Hearing Loss Treatment in Brentwood & Nashville, TN

You might not even recognize how much your hearing loss is impacting your life. We are empowered by our hearing because it allows us to live with fewer restrictions. We rely on it to communicate, socialize, and work. It also allows us to remain safe and engaged with the outside world. We are even able to be more relaxed when our hearing is healthy. We frequently overlook our hearing health in spite of these factors. Twenty percent of the population, or around 48 million Americans, are coping with some level of hearing loss as reported by the Hearing Loss Association of America.

Twenty-five percent of American adults have also described hearing a ringing or buzzing in their ears (tinnitus) lasting at least five minutes. These individuals often delay treatment because their hearing loss developed so gradually, it went undetected.

Hearing decline can have debilitating effects and most people will experience some degree at some point. Your physical and mental health as well as your social engagement are all impacted by hearing loss. Identifying the cause of hearing loss and formulating treatment options depends on recognizing the early signs.

Hearing Loss Causes

Here are a few of the many causes of hearing loss:

• Acoustic trauma
• Injuries to the head
• Prescription medications
• Heredity
• A tumor
• Aging (presbycusis)
• Otosclerosis, mumps, Meniere’s disease, autoimmune disorders, and other illnesses
• Exposure to loud noises for prolonged periods

How Does Hearing Loss Develop?

When the ear is properly functioning, the sound waves that go into the outer ear move through the ear canal, causing the eardrum to vibrate. The bones in the middle ear then pick up these vibrations. The cochlea or inner ear contains fluid and tiny hair cells that move along with the motion of these bones. The auditory nerve then transmits the resulting electrical signals to the brain.

These tiny hair cells (cilia) can, when subjected to loud noises for extended periods, become damaged. These electrical signals will become distorted or improperly transmitted when the cilia are damaged, resulting in the loss of the ability to hear clearly.

Ears 4 U Hearing Services is here to assist you with your hearing loss troubles. Restore your ability to hear the essential sounds and conversations of your life by scheduling an appointment with us for a hearing screening.

What Type Of Hearing Loss Is Linked to Aging?

There are different kinds of hearing loss. Depending on what form of hearing loss you have, treatment will vary.

The most prevalent form of hearing loss is known as sensorineural hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss makes understanding speech and other sounds challenging. Usually, long-term exposure to loud noise is the cause but certain diseases can also be the cause. This type of hearing loss is typically connected to aging as a result.

A blockage in the ear canal, such as earwax buildup, or other forms of mechanical issues in the outer or middle ear are generally the causes of conductive hearing loss. Depending on the root cause, conductive hearing loss can be temporary or permanent.

If you have elements of both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, it’s known as mixed hearing loss.

Communication Isn’t The Only Thing Impacted By Hearing Loss

All aspects of your life can be affected by hearing loss. Life changes in a lot of ways with neglected hearing loss, here are a few of them.

• When you’re in noisy settings like busy restaurants, family events, or group meetings, you have a hard time understanding words.
• Your difficulty communicating often causes you to retreat from social situations.
• You experience stress and difficulty sleeping because you have ringing or buzzing in your ears (symptoms of tinnitus).
• Sounds, especially conversation, sound muffled.
• You abruptly lose your hearing on one side.
• Hearing loss can impact your relationships, cognitive ability, and sense of balance.
• You frequently need people to talk louder and slower and repeat what they said.
• In order to hear your devices more clearly, you often need to boost the volume.

Managing Hearing Loss Is Important

Depending on the type, hearing loss is often a minor issue and is quite manageable. Communicating with others and being able to hear in social situations are just two of the advantages to managing age-related hearing loss, according to research. Older adults will be able to maintain their normal routines and interactions with friends and family by getting effective treatment.

Our audiologists at Ears 4 U Hearing Services can help. You can find out whether you have hearing loss and if it’s mild or more severe. The method of treatment will be dependent on what type of hearing loss you have, and a hearing exam will also help us determine if you need to consult a specialist.

Contact us today at 615-205-7942 or schedule an appointment.