Many factors can cause hearing loss, each having a different treatment. It is important to know why you are experiencing hearing loss to receive the best possible care and advice.

Cause of hearing loss

• Age

As people grow older, their hearing deteriorates. Hearing loss is one of the unfortunate side effects of old age. Sometimes, the causes of hearing loss may be detectable right away. For example,

Audiologists need to have a sound understanding of anatomy, physiology, and pathology to manage healthcare appropriately. The Australian Society of Audiology provides this awareness by mandating that Audiologists complete a tertiary qualification in Audiology or Allied Health Science.

Audiologists are required by law in Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, and New South Wales to be registered with

What is age-related hearing loss?

Age-related hearing loss is loss of hearing that occurs gradually to most of us as we grow older. This type of hearing loss commonly affects older and elderly adults. Age-related hearing loss can make hearing doorbells, phone ringing, and smoke alarms challenging.

Due to difficulty and straining to understand conversations, one can opt to stay in isolation that

Hearing loss has significant effects on both children and adults. Studies have shown that children with mild or moderate hearing loss can have difficulties learning and developing the necessary speech and language skills. As a result, their self-esteem and their performance in school drop.

Hearing loss will change how your child speaks, learns, and interacts with others if not detected early.

When you begin experiencing hearing loss, most people around you may start to notice it before you do. You might start to notice small changes here and there, but they will notice the major ones. For instance, you might begin to prefer a louder TV volume. To you, it will seem normal, but to the others, it will be suspicious.

Hearing loss symptoms include:

• Difficulty hearing

It becomes difficult to

When you begin to experience hearing loss, most people around you may start to notice it before you do. You might begin to notice small changes here and there, but they will notice the major ones. For instance, you might begin to prefer a louder TV volume. To you, it will seem normal, but to the others, it will be far too loud.

So, What Are the Symptoms of Hearing Loss?

1. Difficulty hearing

It becomes

Learning how to communicate with people who have hearing loss is essential. For successful communication, one must make the efforts of all people involved in the conversation, even when the people with hearing loss utilise hearing aids and other hearing strategies.

How to Communicate Effectively?

• Face the person. When talking to the individual with hearing loss, position yourself so that they can

Sometimes it can be challenging to know if your child is suffering from hearing loss. Children sometimes ignore what they are told or are just caught up in their play world and don't listen to you calling them. A build-up of fluids in the ear can cause hearing loss in children, which gets better over time and can be treated.

So, what are the signs that your child has hearing loss?

• They are slow to

Hearing loss can be challenging to deal with sometimes, especially if you recently lost your hearing. You are used to hearing different sounds and talking to people usually. Now everyone treats you in a certain way that you may not like. You might have lost a friend or two after this experience, and if you are still in school, academic work can be a little hard before you get used to it again.

Pros of Earplugs

Greater protection
Earplugs have a significant advantage compared to other protective ear equipment. Earplugs fit directly into the ear canal. It means they are suitable for people working in a boisterous environment as they provide the highest level of protection.

Earplugs are easy to carry
Due to their size and weight, they are easy to carry. The earplugs are small and light; hence

Hearing loss occurs gradually as one starts to age. Another cause of hearing loss is exposure to loud noise. Some symptoms indicate you are experiencing hearing loss, and you as an individual need to understand these symptoms. When you experience the symptoms, it is essential to book an appointment with an audiologist to get your hearing test and know the way forward.

Symptoms of Hearing Loss

Yes, you can use headphones with a hearing aid. However, it all depends on your hearing aid and the type of headphones you want to use. It might, however, be challenging to use earphones or earbuds as they are required to sit in the ear canal where part of the hearing aid sits. Headphones are the most appropriate to use with hearing aids.

Not all headphones work with a hearing aid; hence when

Looking After the Well-Being of Someone with Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is not something anyone prepares for, no matter what age you are. However, if you have a friend or family member who is suffering from a hearing loss, there are a few things you can do to look after their well-being, such as:

• Learn basic sign language.

