Download About Hearing and Hearing Loss

About Hearing
and Hearing
Loss
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Where is your hearing today?
Contents
If you were to pause for a moment
This booklet provides insight into
to consider how good you are at
Why you should treasure your hearing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
how your hearing works and how to
listening and communicating in
spot the telltale signs of hearing
different situations, how would you
loss. This information will help you
rate your abilities? If you sometimes
make the right decisions when it
find it hard to keep up, and you
comes to looking after your hearing.
often feel tired and overwhelmed, it
is important to consider the cause.
A hearing loss does not have to
Do family or friends complain that
prevent you from enjoying life,
you are not listening? You might be
and it will not – as long as you
in great shape physically – but what
do something about it now!
kind of condition is your hearing in?
Don’t be the last one to know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
What causes hearing loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Types of hearing loss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
How your hearing can change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
How we hear sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
The emotional impact of hearing loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
How hearing loss can affect people . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Recognising the signs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Visiting the experts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
What a hearing test can tell you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
How the ear functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Your next step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
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Why you should treasure
your hearing
Don’t be the last to know
Of all the five senses, our hearing is
As well as helping us communicate
Hearing loss can creep up so
recognise it and do something
perhaps the most precious.
and socialise, our sense of hearing
slowly that the person affected is
about it early on. To avoid this fate,
Deprived of this, we lose contact
helps to keep us safe. A fire alarm
often the last one to know. In fact,
you need to be able to recognise the
with the people we love and the
ringing, a car honking
friends, co-workers or family
signs and get your hearing checked.
world in general.
its horn, or a child shouting “Help!”
members are likely to spot the
are just a few examples
problem before you do. They might
People get their eyes and teeth
Consider all the sounds you encoun-
of vital signals that we need to
say, “You are not listening to me.”
checked on a regular basis, so
ter, every single day: friends
be able to hear.
They may get annoyed because the
why not add your ears to the main-
TV is too loud. And they might
tenance list? It takes less than an
chatting, children laughing, a
favourite song, a loving remark. It is
We rely on our hearing in so many
wonder why you do not react when
hour to assess your hearing health
this invigorating, informative
ways, which is why we should
a friend calls you or when the
– and the sooner a hearing loss is
symphony of sounds that makes life
treasure and protect it.
doorbell rings.
detected, the better.
richer.
Is this you?
Do you suspect that your
?
The real problem is often not the
condition itself – but that we do not
hearing is not as good as it used
to be? For instance, do you find
yourself having to look directly
at people’s faces to understand
what they are saying?
Did you know that more
than 500 million people
!
worldwide experience some
degree of hearing loss? About
half are of working age.
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What causes hearing loss
Types of hearing loss
Hearing loss is often associated
blocks of speech is a far more
with advancing age, but this is not
challenging affair.
always the case. Although it can
Noise-induced hearing loss
strike people at any age, the
condition most often appears after
This is often caused by over-
the age of 65. But it can also be
caused by infections, injury or birth
defects.
Age-related hearing loss
In general, there are three types
Sensorineural hearing loss
of hearing loss: conductive, sen-
This type of hearing loss happens
sorineural or mixed hearing loss (a
when the delicate sensory cells or
combination of both).
nerve fibres in the inner ear get
damaged. This stops them transmit-
exposure to excessive noise. It
Conductive hearing loss
threatens the hearing of military
Conductive hearing loss is
common causes of sensorineural
personnel, police officers, construc-
caused by problems in the outer and
hearing loss are the natural process
tion workers, factory
middle ear, which can prevent
of ageing or excessive exposure to
ting sound properly. The most
workers, farmers, dentists and
sounds getting through to the
noise. This condition is in most cases
As we get older we may lose our
kindergarten teachers – to name
inner ear. The most common
permanent.
ability to hear softer, high-pitched
but a few. Rock concerts and mp3
cause can be a build-up of wax
sounds. Birdsong is fairly easy to
players can also damage people’s
in the ear canal, perforated ear-
live without, but getting by when
hearing.
drums, fluid in the middle ear, or
you lose some of the building
damaged or defective ossicles
(middle ear bones).
Everyday Sources of Noise
Soft Whisper
Leaves Rustling
Quiet House
Vacuum cleaner
Electric Drill/Lawnmower
20 dB
Hazard Zone
Protection must be
40 dB
worn by law in the
60 dB
workplace
80 dB
120 dB
Jet Engine
120 dB
part of the ear’s delicate
mechanism can break down or
!
simply wear out? Some people
experience a significant loss of
100 dB
Nightclub/Rock concert
Gunshot/Explosion
Did you know that over time,
140 dB
Regular exposure to loud noise will accelerate hearing loss. Even transient loud
noise, such as the sound of a hammer, can cause permanent damage to your
hearing. Always wear ear protectors if you are exposed to excessive noise.
sensory cells at the age of 50,
while others only have a negligible loss even at the age of 80.
