Hearing Loss: Adults by T.Pitt

Main Causes of Adult Hearing Impairment
Theresa Pitt, Aud.D., FISHAA, Audiology Services in S.E. Ireland.
font size="2"> /Phone 053-33571 for Clinic Details or Sound Advice !

Causes of Adult Hearing Loss & What to Do about It

IF YOU HAVE HEARING PROBLEMS &
ANY OF THE MEDICAL SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED ON THIS PAGE, THEN GO TO YOUR FAMILY DOCTOR FOR TREATMENT FIRST.
IF YOU HAVE NO SYMPTOMS (EXCEPT POOR HEARING!) & YOU ARE OVER 60, OR IF YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD BY YOUR G.P./EAR, NOSE & THROAT SURGEON THAT YOUR HEARING LOSS IS UNTREATABLE, THEN AMPLIFICATION WITH HEARING AIDS IS THE NEXT OPTION:
IF YOU HAVE A MEDICAL CARD & YOU WANT A FREE HEARING AID: ASK FOR AN AUDIOLOGY APPOINTMENT THROUGH YOUR G.P. OR LOCAL HEALTH BOARD (COUNTY) CLINIC AND TO FIND OUT WHERE SERVICES ARE IN YOUR AREA . THEY CAN TEST YOUR HEARING & FIT A SUITABLE HEARING AID (although not the smallest types).
Don't forget that all children at school can get hearing assessment and fitting services free through Health Boards.
IF YOU HAVE PAID CLASS A RATE P.R.S.I. CONTRIBUTIONS FOR 3 YEARS WITHIN THE LAST 15, YOU CAN RECEIVE A REFUND OF UP TO 250 POUNDS PER HEARING AID FOR PRIVATELY DISPENSED HEARING AIDS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE. ATTEND AN IRISH-REGISTERED HEARING AID SUPPLIER! (M.I.S.H.A.A. OR F.I.S.H.A.A.).
IN THIS CASE, CONTACT YOUR CHOSEN SUPPLIER AND HAVE YOUR HEARING TESTED; THEY WILL SUPPLY YOU WITH A RECLAIM FORM & ADVISE YOU ON THE MOST SUITABLE HEARING AIDS.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A MEDICAL CARD OR FULL-RATE P.R.S.I., THEN YOU HAVE TO ATTEND A PRIVATE SUPPLIER AS ABOVE (see www.ishaa.ie for a list of suppliers); REMEMBER THAT THE COST OF HEARING AIDS IS TAX-DEDUCTIBLE USING A MED1 FORM!
CHECK OUT THE PAGES ON HEARING AIDS AND ASSISTIVE DEVICES TO SEE WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE....
Adults can have Glue Ear but less often than in children - adults with Glue Ear will grow up with this tendency & should refer to the previous page! A hole in the eardrum or perforation may be left behind after previous ear infections, which usually begin during childhood. However, damage to the eardrums can arise from diving or putting objects in the ears, for example!! Other structural abnormalities in the middle ear can develop in adulthood; the most common is Otosclerosis, caused by poor movement of the middle ear structures preventing full 'sound transmission' through the middle ear. Some of these conditions can be improved or corrected with surgery, but there will usually be a family history. Children with permanent hearing loss go on to be adults. Not all use sign language but most use Hearing Aids if they have at least moderate hearing loss.

Wax and canal blockages can occur in all ears (children and adults) but do NOT OFTEN block the canal and cause hearing loss. Try not to poke - ear canals are easy to damage!! Do not get your ears syringed unless you must. Suctioning or drops is usually better for the ears; ask your G.P. for advice.

Older people with hearing loss probably have a permanent and untreatable loss known as presbycusis - especially if it has developed slowly and does not fluctuate. Most can hear some voices or tones more clearly than others, so their hearing loss may seem like a lack of concentration. Try not to criticise others if you haven’t caught their words; equally, try to help those who do not hear well by repeating a little more loudly, re-phrasing sentences or facing them as you speak.

Noise induced hearing loss can occur from leisure or work noise. Whilst work noise is checked by many companies, leisure noise from Walkmans (or indeed from concert music) seems to be causing measurable problems. Use common sense! If it hurts or causes temporary deafness, avoid it or use ear protection! It's too late to regret not doing so after you have developed such a hearing loss.

Sometimes, sudden asymmetrical losses with dizziness require urgent treatment; however, tinnitus is only rarely a symptom of serious disorder. Dizziness may be a symptom of ear fluid imbalance which can cause hearing loss in one or both ears, and also affect the balance canals which are beside the ear. Known as Meniere's Syndrome or Disease, after the man who first identified it, it sometimes responds well to medication or surgery.