Hearing loss is the inability to hear sounds completely or partially. Despite the fact that hearing loss is common, it can often be a hidden condition that is frequently misinterpreted by those around you. People who have hearing loss may become frustrated because they find it hard to follow conversations, have difficulty talking on the telephone or may need to constantly turn up the television.
Forms of Hearing Loss
Conductive hearing loss: sound does not reach the inner ear because of abnormalities in the outer and middle ear, such as earwax build-up or infection.
Sensorineural hearing loss: occurs when there is damage to the inner ear structures such as the cochlea, balancing organs, hearing nerves, or the hearing pathway from the inner ear to the brain. Sensorineural hearing loss is more common in women than men. The most typical reason for this is old age.
Hearing loss that is a combination of conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss is referred to as mixed hearing loss. It happens as a result of conditions that affect the outer, middle, and inner ear, among other things.
Impacts of Untreated Hearing Loss
Living with hearing loss can be quite difficult. When they are unable to hear other people’s conversations in a social setting, many people feel alone. This causes individuals to feel uncomfortable, and they may retreat from society.
When there is a lot of background noise, those with hearing loss have a difficult time hearing. When working in a noisy workplace, such as a factory or construction site, this has ramifications for your health and safety. Even everyday conversations in the home might be influenced. Because of the communication barrier, the speaker or listener may grow irritated, which may end in a domestic conflict.
Although there are many different types of hearing aids available, many people still identify them with older devices. They are concerned that a hearing aid will be unattractive, large, and unwieldy. However, technology has moved on somewhat since then, and the range of hearing aids available and their capabilities are much wider.
The different types of hearing aids
There are a plethora of devices available to treat your hearing loss. What hearing aid you select will be dependent on your hearing loss, lifestyle and aesthetic needs. The most common types include:
In the ear (ITE)
ITE hearing aids are worn in the ear canal and are usually custom-fit based on an impression made by your hearing health specialist during your hearing aid consultation. ITE hearing aids are offered in a variety of skin tones in order to blend in with the surrounding earlobe.
Behind the ear (BTE)
BTE devices are worn behind or on top of the outer ear and are connected to a tube that directs sound down into the ear canal. BTE styles are available in a variety of colors to complement your hair or skin tone, as well as in more flashy designs for a more unique look and feel.
In the canal (ITE)
ITC hearing aids are some of the most discreet devices and provide a natural listening experience based on their location in the canal. They also have even smaller variants: completely in canal (CIC) and invisible in canal (IIC) to allow the wearer even more privacy.
