Hearing loss in a person can be diagnosed when a persistent hearing loss is found that does not go away on its own for some time. There are four degrees of hearing loss, which are determined by the level of decrease in the hearing threshold. The first degree is the easiest and often treats well. On the fourth, the person hears almost nothing, and he may even be assigned a disability group.
Only an otolaryngologist or audiologist can give a final opinion on the presence of the disease after all the necessary studies have been carried out. He will also determine the degree of hearing damage, as well as the prognosis for its recovery. Treatment is selected strictly individually, depending on the etymology and type of hearing loss.
Symptoms and types of hearing loss
The main symptom of any degree of hearing loss is the loss of the ability to clearly hear or confidently identify the sound. However, with mixed hearing loss, a person simultaneously loses both of these abilities, and a continuous indistinguishable noise appears in his head. Conductive hearing loss due to damage to the middle ear or eardrum makes it impossible to hear sound confidently. And with a neurosensory type of disease, the patient hears a sound, but does not understand the details of speech.
The most common definition is acute sensorineural hearing loss, when, due to the influence of external or internal factors, a person suddenly loses the ability to perceive sounds normally. The disease manifests itself as a sudden loss of hearing, usually accompanied by tinnitus, dizziness, disturbance of the vestibular apparatus, or loss of orientation.
It is more difficult to identify a slowly progressive disease. In this case, hearing acuity decreases gradually, and for a long time the changes remain unnoticed. It is also difficult to determine the moment of transition from one stage of the disease to another.
This is why regular preventive visits to the doctor are so important for people with hearing loss. He will be able to quickly identify the first signs of deterioration and take measures to eliminate them.
Degrees of hearing loss
In official medicine, 4 degrees of hearing loss are classified, each of which has its own characteristic features:
Light (1 tbsp.) - the first stage of the disease, which, with timely treatment started, gives a 90-100% guarantee of recovery. The hearing threshold is reduced to 26-40 dB. A person ceases to pick up quiet sounds: rustle of grass, ticking of a wristwatch, whisper. At the same time, he still clearly understands human speech and even whispering from a distance of up to 1 meter.- Medium (2 tbsp.) - a decrease in the auditory threshold from 40 to 55 dB. This makes it possible to hear speech normally only at close range. A person no longer distinguishes between whispers and quiet sounds. Communication is difficult, difficulties arise in performing some type of work. In a state of increased noise, the patient practically does not distinguish between individual sounds, even pronounced near.
- Severe (3 tbsp.) - if it was not possible to contain the progression of the disease, it goes to the third stage. The hearing threshold continues to decrease and reaches 56-70 dB. Such a person has to be addressed from a distance of more than 1 m, raising his voice. It becomes difficult for patients to navigate on the street, as they can no longer hear the sound of an approaching car, the steps of passers-by and other sounds that can signal potential danger. Hearing loss grade 3 is desirable to compensate with a hearing aid.
- Very severe (4 tbsp.) - the threshold of sensitivity reaches 70-90 dB, at which a person hears only very loud sounds: the roar of an aircraft, the roar of a train, the noise from falling objects. Without a hearing aid, such patients no longer perceive human speech. Problems can only be solved with the help of powerful acoustic devices or surgery.
Light (1 tbsp.) - the first stage of the disease, which, with timely treatment started, gives a 90-100% guarantee of recovery. The hearing threshold is reduced to 26-40 dB. A person ceases to pick up quiet sounds: rustle of grass, ticking of a wristwatch, whisper. At the same time, he still clearly understands human speech and even whispering from a distance of up to 1 meter.The last degree of deafness is complete deafness, when a person is absolutely unable to hear or distinguish sounds and is in fact constantly in complete silence. Acute deafness, when properly identified, usually heals quickly.
But if the disease has passed all the previous stages and developed gradually, full restoration of hearing is absolutely impossible.
See a doctor immediately
In order to identify a developing disease in time, it is very important to immediately consult a doctor if you notice one or more of the following symptoms:
- during a conversation in your usual conditions, you began to strain your hearing;
- you suddenly notice that it has become more difficult to catch a whisper at close range;
- people around you began to notice that the TV in your room is very loud;
- you started missing phone calls because you didn't hear them;
- From time to time you have to ask the other person to repeat a word or phrase;
- to hear a sound in the distance, you have to turn your head towards its source.
Moreover, this should be done immediately if such signs of a mild degree of hearing loss appeared after a previous illness or at a young age. If the progression of senile hearing loss is difficult to stop, then in young people it is usually enough to eliminate the cause of the disease and hearing is restored.
