4 Signs You May Lose your Hearing Sooner Than Expected

Signs You May Lose your Hearing Sooner Than Expected – As you grow older, you’ll experience some changes in your hearing. In most cases, hearing lose doesn’t happen overnight. It takes some gradual process, especially if you are exposed to risk factors.

For age-related issues, you should pay attention to different signs that indicate that you might lose your hearing. People who have untreated hearing loss can feel isolated, experience memory issues, and feel depressed. If the following symptoms are familiar, you should seek medical attention regarding hearing tests.

1. You Have a Feeling You’re Becoming Clumsier

The inner part of the ear is where the hearing takes place, and it is similar to a house that has two rooms. The hearing mechanism is one room, referred to as the cochlea. The balance mechanisms are in the next room. Each of these two rooms has been connected using a space that is fluid-filled. One room will have an effect on the other. We make use of auditory cues to determine whether we’re in space. When a person with hearing loss puts on hearing aids, their ability to sense and have a sense of balance will improve significantly.

2. There are Sounds Louder than Usual

You may feel like loud noises startle you. You should blame this on a phenomenon known as “recruitment.” The phenomenon is common in people that have been affected by hearing loss. It usually happens since you won’t lose all your hair cells at once. When a sound is from the louder side, the healthy cells will be triggered, and they can respond more forcefully than usual. Louder sounds will be jarring. The sounds you hear may also be distorted.

3. The Ears Feel Clogged

When this happens, it means there is a lot of wax in your ears. The doctor may tell you your ears are clear. In such an instance, you should opt for a hearing test. If you’re in the seniors’ category, your hearing loss is age-related, and some sounds will feel muffled and dull. You’ll experience a clogged feeling.

4. The Sounds Produced by Children Seem Unclear

Age may take a toll on the inner part of the ear, known as the cochlea, and it is responsible for detecting high-pitched sounds. You may find it hard to understand people around you if they have a high-pitched voice. You may also have a hard time hearing your microwave when it beeps.

We have looked into different signs that can help detect early hearing loss. We’ll now look into the main hearing loss types, and they include:

i. Sensorineural hearing loss

It usually happens when the hair cells in the cochlea are damaged. Other causes are such as when the nerves meant for hearing are damaged, and they’re known as the auditory nerves; this happens as you age. Nonetheless, other causes include chemotherapy, noise exposure, trauma, genes, and radiation.

ii. Conductive hearing loss

This type of hearing loss will be because there is an issue with your eardrum or ear canal, and it won’t be possible to carry the sound to the inner part of the ear. Trauma, ear infections, fluids, or objects in the ear usually cause this type of hearing loss.

iii. Mixed hearing loss

This is a combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. It occurs because of an issuer with the middle or outer ear and the auditory nerve or inner ear. After long-term infections or an injury, you may experience mixed hearing loss.

Considering you now understand the signs that you may lose your hearing sooner than expected, you should visit an audiologist in Princeton NJ. Keep in mind both ears can be affected by hearing loss. It may take place gradually or suddenly and worsen with time.

When Should You See a doctor?

If you experience any issue with your hearing, you should consult a doctor immediately. Remember that aging is also a risk factor, and you may fail to notice that you’re losing your hearing.

What are the Causes of Hearing Loss?

If you want to better understand how hearing loss takes place, you should first understand how you hear.

The Hearing Process

The ear comprises three parts: the middle ear, inner ear, and outer ear. The sound waves will pass through your outer ear, and there will be vibrations at your eardrum. The eardrum and the small bones comprising the middle ear usually amplify the vibrations while they travel to your inner ear. The vibrations usually pass through a fluid present in the cochlea, which is in the form of a structure that is snail-shaped.

There are tiny hairs attached to the nerve cells present in the cochlea, and they help in the translation of the sound vibrations, which become electrical signals that travel to the brain. The brain usually turns the electrical signals into sound.

How Hearing Loss Occurs

Hearing loss will occur because of the following reasons:

• The earwax builds up gradually- earwax usually blocks your ear canal, and the conduction of sound waves will be prevented. The removal of earwax will help to restore your hearing back to normal.
• Ruptured eardrum- a sudden change in pressure, a loud noise blast, and poking the eardrum with an object can cause the rupturing of the eardrum, and your hearing will be affected.
• Damage to your inner ear- being exposed to loud noise will lead to wear and tear of the nerve cells or hair present in the cochlea, and it is the part of the ear that sends the sound signals to your brain. When the nerve cells sustain damage, electrical signals cannot be transmitted efficiently, and you’ll end up experiencing hearing loss.

Final Thoughts

Aging is among the risk factors of aging. Since aging is not reversible, you should be aware of the signs that you’ll lose your hearing sooner than you expect. We’ve also looked into the causes of hearing loss and when you should seek medical attention.