hearing aidsIn order to understand how hearing aids work, it is best to understand how we hear. There are three parts to the ear: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear.

 

The outer ear is also known as the auricle or pinna, which is the visible part of the ear that gathers sound from a person surrounding environment and then sends it down the ear canal. The middle ear experiences the vibrations of the tympanic membrane, also known as the eardrum, and these vibrations are transmitted to three small bones – malleus, incus and stapes – that carry sound to the inner ear.  The inner ear is made up of two major parts: the cochlea – a system of complex hair cells or sensory cells and the vestibular system which is responsible for balance. Tiny hair cells send impulses to the auditory nerve, which in turn sends the sound or voice onto the brain for the final processing of the sound.

 

Nerve deafness is a type of hearing loss that involves the deterioration of the inner ear. The tiny hairs that line the ear passage, in which carries sound, have been damaged in some form or another.  This type of hearing loss is most common in people who have had prolonged exposure to high volume or high levels of noise such as factory workers or concert workers.  It is also common in people who have viral or bacterial infections, fluid buildup or sudden trauma to the ear and the gradual aging process.

 

There is also conducted hearing loss which is a type of hearing loss that occurs when the inner ear does not properly receive signal signs. This type of hearing loss could be caused by injury to the middle ear or the ear canal and is best treated with medication and/or surgery.  However if surgery and/or medication is not an option for you, hearing instruments such as hearing aids or even a cochlear implant might be an excellent solution for your hearing problem.

 

In order to determine an individual’s severity of hearing loss they should visit a hearing clinic where they will see an audiologist or a hearing doctor who will perform hearing tests to determine the severity of their hearing loss.

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