Hearing Loss

Sudden hearing loss is disorienting and frightening. Even gradual hearing loss like sensorineural hearing loss or conductive hearing loss affects your quality of life drastically. Since there are so many different causes of hearing loss, you need to find an expert in Brooklyn, Manhattan or Harlem to reverse hearing loss before it’s gone forever. Call the Century Medical & Dental Center at the first signs of hearing loss. Arrange for regular hearing tests as you age or if you’re in a high-risk profession that could lead to loss of hearing.

What Are the Different Types of Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss impacts you differently, based on which part of your auditory system is affected. If you have conductive hearing loss, sound waves aren’t reaching your inner ear properly due to a blockage or issue in your outer or middle ear. This type of hearing loss is often temporary and treatable.

Possible causes of conductive hearing loss include:

• Earwax buildup that blocks sound
• Ear infections that cause inflammation
• Middle ear infections that are more difficult to diagnose
• A perforated eardrum from an injury or infection
• Otosclerosis, where abnormal bone growth affects your hearing

Sensorineural hearing loss happens when there’s damage to your inner ear or auditory nerve. This makes it harder for sound signals to reach your brain. This type of hearing loss is usually permanent. If you have both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, it means both your middle and inner ear are affected.

Symptoms may include:

• A combination of symptoms from both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss
• Difficulty hearing soft and high-pitched sounds
• Sounds seem both muffled and unclear

The Century Medical & Dental Center offers the best care for sensorineural hearing loss and conductive hearing loss at multiple locations in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Harlem. Their specialists provide safe and effective treatments and hearing tests to help you regain clarity and confidence.

Is My Hearing Loss Permanent?

Hearing loss can happen at any age and may be temporary or permanent. How long it lasts primarily depends on the cause. Your hearing loss is classified based on its severity and whether it’s a gradual or sudden hearing loss.

For example:

• If it’s caused by ear wax, fluid buildup or infection, it usually happens suddenly. Appropriate prompt treatment can reverse hearing loss to return your previous level of hearing.
• If your loss of hearing is due to aging, noise damage or nerve issues, it’s usually been a gradual process you didn’t notice until recently. While it’s usually permanent, hearing aids can help.
• When the cause is a mix of factors, from untreated infections or genetic markers to damaged eardrums, the right treatment may partially reverse hearing loss, postponing the need for hearing aids.

If you’re experiencing gradual or sudden hearing loss, ringing in your ears or a sinus infection that won’t heal, find the best ears, nose and throat (ENT) doctor as soon as possible to reverse hearing loss or prevent it from worsening.

What Causes Hearing Loss?

As you get older, your hearing may gradually decline due to a condition called presbycusis. This happens when the tiny hair cells in your inner ear that help process sound signals wear down. You may find it harder to hear high-pitched sounds or follow conversations, especially in noisy places.

Another common cause of hearing loss occurs from frequent exposure to loud noise. This damages your hearing permanently, a common problem among some musicians.

Noise-induced hearing loss also develops if you:

• Listen to music at high volumes through headphones
• Attend loud concerts or sporting events
• Work in noisy places like construction sites or factories
• Use loud machinery or firearms without ear protection

Frequent ear infections or illnesses like meningitis, measles and mumps can damage your inner ear or auditory nerve. Certain medications known as ototoxic drugs can damage your inner ear and cause hearing loss.

These include:

• Certain antibiotics, such as aminoglycosides
• Chemotherapy drugs like cisplatin
• High doses of aspirin or NSAIDs
• Diuretics used for heart and blood pressure conditions

What Are the Early Signs of Hearing Loss?

Your hearing loss may develop so gradually that you don’t notice it. One of the first signs of hearing loss is struggling to follow conversations in crowded places like restaurants, shopping malls or family gatherings. Background noise makes it harder for you to distinguish voices. You may be experiencing the early stages of hearing loss if you often ask others to repeat what they just said.

In general, you may be experiencing hearing loss if you:

• Often think people are mumbling
• Struggle to hear high-pitched sounds like birds chirping
• Frequently turn up the volume on your TV, computer or tablet
• Experience ringing in your ears
• Have ear pain or discomfort
• Feel a sense of pressure or fluid buildup in your ears
• Experience balance issues or dizziness

Struggling to hear is frustrating and isolating. You may avoid social gatherings if you can’t follow conversations. Getting your hearing tested early helps prevent further decline and improve your ability to communicate.

What Are the Treatment Options for Hearing Loss?

Hearing aids are common solutions for hearing loss. These small electronic devices amplify sound so you hear and understand speech. Many hearing aids now include features like noise reduction, Bluetooth connectivity and directional microphones to enhance your listening experience.

Modern hearing aids suit your needs in different ways, including:

• Behind-the-ear (BTE). These sit behind your ear and work for all levels of hearing loss.
• In-the-ear (ITE). This style fits inside your outer ear for a more discreet look.
• Completely-in-canal (CIC). This hearing aid must be inserted by your doctor. It’s nearly invisible and placed deep inside your ear canal.

If you have severe or profound hearing loss, a cochlear implant may be an option. Cochlear implants bypass the damaged parts of your inner ear and directly stimulate your auditory nerve. This helps you process sound more effectively even if your natural hearing ability is significantly impaired. In some cases, surgery may restore or improve your hearing.

Depending on the cause of your hearing loss, your ENT doctor may recommend:

• Tympanoplasty, a procedure to repair a damaged eardrum
• Stapedectomy, surgery to replace the stapes bone in your middle ear, used to treat otosclerosis
• Pressure equalization tubes, which drains fluid and relieves pressure, especially if you have chronic ear infections or fluid buildup; commonly used in children

If you’re experiencing sudden hearing loss, persistent ringing in your ears or ongoing ear discomfort, seek help before you go deaf. The ENT specialists at the Century Medical & Dental Center diagnoses and treats a wide range of conditions to help you hear clearly again. Whether your hearing loss is mild or severe, you get a personalized treatment plan that suits your needs. Contact the Century Medical & Dental Center in New York City to get customized treatment options that fit your lifestyle.