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How your hearing can change
How we hear sounds
Even with a hearing loss you might
decrease before you become a
Sounds can be described as loud or
At meetings and social events there
feel that life sounds just as loud as
teenager. It is a very slow process,
soft, high-pitched or low-pitched. A
is nothing worse than having to ask
ever. Some sounds – like a lawn-
therefore it is difficult to recognise.
violin, or birds singing are examples
people to repeat themselves. You
mower – remain audible while
of high-pitched (or high frequency)
might blame others for mumbling,
others become harder to hear. Take
Knowing more about what to be
sounds, while a double bass, or
when it is actually your hearing that
the voices of women and children,
aware of will help you monitor your
traffic in the street are examples of
is at fault. Communication will
for instance. You will have to work
own reactions: If you find yourself
low-pitched (or low frequency)
become increasingly difficult, until
doubly hard to follow what they are
saying “What?” and “Sorry – could
sounds.
eventually you will withdraw from
saying, as their voices are softer
you repeat that?” you will know that
and higher pitched than men’s
it is time to take action and get your
Keeping up with speech
voices.
hearing tested.
What makes speech so hard to
social situations completely.
follow with a hearing loss is that it
Our hearing gets weaker over
involves so many different sounds in
the years, it basically starts to
a rapid flow. The softer, highpitched consonants such as ‘f’, ‘s’ or
‘t’ can be drowned out by the louder,
low-pitched vowel sounds – such as
‘a’, ‘o’ and ‘u’. So if someone says
Is this you?
?
Do you have difficulty
hearing someone calling
from behind or from another
room? And do you try to
avoid talking on the phone?
“statue” and all you can hear is
!
“s_a_ue”, you will be forced to try
Did you know that
and guess the rest – by which time
sounds such as birdsong,
the conversation will have moved
footsteps, and leaves
on.
rustling in the wind are some
of the first to fade away
unnoticed?
If you are missing these
everyday sounds, you may
also be missing key speech
sounds, which makes words
sound muffled and blurred.
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The emotional impact
of hearing loss
How hearing loss can affect people
We all want to feel in control of our
Left unattended, hearing loss can
Hearing loss does not only strike
Your partner and family are expect-
lives. We all want closely-knit
lead to feelings of isolation and
yourself; it hits the people with
ed to show compassion and consid-
families, loyal friends, and active
depression.
whom you interact. Whether
eration – but they do not really
lifestyles with interesting pastimes.
through meaningful conversation or
understand your problem and they
But when you allow a hearing loss to
Happily, things do not have to get
playful teasing, the exchange of
may not always have the time and
go untreated, you put all these life
out of control. Surveys show that
ideas suddenly becomes slower and
energy. Rather than waiting for
qualities at risk.
treating a hearing loss has a
far more tedious.
them to run out of patience and
positive impact on people’s physical
push you into taking action, why not
You may start to experience all
and emotional well-being. There is
Imagine having your best friends
take the initiative and set the pace
sorts of emotions – from worry and
no doubt that taking the responsi-
over for dinner. You try to follow
yourself?
embarrassment to sadness and
bility to look after your hearing will
what they are saying, but their
loneliness. You will also feel tired
turn your life around!
voices sound blurry. When they are
and irritable from having to concen-
telling jokes you strain to catch the
trate harder.
punch line. You laugh when they do
Did you know that, left
untreated, hearing loss can
!
– but you did not really get it. And in
the end you just drift away.
lead to social and psychological
problems? Inter-personal
relationships suffer, self-
esteem diminishes and feelings
Is this you?
of isolation increase.
Have family, friends or
?
colleagues made any com-
ments about your hearing?
And do they often have to
speak loudly or say things
twice?
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Recognising the signs
Like so many things in life, our
hearing changes, but the transition
to a quieter world happens
so slowly that it can easily go unnoticed. That is why it is impor-tant
to be able to recognise the telltale
signs.
The questions on the following
page cover a whole range of
everyday listening situations. If any
of the problems listed seem to apply
to you, you should contact a hearing
care professional for a consultation.
Is this you?
?
Can you see birds in the trees –
Do a quick self-check
These questions will allow you to make a quick
assessment of your hearing.
Yes! No!
Do people seem to be mumbling?
o you have to strain to hear when
D
someone talks or whispers?
o you have difficulties hearing someone
D
call you from behind or from another room?
o you need to watch a speaker’s lips
D
more closely to follow the conversation?
