According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2005 estimates, 278 million people across the world suffer from some kind of hearing impairment, including, but not limited to, total deafness.

“Hearing impairment” technically refers to partial or total loss of hearing in either one ear or in both; it encompasses both conductive and sensorineural hearing impairment issues.

These may be obtained from environmental factors, or they may be congenital (in other words, acquired at birth.)

Most of the facts about hearing impairment typically fall into two categories.

Conductive hearing impairment is defined as a problem with the sound wave-conducting tissue in the middle or outer ear. It is commonly due to such causes as untreated childhood ear infections and is can generally be cured or treated through use of both medications and surgical methods.

Sensorineural hearing impairment, on the other hand, involves the inner ear and occasionally the main nerve that connects it to the brain. It results from overexposure to noise or old age, and can be permanent unless treatment measures such as hearing aids or cochlear implants are employed.

The statistical facts about hearing impairment are sobering. 80% of all cases occur in poorer countries, but most of those in the United States are preventable. They are caused by such things as ear infections in children and too much noise exposure at events like rock concerts.

This means that the main solutions for hearing impairment include awareness, prevention, early detection, and medical intervention early on in the impairment process.

Decisions based on the facts about hearing impairment should always take into account the age of the patient.

For example, if the victim is of advanced age, hearing aids may be the best and least expensive option. But hearing issues in children can affect them for the rest of their lives, causing difficulties with pronunciation, spelling, and of course serious pain in social situations.

Cochlear implants and other such long-term solutions may be best for the welfare and future of the child.

Science has made many new advances in the field of hearing impairment and more research is being done every day to assist victims of this terrible infirmity. For example, recent studies indicate that vitamin E, taken in 400 mg doses twice a day, can restore part or most of a patient’s hearing even if the initial hearing loss was sudden and of unknown cause.

Consultation with a doctor can provide more of the facts about hearing impairment and help to find further solutions.

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Sound waves are received by mechanisms present in the external, middle and inner ear structures.

These areas are controlled by a part of the brain known as the auditory cortex.

It is essential that both of them work in tandem with each other in order to perceive sound.

If any of these structures are damaged the end result is hearing loss.

Causes of deafness are typically broken down into two categories.

Conductive and Sensori-neural

Occasionally there is a mixed pathology present both in the conductive areas of the ear or the perception areas of the brain.

Sound is measured by its intensity which is represented by the unit – decibel (db).

Deafness is classified by the minimum amount of sound that is required for the perception of sound.

Following is a categorization of deafness as it relates to the degrees of hearing loss.

• Normal Hearing (-10 to 15 db): for all practical purposes, this is the normal level of hearing. A person can hear sound that is so low in intensity.
• Slight deafness (16 to 25 db): person can hear almost all sound except whispers produced at a distance of 5 meters.
• Mild deafness (26 to 40 db): person cannot hear normal conversations and words spoken in a soft voice. The person may have a difficult time in noisier environments.
• Moderate deafness (41 to 55db): person has problems with perception of normal conversational sounds. It is more prominent at a noisy environment. Often times the person will increase the volume of television and music player in order to hear it.
• Moderately severe (56 to 70db): perception of speech is considerably reduced. The person cannot hear normal conversation. The pitch has to be loud enough to be understood. There is great difficulty in group discussion.
• Severe (71 to 90 db): patient cannot understand any speech during normal conversation. Only speech produced in louder pitches will be audible.
• Profound deafness (91+ db): this is a complete loss of hearing. Sounds produced even with an amplifier are also inaudible.

The degrees of hearing loss play a key role for an otolaryngologist (ENT specialist) in determining the proper treatment.

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