Hearing Loss: What is Hearing Loss/ Hearing Impairment?

Hearing Loss is best understood with a little preface about how hearing works.

Hearing begins with the outer ear. Sound waves or vibrations go through the outer ear to the middle ear where they vibrate the eardrum. When the eardrum vibrates, it makes the ossicles – which are small bones in the middle ear – vibrate as well.

These vibrations then travel to the inner ear. The sound vibrations in the inner ear push against specialised cells – called hair cells – which turn the vibrations into nerve impulses.

There is an auditory nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain. When the nerve impulses reach the brain, they are then experienced as sounds.

It is mind-blowing how such a system works, and there are so many little and big ways in which our hearing can be damaged.

Types of Hearing Loss

Unilateral and Bilateral Hearing Loss:

Most hearing loss or hearing impairment can be unilateral or bilateral.

Unilateral hearing loss is when you are having problems with only one of your ears; while a bilateral hearing loss means you are having problems with both of your ears.

What Causes Sudden Hearing Loss and Hearing Impairment?

Several things can cause sudden hearing loss, leading to both temporary and permanent hearing impairment.

Loud Noises

A sudden loss of hearing in both ears will most likely be caused by a loud noise or due to the side effects of medication.

In the case of loud noise, you may have to wait a while for your hearing to return – and be careful with loud noises in the future. For example, if you work around loud machinery or on construction sites, then you should wear ear protectors. On the other hand, If it has been caused by medication, then you should talk to your doctor about finding an alternative form of medication. One that will not cause problems with your hearing.

Side Effects of Medication

Some prescription and over-the-counter medications can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss.

These types of medications are called Ototoxic medications. They are used to treat serious infections, cancer and heart disease but can cause hearing loss.

Antibiotics, Anticonvulsants, NSAID and paracetamol are some drugs which may also cause hearing loss as a side effect.

These drugs could affect the hearing by causing sensorineural hearing loss. They are believed to damage parts of the sensitive inner ear environment, and affect the blood supply to the small hair cells responsible for interpreting vibrations into sound.

Should you notice any hearing loss after starting a new medication – or at any time at all – it is important to continue taking all of your medications, as prescribed by your doctor. But notify your doctor immediately.

Earwax Buildup

If you are suffering from a sudden loss of hearing in one ear, then it could be caused by a build-up of ear wax. This might also appear as a partial loss of hearing in one ear.

The natural overproduction might cause earwax build-up in you; from the use of hearing aids/ headphones blocking the way for the ear wax to fall out; or possibly due to narrow or hairy ear canals.

Usually ear wax will fall out by itself, but if something has stopped its exit, then it might build up – leaving you without hearing in one ear. And potentially leading to tinnitus or discomfort.

To help with ear wax build-up, you can put a couple of drops of almond or olive oil into the affected ear twice a day. This will soften up the wax, making it easier to fall out. Do not put anything into your ear if you have a perforated or burst eardrum.

You could also try sleeping on the side of your affected ear, to promote movement. If this is not working, you can ask your local pharmacist for more help. They may prescribe chemical ear drops that work in the same way as the almond or olive oil. If there is still no movement, then you can approach your doctor or nurse to ask for ear irrigation or micro-suction. This is where they use a machine to pulse water into your eardrum to pull, or suck out any ear wax that might be stuck.

A Cold

Another cause of hearing loss is a cold. The ears, nose and throat are all connected. If something is affecting your sinuses, then other parts of the system can be affected too. This loss of hearing will only be temporary, though. As you get better from your cold and the congestion lifts, you should be able to hear like normal again.

Ear Infections

You might experience a loss of hearing if you are suffering from an ear infection. Alongside this, you might have other symptoms:

• high temperature
• being sick
• lack of energy
• pain within your ear
• the feeling of pressure in your ear
• itchy or irritating feeling around your ear
• scaly skin in and around your ear

Most ear infections should clear up within three days, with some symptoms lasting up to a week. However, if the symptoms continue or get worse; Or if there is fluid coming from the ear; Or you have any other long-term conditions, then see your doctor for help.

A few things you can use to treat ear infections at home are to take paracetamol or ibuprofen. You could also place a hot or cold flannel onto your ear. However, you must not put anything into your ear to remove the wax, such as cotton buds, or let any shampoo or conditioner get into the affected ear.