It will help communicate with the one who has hearing loss. Both of you should

Are you worried that your child will suffer from hearing loss? It is a concern for many parents as they want their children to grow up with perfect hearing. So, here are some ways that you can protect your child’s hearing:

1. Use hearing protection on your child in noisy environments

Loud noise can lead to noise-induced hearing loss, so using hearing protection such as earmuffs on your child when

Cochlear implants and hearing aids both provide the same function. However, they are still quite different hearing devices. So, what’s the difference? Cochlear implants are surgically implanted into the ear and cannot be removed. Hearing aids, on the other hand, are removable.

Let's dive into the details.

Hearing Aid

First of all, unlike cochlear implants, hearing aids are removable. They are

You are set to see the doctor tomorrow or next week for your hearing test. You are panicking because you have never had one done before. There’s no need to panic, as hearing tests are relatively straightforward. While they are not complicated at all, here are some pointers on how to prepare for a test.

List of Medication and Medical Records

The audiologist will take your medical history before

The most common causes of hearing loss around the world are age and noise. Over time, our hearing naturally deteriorates; However, this process can happen much faster with frequent and prolonged exposure to loud noises, as loud noises force cells in the ear to work faster and faster. Volume doubling - after this process, it often takes a while for hair to straighten (you may find that your

Were you attentive to the link between vessel (heart) health and hearing? Having a healthy heart and sensible blood flow will do wonders for your hearing, and heart issues and poor blood flow can cause hearing loss. However, is that possible? We’ll have a glance at how we have a tendency to hear, what heart disease is, how heart disease and hearing loss are linked, what reasonable hearing loss

The short answer is, yes, hearing loss can be passed down through generations. In fact, genetic hearing loss is the cause of around 50 percent of hearing impairment in infants and young children. With over 400 known genetic causes of hereditary hearing.

Hearing loss and deafness

It is worth taking a closer look at the genetics of hearing loss.The hearing system consists of three parts: Sound is

Yes, smoking can contribute to hearing loss as it affects various parts of the ear. Read below to find out how.

How does cigarette smoke affect the inner ear?

Nicotine and carbon monoxide found in cigarette smoke can cause hearing damage. This occurs when harmful chemicals affect the structures of the inner ear and can cause sensorineural hearing loss.

The Cochlea

The cochlea in the inner ear is

Overview

Hearing is not something that a lot of people think of until it becomes a problem and many people have never had a hearing test. A lot of people think that hearing loss is associated with older age and they don’t realise that there are many more risks to developing a hearing loss other than old age. People also don’t know what to do about it, they will ignore it and it gets

Development of hearing

Our sense of hearing starts developing as early as the second month of pregnancy. By 18 weeks of pregnancy, babies are thought to hear their very first sounds. Babies in the womb at around week 25 or 26 have been shown to respond to voices and noise. In their fluid filled environment though the sounds are likely to be muffled and therefore responses to sound are difficult to

In Australia, 1 in every 1000 babies will be born with a significant hearing loss. In school-age children, 2 in every 100 children will have been identified with some form of hearing loss.

It is the role of the Audiologist to determine if the child has a hearing loss and then identify the type of hearing loss. An Audiologist is a University graduate who specialises in diagnosing and treating

Hearing and Hearing Loss

Hearing is a key sense. One on which we rely on for safety, socialisation, learning and work, a sense of community and for recreation. It’s important to maintain your hearing.

Hearing loss is something that all of us will experience at some point in our lives, whether it is as a child due to ear infections or as an adult through the natural deterioration of hearing due to age (presbycusis) or a noise-induced loss where one ear may be more affected than the other. You may feel that you have better hearing in one ear than the other or can’t tell a difference between

Hearing aids seem to be getting smaller in size, but more expensive in price. Most hearing aids need replacing after 5–6 years, so it’s a cost which is likely to be ongoing throughout your life. Consumers are becoming savvier with price shopping and hearing aids certainly appear cheaper online than in Audiology clinics, so many people often wonder whether purchasing online is worth the

10% of the Australian population alone suffer from tinnitus or ringing in the ears. There are a number of causes of tinnitus. Tinnitus can be made worse by certain factors. There are however coping strategies available to prevent feelings of anxiety related to tinnitus/ringing in the ears.

What is tinnitus/ringing in the ears?

Tinnitus or ringing in the ears is the perception of sound in the ears

A cochlear implant can be the answer for many people who find that despite their well fitted hearing aids they are struggling to hear in daily life. Some may have also been added in wireless accessories such as the Phonak Select/Pen system which works by enabling wireless streaming of phone calls, conversations from one or multiple speakers, and TV programs.

