Audiology: Dedicated care for your hearing and balance

Hearing loss can occur for various reasons. The ear is made up of three main parts: the outer, middle and inner ear. Sound enters through the outer ear and vibrates the eardrum. These vibrations are amplified by the middle ear and passed into the fluid-filled cochlea in the inner ear. 

Inside the cochlea, thousands of tiny hair cells convert the vibrations into electrical signals that travel along the auditory nerve to the brain, where they are interpreted as sound. Hearing loss can result when these hair cells or nerve cells are damaged or missing, commonly due to aging, exposure to loud noise or genetic factors. 

Other causes include a buildup of earwax. This can block sound waves, ear infections or abnormal growths in the outer or middle ear and a ruptured eardrum from loud blasts, pressure changes or injury. These issues interfere with the transmission or processing of sound, leading to reduced hearing ability.

Whether hearing loss can be reversed depends on what type of hearing loss it is and what caused it. 

In many cases, conductive hearing loss — which results from blockages or other issues in the outer or middle ear — can be treated and sometimes reversed. Causes like earwax buildup, fluid from infections or a ruptured eardrum may be resolved with medical treatment. 

However, sensorineural hearing loss, which involves damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve, is usually permanent. This type is often caused by aging, exposure to loud noise, certain medications or genetic factors. 

While sensorineural hearing loss can't be reversed, it can be managed with devices like hearing aids or cochlear implants, which help improve hearing and communication. 

If you're experiencing hearing loss, it's important to consult a health care provider to determine the cause and explore treatment options.

Conductive hearing loss occurs when sounds can’t reach your inner ear. This type of hearing loss makes it difficult to hear soft sounds, and louder sounds may seem muffled. 

Conductive hearing loss is typically caused by physical blockages or abnormalities that interfere with sound transmission, such as: 

• A hole in the eardrum 
• Benign tumors 
• Ear infections (otitis media) 
• Excessive earwax 
• Fluid in the middle ear from colds or allergies
• Poor Eustachian tube function
• Structural issues like a malformed ear canal or missing outer ear 
• Swimmer’s ear (external otitis)

Depending on the cause, conductive hearing loss is often treatable with medication, surgery or simple procedures like earwax removal. Audiologists can help diagnose and manage this condition, often restoring hearing or significantly improving it. 

Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type of permanent hearing loss and occurs when there is damage to the inner ear or the nerves that carry sound signals from the inner ear to the brain. 

This damage can affect the tiny hair cells in the inner ear or the auditory nerve itself, making it difficult to hear soft sounds and causing louder sounds to seem muffled or unclear.

Common causes of sensorineural hearing loss include:

• Aging
• Certain illnesses 
• Exposure to loud noise
• Genetic factors 
• Head trauma
• Medications that are toxic to the ear 

Unlike conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss typically cannot be corrected with medicine or surgery. However, hearing aids or cochlear implants can help improve hearing and communication by amplifying sound or directly stimulating the auditory nerve.

Hearing aids are made up of several parts that work together to improve hearing by amplifying sound. 

1. First, sound goes in through a set of microphones. 
2. Then the microphones convert the sound waves to electrical signals before sending them to an amplifier. 
3. Next, the amplifier makes the signals louder, boosting the sound, and sends them to your ear through a tiny speaker.

Some hearing aids have disposable batteries you must replace regularly, but most use rechargeable ones. You can charge rechargeable hearing aids just like you charge a smartphone. 

Hearing aids typically last 3 to 7 years, depending on how well they’re cared for and the environment they’re used in. Regular cleaning, avoiding moisture and proper storage can help extend their life. 

Many people choose to get new hearing aids every 4 to 5 years to benefit from newer technology or to keep up with changes in their hearing needs.

Always be sure to clean your hearing aids properly. Follow these steps:

• Wipe your hearing aids every day with a soft, dry cloth or cleaning wipe to remove oils and moisture. 
• Brush microphone and receiver ports gently with a small brush or wax pick to remove debris. 
• Clean earmolds or domes with warm, soapy water if detachable, and let them dry completely before reattaching. 
• Replace wax guards regularly if your hearing aids have them, following the manufacturer's instructions. 
• Avoid moisture and do not use water, alcohol or liquid cleaning agents directly on the device. Use a drying box or dehumidifier overnight. 
• Open the battery door at night for disposable models and follow proper charging routines for rechargeable ones.

A cochlear implant is an electronic device that improves hearing. It can be a choice for people who have severe hearing loss from inner-ear damage and can't hear well with hearing aids.

A cochlear implant works like this:

• The implant uses a sound receiver that fits behind the ear and detects sounds.
• The receiver sends these sounds past the damaged part of the ear through a thin wire to a processor that is surgically implanted behind the ear. 
• The wire holds tiny electrodes that have been placed in the snail-shaped inner ear, called the cochlea. 
• The signals trigger the cochlear nerve directly. 
• The cochlear nerve then sends these signals to the brain, which hears them as sounds. 

This process is similar to natural hearing, but not quite the same. It takes time and training to learn to understand the signals you hear from a cochlear implant. Within 3 to 6 months of use, most people with cochlear implants make big gains in understanding speech.