Injury

You might experience a loss of hearing if:

1. you have a perforated eardrum. An ear infection can cause this
2. there was an injury to the eardrum – such as from a blow to your ear, or from sticking something sharp/ pointy in your ear
3. you experienced a change in air pressure such as when flying, travelling underground, or scuba diving
4. you’ve been exposed to loud noise or explosion

You might have other symptoms alongside the pain of a burst eardrum and loss of hearing, such as a high temperature or tinnitus.

Most eardrum perforations will heal by themselves in a few weeks. However, if you are worried about it – or are experiencing other worsening symptoms – then do see a doctor to rule out or treat any infection. Your doctor might prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection. If the perforation is too large to heal on its own, then you might be referred to a specialist – to talk through your options, such as surgery.

While your eardrum is healing, you should not put anything into your ear such as cotton buds. And be careful not to get water/ shampoo/ conditioner in your ear while showering. You must also take care when coughing or blowing your nose – don’t blow so hard that it affects your eardrum. You can use really warm and cold flannels on your ear. As well as paracetamol or ibuprofen, to relieve any pain.

If your sudden loss of hearing is followed by:

1. the feeling of the room spinning (vertigo)
2. ringing in your ears like tinnitus,
3. feeling sick (nausea)
4. being unsteady on your feet

Then you might be suffering from an inner ear infection such as Ménière’s disease.

Attacks of these symptoms can last between minutes and hours and can leave you feeling tired. Symptoms can start in one ear but can often spread into both.

Ménière’s usually affects adults aged between 20 and 60, and it is uncommon to experience hearing loss without vertigo. There is no cure for this disease, but it is possible to control your symptoms. You may be prescribed medication to relieve any nausea, vomiting and vertigo. You will need to take this medication as soon as you feel the symptoms starting, to ward off the oncoming attack.

You may also lose your balance. To prevent this:

1. sit or lie down at the first signs of an attack
2. close your eyes or keep them fixed on a still object
3. if you need to move, do so slowly and carefully
4. If your symptoms are serious and happening a lot, then you might be given injections of your medication, instead of tablets, to enable a quicker response.

Ménière’s is a difficult disease to live with. You might find counselling such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or relaxation therapy such as Yoga Therapy to be helpful tools.

Ménière’s disease can take a few days for symptoms to disappear. But one might suffer from attacks days, weeks, or months apart. If you think you have Ménière’s, then you should see your doctor to prevent any permanent loss of hearing.

What Causes Gradual Hearing Loss and Hearing Impairment?

There are a few things that can cause you to lose your hearing gradually.

Glue Ear

Gradual hearing loss might be from Glue Ear, which is when there is a fluid build-up in the middle empty bit of the ear canal. Although more common in children, adults can suffer from it too. Glue ear will usually clear up on its own. But if it is causing problems, then you will need to consult with your doctor about alternative ways to help clear the fluid.

You might be asked to do an auto inflation task such as blowing up a balloon with one nostril at a time or swallowing while holding your nostrils closed. Or you might be given a temporary hearing aid or have grommets – small tubes – implanted into your ear. These will help with your hearing or with clearing the fluid from your ears. The grommets should fall out by themselves as you get better.

Otosclerosis

Another potential cause of gradual hearing loss in one ear is Otosclerosis.

There are little bones in your ear. They vibrate when sounds waves come in. These are then turned into signals in your inner ear, that are sent to your brain. Otosclerosis causes these bones to fuse together, meaning that they are unable to vibrate when sounds waves enter the ear. Therefore, no signals can be sent onward to the brain.

This is a fairly common thing to happen with young adults aged 20 to 30.

Although the cause of otosclerosis is still unknown, it has been found to run in families and can often be made worse during pregnancies.

You might notice hearing problems within one or both ears. With otosclerosis, you might find it difficult to hear low sounds or whispers. Or you might start speaking more quietly because your own voice sounds loud to you. It might also be easier to hear when there is background noise, which is different from other types of hearing loss.

Buzzing or ringing sounds are also some signs of otosclerosis. This will rarely cause severe hearing loss and can be treated either by the use of hearing aids or through surgery.

Hearing aids are a simple risk-free way of regaining more of your hearing back, and most modern hearing aids are small and discreet. If you do not want to use hearing aids, then you can undergo surgery. Surgery removes the fused bone, replacing it with a plastic or metal implant. The implant can then help transmit sound from the remaining bones, to your inner ear.

Surgery for otosclerosis is usually very successful, but as with most surgeries can carry risks. These could be a worsening of your hearing, prolonged tinnitus, vertigo and facial weakness. These are things that you can talk through with your doctor, and find the right option for you.

