Hearing Impairments

There are different levels of hearing impairment. Hearing impairment refers to complete or partial loss of the ability to hear from one or both ears. The level of impairment can be mild, moderate, severe or profound; Deafness refers to the complete loss of ability to hear from one or both ears.

There 2 types of hearing impairment: Conductive hearing impairment, which is a problem in the outer or middle ear. This type of hearing problem is often medically or surgically treatable, if there is access to the necessary services; childhood middle ear infection is the most common example;

Sensorineural hearing impairment ---which, is usually due to a problem with the inner ear, and occasionally with the hearing nerve going from there to the brain. This type of hearing problem is usually permanent and requires rehabilitation, such as with a hearing aid. Common causes are excessive noise and ageing. Again it is important to have access to necessary services.

It is estimated there are 300 million people worldwide with moderate to profound hearing loss. Many could be helped with a hearing aid but many do not have one due to social or economic reasons. Many hearing impairments could be avoided through prevention, early diagnosis and management

Causes of deafness include: Premature birth. Conditions during birth in which a baby lacks enough oxygen to breathe. Rubella, syphilis or certain other infections in a woman during her pregnancy. The use of ototoxic drugs -. Jaundice, which can damage the hearing nerve in a newborn baby. Infectious diseases such as meningitis, measles, mumps and chronic ear infections can lead to hearing impairment. The use of ototoxic drugs at any age, including some antibiotic and anti-malarial drugs, can cause damage to the cochlea (the hearing organ in the inner ear). Head injury or injury to the ear can cause hearing impairment. Wax or foreign bodies blocking the ear canal can cause hearing loss at any age. Excessive noise, including working with noisy machinery, exposure to loud music or other loud noises, such as gunfire or explosions, can damage the inner ear and weaken hearing ability. As people get older, accumulated exposure to noise and other factors may lead to hearing

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