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What are the symptoms of ear infections? 4/5 children will have a middle infection.
Earache Headache Fever Discharge from the ear Mild deafness Difficulty sleeping Loss of appetite
Hearing loss can be categorised by which part of the auditory system is damaged. There are three basic types of hearing loss: Conductive hearing loss Sensorineural hearing loss Mixed hearing loss
Conductive hearing loss occurs when sound is not conducted efficiently through the outer earcanal to the eardrum and the tiny bones (ossicles) of the middle ear. Conductive hearing loss usually involves a reduction in sound level or the ability to hear faint sounds. This type of hearing loss can often be corrected medically or surgically. Some possible causes of conductive hearing loss:
Fluid in the middle ear from colds Ear infection (otitis media) Allergies (serous otitis media) Poor eustachian tube function Perforated eardrum Benign tumors Impacted earwax (cerumen) Infection in the ear canal (external otitis) Presence of a foreign body Absence or malformation of the outer ear, ear canal, or middle ear
Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) occurs when there is damage to the inner ear (cochlea), or to the nerve pathways from the inner ear to the brain. Most of the time, SNHL cannot be medically or surgically corrected. This is the most common type of permanent hearing loss. SNHL reduces the ability to hear faint sounds. Even when speech is loud enough to hear, it may still be unclear or sound muffled. Some possible causes of SNHL:
Illnesses Drugs that are toxic to hearing Hearing loss that runs in the family (genetic or hereditary) Aging Head trauma
A mixed hearing loss is when a conductive hearing loss occurs in combination with a sensorineural hearing loss(SNHL). In other words, there may be damage in the outer or middle ear and in the inner ear(cochlea) or auditory nerve.
Moderate Severe
Profound
Hearing loss is described in terms of the degree of the impact on a person's everyday life. The degree of a person's hearing loss is measured in decibels (dB) Mild: 21-45 dB You would have some difficulty hearing soft speech and conversations but would manage in quiet situations with clear voices. A hearing device will assist most hearing problems in this range. Moderate: 46-65 dB You would have difficulty understanding conversational speech and more so in the presence of background noise. TV and radio would be turned up. A hearing device will assist most hearing difficulties if speech discrimination is good and background noise low. Severe: 66-90 dB Normal conversational speech is inaudible. A hearing device will amplify many speech sounds. The clarity of speech heard is likely to be significantly affected and visual cues will assist in understanding speech. Profound: 91 dB + There is great inconsistency in the benefit derived from a hearing device. Some can understand clear speech face to face in places with good auditory conditions when wearing a hearing device. Others find it impossible. Susannah Folley ISTL