View Cart ( 0 )
About Hearing Loss
How to Buy
Compare
Online Store
About Us
SupportWhat is Hearing Loss?
Coping with and combating hearing loss
Suffering from loss of hearing doesn’t have to be debilitating thanks to Hearing Aids Australia
Hearing loss is often a restricting and difficult to cope with condition that affects many Australians in all age brackets. Living with hearing loss is becoming easier thanks to the expert studies and research conducted by medical professionals and scientists in the hope of reversing the effects of hearing loss. While there are many different ways to cope with and combat hearing loss, Hearing Aids Australia is the best place for all your independent loss of hearing treatment and solutions.
By working with independent hearing specialists, Hearing Aids Australia can devise a hearing loss solution that is most beneficial to you in order to aid your loss of hearing.
What is hearing loss?
Hearing impairment or loss is the deterioration or incapacitation of our natural audiological system. It is the difficulty of hearing certain sounds across the speech frequency range. Loss of hearing is the result of damage to or conditions of the outer, middle and/or inner parts of the ear. Hearing loss can be present from birth (congenital) or develop later in life (acquired). The severity of a hearing loss is determined via pure tone audiometry, which tells us how loud a sound needs to be for you to hear it. Hearing loss is then characterised based on the type and severity of the impairment. Hearing loss can be one ear only (unilateral) or both ears (bilateral). It can be a gradual process, or can happen quite suddenly, but cannot always be detected or recognised by others.
How hearing loss affects our ears
How we hear depends on 4 different parts of the hearing system working together to help us interpret and detect different sounds from the environment. These four integral components combine to create the system in which we are able to hear and decipher sounds within the speech frequency. The four parts of the ear are:
1. Outer Ear Pinna
The visible part of the ear that helps determine the direction and collection of sound. It also serves to boost and amplify high pitched (treble) sounds.
Ear canal. Sound moves through the ear canal and strikes the eardrum.
2. Middle Ear
Eardrum. A membrane of skin that acts as a seal between the ear canal and the middle ear. As sound waves reach the eardrum, it vibrates.
Middle Ear. Bones work together to send the vibrations of sound from the eardrum into the inner ear.
3. Inner Ear
Cochlea. Shaped like a snail and filled with fluid. The fluid inside the cochlea sends the vibrations to hair cells that lie within the cochlea which turn the vibrations into electrical signals.
4. Auditory (Hearing) Nerve
Hearing Nerve. Sends the electrical signals from the cochlea to the auditory (hearing) part of the brain. This is where we interpret and make sense of sound.
Hearing tests and detecting hearing loss
Hearing tests are fast, easy and painless- so there is certainly no need to be worried! Results regarding your loss of hearing are generally available for discussion immediately to give you some idea of what your hearing is like.
Step 1 - The audiologist/audiometrist will look into your ear with a light to evaluate your ear canal and ear drum.
Step 2 - You will be seated in a sound treated area where headphones or foam inserts will be placed on your ears. You will be asked to listen to a range of different frequency sounds and respond by raising your hand or pressing a button when you hear a sound. You will be asked to respond to every sound, no matter how soft.
Step 3 - Your responses will be plotted on a graph, to show how loud a sound must be for you to hear. This will show how your hearing compares to the essentially "normal hearing" range at different pitches.
Step 4 - You may be asked to complete other subtests, such as speech testing (where you are required to repeat a list of spoken words) or middle ear testing. These are also simple and quick processes.
Step 5 - Your audiologist/audiometrist will discuss your results with you, and make a recommendation. This may include hearing aid fitting, or referral to an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist if required.
If you’re concerned about your hearing loss or suspect a loss of hearing is developing in your ears, contact Hearing Aids Australia today for independent hearing testing and hearing loss solutions.
For more information on the services and products offered by Hearing Aids Australia, or to book a hearing assessment, check out the rest of our website or call us on 1800 Hear Oz (1800 432 769) and for a list of our hearing aid brands please follow the provided link.
Next : What causes hearing loss?
