Hearing loss is one of the most common health issues in the world. There are many reasons for the high volume of cases, with a longer living population high on the list. Called presbycusis, age-related hearing loss is the slow loss of hearing that occurs as people get older. While hearing loss typically can’t be reversed, most cases can be managed with the help of a hearing healthcare professional and hearing aids.

Hearing loss is generally categorised into three types, depending on where the damage is located in the ear.

When a hearing loss is caused by the damage of the outer or middle ear, it is called conductive hearing loss.

A sensorineural hearing loss refers to the loss resulting from the damage of the inner ear.

Mixed hearing loss is a combination of both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.

Having hearing loss does not mean that you cannot hear sound. There are different degrees of hearing loss- mild, moderate, severe and profound hearing loss. Normally, one initially loses his/her ability to hear high pitch sounds. As high pitch sounds determine the clarity of speech, the inability to hear these sounds results in difficulties for one to understand speech even though they can hear the speech.

People with hearing loss tend to feel tired, more frequent than others because they are forced to put in more energy and attention when listening. This will prompt them to avoid social settings and isolate themselves from others. Hearing is also closely associated with cognitive ability. Research has shown that people with hearing loss are more prone to suffer from dementia as their age advances, due to lack of stimulation from hearing.

Hearing loss is often hard to be detected as it is slow and gradual. Usually, it is the loved ones who detect the hearing loss of a person. In fact, many of our clients are accompanied and motivated by their friends and families. You will be surprised by how much the loved ones know about the hearing loss, when compared to the one with hearing impairment.