There are 466 million hearing-disabled people in the world 32 million of which are in China Patients' needs are our missio
What is hearing loss?
Hearing loss refers to organic or functional abnormalities in the auditory system and central nerve system that transmit, sense, and interpret sound signals, resulting in loss of hearing with varying degree.
It is usually known as deafness, a severe loss of hearing that is manifested by the inability to hear any speech in either ear. If the hearing loss does not reach this level of severity, it is called hearing impairment.
Common etiology of hearing loss
Genetic factors
Environmental factors
Deafness caused by drugs and chemical products
Noise-induced deafness
Traumatic factors
Damaged parts in hearing loss
Conductive deafness
Sensorineural deafness
Mixed deafness
Severity of hearing loss
According to audiometry data from hospitals and with reference to World Health Organization (WHO-2021) definitions, the degrees of hearing loss are graded by the average hearing loss at 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz and 4,000 Hz, as follows:
Treatment for hearing loss
Conductive deafness
1. Conservative treatment: Conductive deafness caused by various infections are mainly treated with antimicrobial agents, which can be administered intravenously or locally, to control the inflammation. Hormones and antihistamines can also be applied to reduce exudation and to restore the hearing as soon as possible.
2. Surgical treatment: Conductive deafness is usually treated by surgery. External and middle ear malformation, various diseases that compress the eustachian tube, and ear trauma can be treated with different surgical operations to restore hearing. Children with external and middle ear malformations may be also treated with bone-conduction hearing aids, vibrant sound bridges and bone-anchored hearing aids.
Sensorineural deafness
1. Drug treatment: Primary diseases should be ruled out and treated, meanwhile the early use of the drug to expand the blood vessels of the inner ear, to reduce blood viscosity, and to dissolve small thrombus, as well as glucocorticoids, B vitamins and energy mixture are recommended. Antiviral and antibacterial drugs can be applied when necessary.
2. For children with hearing loss ≤ 80 dB, hearing aids are recommended, in combination with auditory-speech rehabilitation training.
3. At present, cochlear implants are good tools to help people with severe and profound hearing loss to regain hearing and to acquire or maintain speech function. For children with hearing loss > 80 dB, cochlear implantation is highly recommended, in combination with auditory-speech rehabilitation training.
Mixed deafness
Treatment to middle ear should be tried first. If the effect is not good, hearing aids can be considered, in combination with auditory-speech rehabilitation training.
