Have you been having trouble hearing? Whenever you talk to someone, you do not hear the words clearly? Do they have to speak loudly in front of you?

If so, then you may be suffering from the problem of hearing loss. Hearing loss is the loss of the ability to hear sounds. Hearing loss is difficulty in hearing clearly, hearing very little voice, difficulty in understanding in the midst of noise?

Our ear is one of the essential parts of the body. Hearing loss can occur for many reasons and at any age. Many people around the world are affected by hearing loss or deafness. To avoid this, it is important to know about the causes, symptoms, and treatment.

There are two types of hearing loss, conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss.

Conductive hearing loss can be caused by pus oozing from the ears, ear canal infection, ear bone disturbances, damage to the eardrum or ear tumors, allergies.

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is a problem with the inner ear also called nerve-related hearing loss, disturbances in the hearing cells, their weakening or destruction, aging,  exposure to loud noises, trauma related to the head, tumors, viruses, autoimmune inner ear diseases, etc.

In the conductive hearing loss, hearing can be restored, but in sensorineural hearing loss, it cannot be restored.

Reasons behind the hearing loss

1. Sometimes with increasing age, the ability to hear also starts decreasing.
2. Sometimes this problem is also congenital and can also be due to the side effects of medicines.
3. Constant exposure to loud noises, and putting ear-phones on the ears for a long time.
4. Genetic disorders and family history with hearing loss
5. Sometimes certain drugs called autotoxic can also cause hearing loss.
6. Some diseases such as Meniere's disease, otosclerosis, or autoimmune diseases can also cause hearing loss in a person.

Symptoms

1. Difficulty in hearing even normal conversations
2. Repeatedly asking people to repeat the words
3. Hearing loss during phone conversations
4. Listening to TV or music in a louder voice
5. Not being able to hear even the sound of children, birds, or rain

Precautions and treatment

Stay away from loud noises as much as possible. Do not put things like oil, earbuds, pins, pens, etc in the ear. Contact an ENT specialist in case of ear congestion or pain.

If you also have difficulty in hearing, then do not take it lightly, otherwise, you may become a victim of deafness. Dr. Manish Prakash at Mayom hospital is an ENT Specialist in Gurugram Haryana with more than 20 years of experience in middle ear and inner ear disorders of adults and children.