Why do people need hearing aids?
Hearing aids can be useful in improving the hearing and speech understanding of people who have suffered hearing loss that comes from damage to the small sensory cells in the inner ear, called hair cells. This type of hearing loss is called sensorineural hearing loss.
The damage can happen as a result of illness, aging, or injury from noise or certain medicines. A hearing aid magnifies sound vibrations entering the ear. Surviving hair cells detect the larger vibrations and convert them into neural signals that are passed along to the brain.
The greater the damage to a person’s hair cells, the more severe the hearing loss, and the greater the hearing aid amplification needed to the make up the difference.
When you suffer from hearing loss, probably the first thing you recognize is that it’s becoming more difficult to follow conversation, in particular when there’s competing background noise. You get frustrated because you think people speaking to you are mumbling, and you have to ask them to repeat themselves. When this happens often, you may start to avoid social situations because of the embarrassment.
In addition, friends and family may complain about how loud you listen to the TV or stereo. There are many signs of hearing loss and if you suspect you are suffering from it, then do be sure to have tests done so you can be accurately diagnosed and given treatment and support. A proper diagnosis is also important to ensure that it is not a symptom of another ailment or disease.
If you think you might have hearing loss and could benefit from a hearing aid, visit your physician, who may refer you to an otolaryngologist or audiology. An otolaryngologist is a physician who specializes in ear, nose and throat disorders and will investigate the cause of the hearing loss. An audiologist is a hearing health professional who identifies and measures hearing loss and will perform a hearing test to assess the type and degree of loss.
The hearing aid that will work best for you depends on the kind and severity of your hearing loss.
