How You Lose Your Hearing As You Age

How can hearing loss affect your life?

Sometimes, hearing loss is just a nuisance.
 It may cause you to miss out on conversations with family and friends.
 However, it becomes more than a nuisance when say you cannot understand
your doctor over the phone or it
can be downright dangerous if you cannot hear a car coming.  You
should take note of the signs of hearing loss and do what you can to prevent
it. Hearing loss is not completely inevitable as you age.

Signs of hearing loss

Many people do not notice when they begin to
lose their hearing.  You should become concerned about your hearing if you
have trouble following conversations or ask people to repeat themselves often.
 The first sign may be that you turn up the TV volume louder than before.
 Many people notice trouble hearing when the background noise interferes
with their comprehension of a conversation.  They may feel like everyone
else is mumbling.

Preventing hearing loss

A certain amount of hearing loss cannot be
prevented.  This may have to do with your genetic background or it may
just be a consequence of the delicate machinery in your ear wearing down.
 However, this natural loss of hearing can be exacerbated by environment,
lifestyle and illnesses.

Loud noise is one of the biggest culprits of
hearing loss.  An increasing number of young people in their twenties and
thirties are reporting problems with their hearing.  Doctors believe that
this may be caused by exposure to loud music.  One way to preserve your hearing
for as long as possible is to avoid loud music as much as possible.

Damage to your hearing can also come from
improper care of the ears.  Simple ear wax buildup can cause hearing loss
over time.  Inserting things in your ears can also cause damage.  You
should keep your ears clean without ever doing anything that might damage the
delicate tissues deep inside your ear.

Disease is another factor in hearing loss.
 Bacteria and viruses can damage the inner ear.  It is important to
get treatment for these conditions as soon as possible in order to protect your
ability to hear.

Types of Hearing Loss

There are a few different types of hearing loss
and hearing complications. Presbycusis is the kind of hearing loss that is
simply due to aging. It happens slowly and is often unnoticeable until it
becomes profound. It results from damage to the nerves inside the ear. It can
be exacerbated by injury, illness or loud noise.

Tinnitus is a condition that interferes with
hearing rather than reduces it. People with tinnitus hear a constant sound in
one or both ears. It may sound like a distant whine or loud crackling. Each
case is different. There are no cures for this condition.

Conductive hearing loss occurs when outside
factors prevent good hearing. This might be due to earwax buildup or fluid
trapped in the ears. These problems can usually be cured without damaging the
hearing.

A hearing aid
or hearing aids can help reduce the effects of hearing loss.  Being conscious about hearing loss as
you age and making some simple lifestyle changes can be beneficial in the long
run.

John O'Connor has been passionate about living a healthy lifestyle and hearing loss. His father and grandfathers are affected by hearing loss.

"I feel their is a general lack of understanding around the issue and it is out job to spread awareness where we can.  Check out my new blog at bloggingwjohno.blogspot.com"!