Cholesteatoma

Cholesteatoma might also be another cause of gradual hearing loss. This is an abnormal collection of skin cells deep within the ear.

One can be born with Cholesteatoma; although this is very rare. It can also be caused by a collapsed eardrum. If left untreated, it can cause further damage to the inner ear affecting hearing and balance.

Cholesteatoma can go on to cause ear infections, permanent hearing loss, vertigo, tinnitus and damage to the facial nerves. In very rare cases, it can spread into the head, causing an abscess or meningitis. It usually only affects one ear.

Other symptoms of cholesteatoma include a gradual hearing loss; and a persistent/ recurring watery discharge from the same ear, that can be smelly. It may also cause some discomfort in the ear. If you are feeling any of these symptoms, then you should make an appointment with your doctor.

Your doctor will check your ear, and if they suspect a cholesteatoma, will refer you to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist. Your doctor may first suspect an ear infection – which they might ask you to treat first, and return to them if it does not go away.

Should a cholesteatoma be confirmed during a CT scan, then you will be offered surgery to remove it under general anaesthetic. During surgery, they may also be able to help repair any damage to your hearing by putting in a prosthetic hearing bone.

What is the Most Common Cause of Hearing Loss?

The most common cause of hearing loss is noise-induced hearing loss and age-induced hearing loss.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Loud noises from lawnmowers, machinery or loud music can all affect your hearing. You can protect your hearing by wearing earplugs or ear protectors when around loud equipment or by lowering the volume of any stereos, especially if you are using headphones.

Age-Induced Hearing Loss

You might also suffer from hearing loss as a result of natural ageing. This is called Presbycusis. It usually affects both ears equally, and you might not even notice yourself losing your hearing as it is very gradual. You might need to use a hearing aid if your hearing gets very bad; however, this can also cause you to be unable to tolerate loud noises.

What are the 4 Types of Hearing Loss and Hearing Impairment?

The four main types of hearing loss/ Impairment are: conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, mixed hearing loss and neural hearing loss.

These are usually treatable, and we look into each in a bit more detail below.

1. Conductive Hearing Loss

Conductive hearing loss is when the outer or middle ear is unable to conduct sound. This can cause both temporary and permanent hearing loss depending on the cause of the issue.

If the problem is with the outer ear, then it might be caused by:

• a narrowing of the ear canal
• ear wax build-up
• Exostoses which are bone-like protrusions that can develop in the ear canal that can cause blockages
• obstructions caused by foreign bodies being inserted into the ear
• Otitis Externa or swimmer’s ear, a skin infection where certain bacteria found in water remains in the ear and causes infection
• Microtia which is when the ear is not fully developed

On the other hand, if the problem is in the middle ear, then it might be caused by:

• a perforated eardrum as mentioned earlier
• Tympanosclerosis (also called Myringosclerosis), which is scarring of the eardrum
• Otitis Media, much like Otitis Externa. There might be a build-up of fluid in the middle ear causing infection
• a blockage in the Eustachian tube that connects the middle ear with the back of the nose and throat
• Otosclerosis as mentioned earlier in the article
• Abnormal growths or tumours in the middle ear
• Ossicular chain discontinuity which is a break in the connection between the bones of the middle ear caused by injury or heavy trauma

As these cause issues with the outer and middle ear, one may have trouble with the volume of sounds, not the clarity. You might find it easier to hear out of one ear over the other. And you may feel pain or pressure in one or both your ears. There may be a bad smell coming from the ear canal, and you might find your own voice sounds louder than usual.

Treatment for conductive hearing loss also depends on the cause. For things such as earwax build-up or infections can be treated by your doctor through ear irrigation or antibiotics. Things such as exostoses, otosclerosis or ossicular chain discontinuity might lead to permanent hearing loss. This could be treated with surgery or through the use of hearing aids or implants. Your doctor will be able to discuss your best options with you.

2. Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sensorineural hearing loss is when the hair cells of the cochlea are missing and damaged. This can be caused by head trauma, exposure to loud noises or due to something in your genetics. It is also a part of the ageing process. This is the most common type of hearing loss.

