Hearing Loss: What It Is, Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Hearing loss is very common, affecting approximately 40 million American adults. If you or a loved one is experiencing hearing loss, it’s helpful to learn as much as you can about the condition and how to treat it.

Hearing loss is the  inability to hear sounds in one or both ears, and it can occur at a wide range of frequencies and at various volumes. Hearing levels are determined by decibels, which measure the intensity or loudness of sounds a person can hear. For humans to hear sounds, they need to be above a certain decibel level. Normal hearing is between 0 – 20 decibels. For example, the sound of breathing is approximately 10 decibels. Those who have difficulty picking up sounds in this decibel range have some sort of hearing loss.

The main symptoms experienced by patients that may indicate hearing loss are: 

• They need to turn up the TV volume louder than normal

• They can’t follow conversations in noisy places like restaurants

• They have to ask people to repeat themselves more than usual

Other symptoms may include:

• Sudden hearing loss in one ear

• A feeling of ear fullness or tinnitus, a constant ringing or buzzing sound in the head or ears, sometimes combined with dizziness

• When sounds are muffled, as if you are underwater

When you begin to sense a change in your hearing, see a doctor right away. For sensorineural hearing loss, hearing aids are often the best option. Today, there is a wide variety of hearing aids to choose from, and your doctor, usually an otolaryngologist (or ear, nose and throat specialist), will help you find the management options for your situation. 

If you experience sudden hearing loss in one ear, this is usually caused by a viral infection and needs quick treatment. Steroids can usually restore some or partial hearing if treated within a few weeks. 

For hearing loss due to earwax, injury or structural abnormalities, treatments run from the simple (removal of the earwax by a physician) to surgery to fix the ear bones. Consult your physician for the most appropriate option.

For those with moderate to profound hearing loss with poor benefits from hearing aids, a cochlear implant, a small electronic device surgically implanted in the inner ear, is another option to discuss with your doctor.

The best way to protect your hearing is to avoid noisy environments. If you are exposed to loud noise, let’s say at a concert, wear ear plugs. Hearing loss can occur from a one-time event, such as experiencing an explosion, but more often it is from repeated noise exposure.