Hearing Loss Conduction hearing loss is caused by damage to the mechanical systems in the ear that conduct sound waves to the cochlea. Sensorineural Hearing loss (also called nerve deafness) is caused by damage to the cochlea’s hair cell receptors or their associated nerves. It can be caused by prolonged exposure to ear-splitting noises and loud music. The hair cells cannot repair themselves once destroyed, but scientists have found ways to chemically stimulate regeneration of the hair cells in guinea pigs and rat pups. Scientist hope to use this to find a way to make human hair cells regenerate. (Forge & others, 1993; Warchol & others, 1993)

Remedies People with conduction hearing loss can be helped with a digital hearing aid which amplifies frequency vibrations in high frequencies where hearing is weakest and amplifies soft sounds but not loud ones. Sensorineural hearing loss can only be helped by a cochlear implant, which gets wired into the nerves of the cochlea to do the job of the destroyed hairs. They also help deaf children learn oral speech and may help them become more focused and less impulsive (Quitner & others, 1994; Svirsky & others, 2000 )

Living with hearing loss People who are prelingually deaf were deaf before learning any form of language. Other people lose their hearing later in life are known as postlingually deaf. Many postlingually deaf people communicate by reading lips or writing notes. Studies by Bat-Chava in 1993 and 1994 show that deaf children who are raised in a signing household fell greater self-esteem and more accepted. About ¼ of deaf students are mainstreamed into regular classrooms, with the help of a sign language interpreter. (Kirk & Gallagher, 1998) Prelingually deaf children have to become bilingual in signing and written language to be able to read (Holloway, 2000)

Sensory Enhancement People who lose one channel of sensation seem to compensate with a slight enhancement of other senses. Many hearing impaired people gain slightly better vision (Backman & Dixon, 1992; Levy & Langer, 1992), and blind musicians are more likely than sighted ones to develop perfect pitch (Hamilton, 2000). With one ear plugged, blind people are also better than sighted people at locating a sound source (Lessard & others, 1998) and without sensory input, deaf people’s auditory cortex becomes responsive to touch and visual input. Steven Hawking said that his lack of a functional body forced him to use his brain for other things, making his thinking more original (Uehling, 1998)