Hearing problems include a variety of conditions such as deafness (complete or almost complete
Hearing loss),
mild hearing loss, or tinnitus, which can interfere with clear hearing. Mild hearing
loss is one of the most common and unsuspected problems affecting aging adults. Human hearing tends to wear out in a very slow and gradual manner, and some degree of hearing loss occurs in most adults. Mild hearing loss occurs in about 50 percent of adults, usually after the age of 65 to 70. A person with this problem often blames the loss of
clarity on the slovenly pronunciation of others, rarely on his or her own hearing. This type of hearing loss becomes more evident in noisy surroundings or when the listener is not close enough to the speaker. Most people with mild hearing
losses experience frustration but do not seek help immediately.
Although medical conditions such as middle ear infections can cause a hearing loss, most mild losses are caused by deterioration of the triggering mechanisms of the nerve fibers that respond to soft sounds. Soft sounds cannot be heard, while
louder ones are heard well and can even
sound too loud. The person with this kind of loss will often tell speakers to stop shouting and to speak more clearly.
A hearing test given by a certified audiologist can determine the nature of the problem and the appropriate treatment. Mild hearing losses can often be helped with hearing aids. A hearing aid must be selected carefully in order to achieve clarity for the wearer. Some of the newer, very small aids are very sophisticated, amplifying only the softer sounds, not the louder ones.
A person with a mild hearing loss must learn to adjust to adverse listening situations. The interference of noise, as when several people talk simultaneously, is often caused by a loss of directionality. Directionality allows a hearer to judge where sound originates and to separate one sound from another, providing understanding of words in noise. It requires the use of both ears. A person with mild hearing loss can also isolate a desired sound by looking at the face of the speaker. This technique of watching and matching sounds to facial movements is called "lip reading." A hand cupped behind the ear can increase clarity by collecting a small amount of primarily higher-pitched sound.
More abstracts about the HEARING PROBLEMS