12/Jan/2008
Is It Permanent Hearing Loss or Is It Just Wax?
By Denise Arceneaux
La. Ear, Nose & Throat Hearing and Balance Center
Approximately 30 million Americans have hearing loss. Fifty million have tinnitus (ringing or noises in the ears), an early indicator of hearing loss. This number is expected to rise due to the number of baby boomers reaching a mature age and to younger Americans being exposed to increasingly louder sounds in their environment.
Of the roughly 30 million Americans suffering from hearing loss, 10 million can be attributed to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). NIHL can be caused by a one-time exposure to loud sound as well as by repeated exposure to sounds at various loudness levels over an extended period of time. Damage happens to the microscopic hair cells found inside the cochlea. Over time, the hair cell's hair-like stereocilia may get damaged or broken. If enough of them are damaged, hearing loss results. The high frequency area of the cochlea is often damaged by loud sound. Fortunately, this type of hearing loss is entirely preventable; however, once the damage occurs the hearing cannot be restored.
Hearing loss caused by natural aging of the human body is called presbycusis and begins after age 20, but often it is not noticed until the ages of 55 to 65. Presbycusis affects the high frequencies in the speech range, making understanding and hearing speech difficult. Often times the first complaint is that “I can hear, but I can’t understand.” This is due to the ability to perceive some, but not all of the frequencies in the speech range. Presbycusis is also considered a permanent loss.
Ear wax is a common and easily treatable cause of hearing loss, discomfort, and sometimes noises in your ears (tinnitus). Wax is produced by all of us. It only causes problems when it builds up, which may be due to over-production or difficulties in the natural clearance of the wax. The skin cells lining our outer ear canals include tiny glands, similar to sweat glands, which produce wax. Its purpose is as a protective layer, which traps dust and other particles which get into the ear. The wax slowly works its way to the outside, taking the trapped dirt and dust with it, a natural process.
Some people may, at some stages in their lives produce wax at a faster rate. Other people have ear canals that are narrow, or that are at an angle which slows the natural passage of the wax causing it to build up. The wax may eventually block off the ear canal all together. If this happens, hearing is reduced, and there is an increased likelihood that if left untreated may lead to an infection.
Whether it is wax or a permanent hearing loss due to damage to the cochlea (inner ear) a hearing healthcare professional, an audiologist, along with an Ear, Nose and Throat physician can assess the cause of your hearing troubles. Digital hearing aids are effective in helping correct the problems that cannot be treated medically, but it’s best to have a full hearing evaluation to know where you stand.
By Denise Arceneaux
La. Ear, Nose & Throat Hearing and Balance Center
Approximately 30 million Americans have hearing loss. Fifty million have tinnitus (ringing or noises in the ears), an early indicator of hearing loss. This number is expected to rise due to the number of baby boomers reaching a mature age and to younger Americans being exposed to increasingly louder sounds in their environment.
Of the roughly 30 million Americans suffering from hearing loss, 10 million can be attributed to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). NIHL can be caused by a one-time exposure to loud sound as well as by repeated exposure to sounds at various loudness levels over an extended period of time. Damage happens to the microscopic hair cells found inside the cochlea. Over time, the hair cell's hair-like stereocilia may get damaged or broken. If enough of them are damaged, hearing loss results. The high frequency area of the cochlea is often damaged by loud sound. Fortunately, this type of hearing loss is entirely preventable; however, once the damage occurs the hearing cannot be restored.
Hearing loss caused by natural aging of the human body is called presbycusis and begins after age 20, but often it is not noticed until the ages of 55 to 65. Presbycusis affects the high frequencies in the speech range, making understanding and hearing speech difficult. Often times the first complaint is that “I can hear, but I can’t understand.” This is due to the ability to perceive some, but not all of the frequencies in the speech range. Presbycusis is also considered a permanent loss.
Ear wax is a common and easily treatable cause of hearing loss, discomfort, and sometimes noises in your ears (tinnitus). Wax is produced by all of us. It only causes problems when it builds up, which may be due to over-production or difficulties in the natural clearance of the wax. The skin cells lining our outer ear canals include tiny glands, similar to sweat glands, which produce wax. Its purpose is as a protective layer, which traps dust and other particles which get into the ear. The wax slowly works its way to the outside, taking the trapped dirt and dust with it, a natural process.
Some people may, at some stages in their lives produce wax at a faster rate. Other people have ear canals that are narrow, or that are at an angle which slows the natural passage of the wax causing it to build up. The wax may eventually block off the ear canal all together. If this happens, hearing is reduced, and there is an increased likelihood that if left untreated may lead to an infection.
Whether it is wax or a permanent hearing loss due to damage to the cochlea (inner ear) a hearing healthcare professional, an audiologist, along with an Ear, Nose and Throat physician can assess the cause of your hearing troubles. Digital hearing aids are effective in helping correct the problems that cannot be treated medically, but it’s best to have a full hearing evaluation to know where you stand.
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