Ears Hearing

Conductive loss of hearing takes place when the body has trouble conducting sound waves through the ear. It can occur from a problem with any part of the ear-the external, the inner, the middle, or the tympanic membrane. This type of loss can happen alone or along side of sensorineural loss of hearing, which is a problem in how the brain processes sound. To discover the affected part of the ear, a tuning fork is placed against the midline of the forehead. This test, called a Weber test, lets the audiologist know exactly where in the ear the hearing loss is coming from.There are many different causes for conductive hearing loss. Some can be permanent, but many are temporary problems. Each one is treated in a different way.
In the external ear, the most common causes of conductive loss are excess earwax and ear infections. In both cases, the hearing loss is most often temporary. Hearing is often restored once the excess earwax has been removed or an antibiotic has cleared up the ear infection. Some of the less common causes of conductive hearing loss are tumors in the ear canal, a foreign object becoming lodged in the ear, and surfer’s ear (growth of bone in the ear canal, which causes the canal to narrow and close.)Many travelers are familiar with hearing loss that is caused in the tympanic membrane. Different pressures in the external and middle ear can cause a temporary loss of hearing. This normally happens when pressure in the environment changes, like when traveling through a tunnel on a train or changing altitude in an airplane. Temporary conductive loss of hearing can also occur whenever the tympanic membrane has been ruptured or perforated. Tympanic membrane retraction, a condition where part of the tympanic membrane lies deeper in the eardrum than normal, can lead to a more permanent form of conductive hearing loss.The most common reason for conductive hearing loss in the middle ear is fluid in the ear. This fluid can block the Eustachian tube and can be caused by allergies, tumors, or ear infections. This is generally a temporary condition, though it could become permanent if there are repeated ear infections, especially in children. Less common reasons for conductive loss in this part of the ear include middle ear tumors, otosclerosis (presence of an additional small bone in the middle ear), and cholesteatoma (an expanding growth of a skin-like substance inside the ear.) These conditions can be repaired surgically, and most often the loss is temporary.Within the inner ear, the most common reason for conductive hearing loss is severe otosclerosis. The loss is most often reversed after surgically removing or opening the blockage. Much less common is the conductive hearing loss caused by superior canal dehiscence, a condition caused by the thinning or absence of part of the temporal bone. This condition can be surgically repaired by rebuilding the temporal bone, thus restoring the hearing.Conductive hearing loss can be an annoyance to the sufferer. However, it is a rather common condition that is easily treated and is rarely permanent.

Increasing noise pollution, coming from various sources, is one of the major reasons that can cause several health problems, such as stress, hypertension and hear loss, among others. This is because the body is sensitive and prone to the changes taking place in the environment. It is important to take proper care of the body organs in order to avoid serious health hazards. The noise pollution has main impact on the ears leading to the problem of hearing loss, which may be temporary or permanent.These days a large number of people suffer from the problem of hearing loss. Hearing loss can be caused due to several reasons such as continuous expose to loud or harsh sound, iPods or loud music, ailments, excessive use of mobile phones, old age or other forms of noise pollution. Hearing loss can also be caused due to some genetic disorders. In order to improve this hearing impairment, several equipment and devices are readily available in the market. Hearing aids are one of the most widely accepted devices used for overcoming the problem of hearing impairment.This is the devices that are used for enhancing the hearing ability of a person. These devices are designed for people who suffer from hearing loss caused due to the damage of the hair cells presents in the ears. The function of hearing aids is to amplify the sound vibrations entering the ears. Hearing devices convert the larger vibrations into the neural signals with the help of the undamaged hair cells, which are then passed onto the brain.Several options of affordable hearing accessories are available in the market these days. One can choose from the options available depending upon the budget as well as preference. Most of the available hearing devices are either based on analog technology or on digital technology; latter being more expensive but effective than the latter. However, before purchasing any of the hearing aids, one should consult an audiologist and follow all the instructions, in order to avoid any further problems. Moreover, a proper hearing aid can help simplify the life of people suffering from hearing problem.