearing aid options, call Professional Hearing Center or book an appointment online today.

Hearing Loss Statistics from the National Institute on Deafness and Communication Disorders:

• One in eight people in the United States (13 percent, or 30 million) aged 12 years or older has hearing loss in both ears, based on standard hearing examinations.
• About 2 percent of adults aged 45 to 54 have disabling hearing loss. The rate increases to 8.5 percent for adults aged 55 to 64. Nearly 25 percent of those aged 65 to 74 and 50 percent of those who are 75 and older have disabling hearing loss.
• Roughly 10 percent of the U.S. adult population, or about 25 million Americans, has experienced tinnitus lasting at least five minutes in the past year.
• About 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefit from using hearing aids.
• Among adults aged 70 and older with hearing loss who could benefit from hearing aids, fewer than one in three (30 percent) has ever used them. Even fewer adults aged 20 to 69 (approximately 16 percent) who could benefit from wearing hearing aids have ever used them.