We live in a great big, entertaining world full of all kinds of sounds—most of which we need and want to hear—but one in five Americans aren’t fully enjoying life as much as they could due to some level of hearing loss. It doesn’t have to be that way. If you suffer from any level of hearing loss, be it mild or severe, Whisper Hearing Centers can help you manage your hearing loss and in most cases, help you hear better and clearer than you do now.
Not sure if you have hearing problems? Take our 10-question quiz on hearing loss at whisperhearingcenters.com. If you discover you have problems hearing, be sure to seek a professional evaluation so you can start hearing the world around you. Here’s a little information about hearing loss, what it is, and what can be done to help those affected.
What is hearing loss?
There are three types of hearing loss. The most common type is sensorineural hearing loss, usually caused by damaged or destroyed hair cells in the inner ear. This makes it impossible to convert sound vibrations into the electrical signals needed by the auditory nerve in order to hear properly. Usually there is no medical way to correct this, but hearing devices can help.
Conductive hearing loss is caused by problems in the ear canal and or the structures in the middle ear. With this type of hearing loss, sounds from the outside world cannot be transmitted normally through the ear canal and or middle ear to the inner ear. Most conductive hearing losses can be medically or surgically treated. At Whisper Hearing Centers, our audiologists work closely with the ear-nose-and throat physicians of Otolaryngology Associates, should your hearing loss require medical or surgical solutions.
The third type of hearing loss is mixed hearing loss, which is a combination of sensorineural hearing loss and conductive hearing loss.
How to tell if you have hearing loss
There are some clear signs of hearing loss everyone should be aware of, the most obvious being increased difficulty understanding speech. If you notice that you hear others talking, but cannot make out what is being said, if you’re turning the television volume up louder than others around you, or struggling to use the telephone, then you may have some level of hearing loss. Do you have fullness or pain in your ear? Do you ever hear ringing, roaring, hissing, or buzzing sounds in your ear? All of these symptoms can be signs of hearing loss, but the only way to know for sure is to seek help from professional audiologists like the ones here at Whisper Hearing Centers.
Finding help when you have hearing loss
In the United States, 48 million people suffer from some degree of hearing loss, yet nearly 15 million fail to get help; and a good portion of the time, it’s because they’re embarrassed and would rather suffer in silence than have to wear large, cumbersome hearing aids. But with modern technology, today’s hearing aids—like the ones we offer at Whisper Hearing—are virtually invisible and can greatly improve overall hearing for most people whether they suffer from mild, moderate or even sever hearing loss. So if you’re experiencing any kind of difficulty hearing, don’t wait to get help. Call Whisper Hearing Centers today and make an appointment—we’re here to help you hear better, and live better.