Hearing Loss

There are many causes of hearing loss, most occurring later in life affecting 1 in 5 of all over 50’s. The problem can be a slow process gradually getting worse as you get older, so you may be unaware of how much your hearing has deteriorated.

Too often, sufferers go into a state of denial. This explains why statistics show that on average, people cope with their hearing loss for 7 years before acknowledging the need to take action. We would rather suffer this increasing disability than face up to the prospect of wearing a hearing aid. Strange really when you consider that we have no compunctions about wearing specs. At our Hearing Care Centres we understand these issues and work with you to help alleviate them.

There are two basic types of hearing loss called sensorineural and conductive.

Sensorineural hearing loss is the result of damage to the inner ear or to the nerve pathway that senses sound waves. Sensorineural hearing loss usually involves a reduction in sound level, or the inability to hear soft sounds, thus affecting the ability to understand speech. An example is damage from noise exposure.

Conductive hearing loss is the result from physical problems when sound is not conducted efficiently through the ear. Conductive hearing loss usually involves a decline in sound level, or the incapacity to hear soft sounds. A very simple example is a blockage of the ear canal.