1. Hearing difficulties

Read the following

Why have a hearing test?

There are many reasons to have a hearing test. The most obvious is a self-referral, when a hearing loss is suspected and a hearing test is needed to confirm the suspicion. Others need hearing tests as part of their employment if working in environments which may be hazardous to hearing. Others will be referred to an Audiologist by a Doctor to investigate symptoms, prior

Those that have had experience with older family friends or grandparents with hearing loss and hearing aids may be familiar with the unpleasant squealing noise (hearing aid feedback) that hearing aids can make. Squealing hearing aids can be embarrassing for those with hearing aids if they are aware of the hearing aid feedback. Hearing aid feedback may be equally embarrassing if the people wearing

Almost 4 million Australians suffer from hearing loss. Some people are not aware that they require help with their hearing loss or of the options available that can help with hearing loss. People with hearing loss often report difficulty hearing during daily communication. Most people with hearing loss would benefit from hearing aids. While hearing aids cannot completely restore hearing, they can

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all ear plug that can do it all. So, what is available and how do you know you’re using the right ear plugs?

Ready-Fit versus Custom EarplugsThere are two main categories that ear plugs fall into, ready-fit plugs sold over the counter or custom earplugs. Ready-fit plugs are a standard one-size fits all or may come various sizes – usually available from pharmacies

Many people are very reliant on their hearing aids and can’t afford to be without them. Hearing aids are sophisticated instruments and poor care and maintenance can impair their performance and reduce their life span. Hearing aids also go into your ear every day, so you want to keep them clean from a hygiene perspective and to prevent infections. There are many different brands of hearing aid

Modern hearing aids come in a variety of styles and with various features. Like purchasing a computer or even a car, which one you purchase depends on your lifestyle needs and budget; also, you should take your audiologist’s recommendation into account. The various features hearing aids come with assist with different things, but they also inflate or deflate the price of the aids. The more

An audiogram is the graph plotted by an Audiologist when a hearing test is performed. Quite simply, it shows the softest sounds you can hear. As there is often a lot of information given during the initial test appointment (test results, coming to terms with the fact you have a hearing loss and may need a hearing aid, hearing aid information itself, financing or funding options for hearing aids)

Hearing loss is the second most common health condition in Australia, affecting 1 in 6 people^[1], and yet the average time frame between when a hearing loss is suspected and when someone seeks help for a hearing loss is 7 years^[2]. Why does it take someone such a long time before they are driven to action?

It is possible that they perceive a certain stigma around wearing hearing aids as it signals

When you are first diagnosed with a hearing loss it can be quite daunting to then be told that you need hearing aids. That’s right - hearing aids - plural. You may wonder… Does this mean my hearing loss is twice as bad? No. Two hearing aids will be recommended for most people when they have a hearing loss in both ears. Whether you require 1 or 2 hearing aids is totally dependent on

It is not uncommon for hearing loss and health problems to go hand in hand. On the face of it this may seem obvious but even though we may readily acknowledge this fact, we don’t automatically link specific diseases to hearing loss or recognise that we may have a hearing loss. It is thought that approximately 1 in 6 Australians have a hearing loss and the health causes of hearing loss are

A little while back this popular gif of three telephone towers playing jump rope circulated the internet. The gif evoked a reaction from people from all over the world and polarised audiences to a “white and gold or blue and black dress” standard. Why? Because the gif consisted of zero sound yet many people could hear the thud of the middle telephone tower landing on the ground. So, how could

Hearing loss can occur as a result of many things. The causes of hearing loss can be environmental, physical, neurological, and sometimes just unknown. Some people are simply born with hearing loss, while others develop it over time. Whilst there is sometimes no way to predict or avoid this condition from occurring, there are some incidents that are well known to cause hearing loss. So, what are

As the name may suggest, Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (ISSNHL) is a type of hearing loss that occurs suddenly. Being of a sensorineural nature, this hearing loss stems from anomalies within the sensory region of the ear (the inner ear, cochlear nerve or vestibulocochlear nerve). Most concerningly, the ‘idiopathic’ portion of the condition indicates that there is no