Do you find it hard to keep up in meetings,
in restaurants, or in lectures?
Do you have to turn up the volume on the TV or radio?
Do you find it hard to hear clearly on the telephone?
o you have difficulties hearing at the theatre,
D
cinema or other entertainment venues?
Do you find it hard to hear in noisy
environments like in the street or in a car?
Do you tend to limit your social activities
because it’s difficult to hear and communicate?
Do family, friends, or colleagues mention
that they often have to repeat themselves?
but not hear them chirping? Watch
a tap leaking – but not perceive
the falling droplets? Turn on your
PC without registering it whirring
into life?
If you end up answering ‘Yes’ to some of these questions, do not be disheartened. It does not mean that you have a hearing loss – you might just have
severe earwax! Only a hearing care professional can tell you for certain.
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Visiting the experts
What a hearing test can tell you
Visiting a hearing care professio-nal
hobbies. And consider some specific
When you visit a hearing clinic you
is a huge step towards better
situations in which you would like to
will be in caring hands. Trained
test will be recorded as an audio-
hearing – and it is easier to take
hear more clearly.
audiologists will be ready to deal
gram (a line of x’s and o’s). From
than you might think. It does not
them. The results of this very simple
with your concerns and give your
these markers the audiologist will
take long. It does not hurt. Remem-
Lots of people have difficulty
hearing a full check up. The test
be able to tell you:
ber to take someone with you to
hearing speech in noisy places such
itself takes place in a quiet room or a
keep you company and to help you
as meeting rooms, parties, restau-
sound-proof booth, where you will
H
ow much you can hear in
remember what is being said.
rants, supermarkets, etc. Once you
put on a headset, sit comfortably,
each ear.
have decided which situations are
and listen.
H
ow well you hear the loudness
Before the appointment it is a good
important, list them in order of
idea to make some notes regarding
priority, ready to discuss with your
The audiologist will play a series of
your family life, social life and
hearing care professional.
pure whistling tones – from bass
What impact this has on your
through to treble – and you will
ability to communicate.
and pitch of different sounds.
press the buzzer when you can hear
Did you know that it takes
less than an hour to get an
accurate evaluation of your
hearing? And that the
!
Audiogram
Soft
Soft
Left ear
Right ear
Loudness
Loudness
(Decibels)
(Decibels)
process is completely
painless?
Loud
Loud
Low
High
Frequency (Hertz)
Low
Frequency (Hertz)
High
The audiogram is a simple graph showing the sounds you can or cannot hear.
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How the ear functions
The human ear is a precisely tuned
The middle ear:
system with a sensitivity and range
Contains the eardrum and three tiny
that easily outperforms the most
bones: the Hammer, Anvil and
elaborate sound system ever
Stirrup (also called the Malleus,
manufactured. The ear contains
Incus and Stapes). These amplify
many physiological mechanisms,
the sound waves.
and a breakdown or disruption in
any of these can result in hearing
The inner ear:
difficulties.
Sound waves are changed into
Outer Ear
Middle Ear
Anvil
Hammer
Inner Ear
Nerve fibres
Stirrup
electrical impulses by the cochlea.
Fortunately, in most cases you can
There are tiny sensory cells along
improve your hearing by wearing
the entire length of the fluid-filled
hearing instruments.
cochlea. The cochlea transmits the
The anatomy of the ear
Cochlea
message via the nerve fibres to the
area of the brain in charge of
The ear is made up of three differ-
processing and interpreting what
ent parts.
we hear.
Auditory canal
The outer ear:
The shape of the outer ear helps to
collect the sound waves and direct
them through the auditory canal to
the eardrum.
Did you know that the
smallest bones of the human
body are found inside the ear?
!
They are called the Hammer, Anvil
and Stirrup.
Eardrum
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Your next step
Enjoy birdsong and the rustle of
leaves in the wind.
Tell where sounds are coming
from.
Listen to TV or radio at a normal
volume.
Be the first to answer the telephone instead of the last.
Keep up and participate in
meetings.
Making the decision to have your
hearing tested is the first step
If, like us, you feel your hearing is
towards improving your quality of
worth fighting for, call your local
life. Just think what it would mean to
hearing clinic for a consultation. Be
you and your family if you could:
good to yourself, and take that next
step straight away!
Hear and understand much more.
Laugh with – and get closer to
– the people you love.
Feel relaxed rather than drained
after a long conversation.
Hear and understand the soft
voices of children.
For more information on hearing
and hearing loss please visit:
www.oticon.com
People First
People First is our promise
to empower people
to communicate freely,
interact naturally and
participate actively
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