There are many different causes of sensorineural hearing loss:

• Being born with this type of hearing loss, usually caused by a genetic syndrome or by an infection passed from mother to baby in the womb – such as rubella or herpes
• It might be part of the normal ageing process
• Exposure to loud noises
• Heart disease and diabetes
• Infections such as mumps
• Ménière’s disease
• A side effect of certain medications
• Acoustic neuroma or other cancerous growths
• Traumatic injuries to the inner ear or auditory nerve
• Autoimmune diseases

Unlike conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss affects both the loudness as well as the clarity of sounds. You might also experience

• difficulty hearing women’s or children’s voices or other high-frequency sounds
• the feeling of being able to hear by not understand speech, people might seem slurred or mumbled
• finding it difficult to follow a conversation between more than two people
• Ringing or buzzing within the ears
• Finding it difficult to hear in noisy places
• Being unable to hear certain speech sounds such as ‘s’ or ‘th’
• Certain noises might seem too loud or too quiet
• The feeling of being off-balance or dizzy

Sensorineural hearing loss can be treated with the use of hearing aids or cochlear implants. The use of assistive listening devices, such as vibrating alarm clocks or captioned phones, will also help you with your daily living.

3. Mixed Hearing Loss

Mixed hearing loss is when you have both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. This means having a problem with both the inner and outer or middle ear.

Some sort of external trauma usually causes this. Symptoms will be a mixture of those listed under the sensorineural hearing loss and conductive hearing loss sections. Their treatment will be the same as well.

4. Neural Hearing Loss

Neural hearing loss is also classed as Sensorineural hearing loss. This is when the auditory nerve is either missing or damaged.

Hearing aids and cochlear implants will not help here, as there is no nerve to pass on sound information to the brain. However, Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) may be an option. Neural hearing loss might also be classed as Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder.

What are the 5 Levels/ Degrees of Severity for Hearing Loss and Hearing Impairment?

The five levels of hearing loss are: normal, mild, moderate, severe and profound hearing loss. You might find that you sit in-between some of these levels, such as having mild to moderate hearing loss.

1. Normal Hearing

You will be classed as having a normal hearing if you have no problems with your hearing. You will be able to hear sounds that are lower than 25 decibels (dB).

2. Mild Hearing Loss

If you have a mild hearing loss, then you will be able to hear most things, but you might struggle with certain speech sounds and with soft-spoken speech – especially if you are in a noisy environment. With mild hearing loss, you should be able to hear sounds between 25 and 40dB.

3. Moderate Hearing Loss

With moderate hearing loss, you will have a much harder time hearing other people when they are speaking, and you will be using higher volumes for your television or radio. You will typically be able to hear sounds that sit between 40 and 60 dB.

4. Severe Hearing Loss

Severe hearing loss means you will probably be asking people to speak much louder than normal; and struggle with group conversations. You will only hear sounds between 60 and 90 dB.

5. Profound Hearing Loss

With profound hearing loss, you will struggle to hear people who are speaking very loudly; Or to hear the television or radio even if they are turned up high. You will only really be hearing sounds over 90 dB.

Low-Frequency Hearing Loss

You can experience low-frequency hearing loss, also know as reverse-slope hearing loss. This affects your ability to hear certain sounds such as men’s voices, bass sounds in music or thunder.

With a Low-Frequency Hearing Loss, one will not hear the rumbling sound that comes with the sounds made by cars, trains or planes, and will have problems hearing vowel sounds. You might need to ask certain people to stand closer to you when they talk or to talk a bit more loudly. You can get help with frequency hearing loss by wearing hearing aids.

Cookie Bite Hearing Loss

Cookie bite hearing loss is when one struggles to hear mid-range sounds which cover most of human speech and music, instead of having problems hearing high or low-frequency sounds.

Having the ability to hear high and low-frequency sounds mean you can piece sounds and conversations together, even if you are missing the mid-range frequencies.

Cookie bite hearing loss is also considered a sensorineural hearing impairment. You most likely need to raise the volume of the television/ radio – as well as struggle to hear in noisy environments.

Cookie bite hearing loss is usually genetic, but might also be caused by a rare acoustic neuroma or tumour.

To help with this type of hearing loss, you can use hearing aids if the loss is severe; Or you can use routine adjustments, such as sitting or standing closer to people you are talking to/ speakers, etc.

What does Hearing Loss Feel Like?

Hearing loss will feel different for each person.

There are so many levels of hearing loss, and so many reasons for the loss of hearing, which can bring on other symptoms.

One person might have difficulty hearing in noisy places, while another might stop hearing certain sounds or frequencies altogether.

How to Tell if Hearing Loss is Permanent or Temporary?

Deciphering if your hearing loss is permanent or temporary will depend on what is causing your hearing impairment. To be sure of what this is, you should consult with your doctor. They will be able to find what has caused your hearing loss, tell you if it is permanent or temporary and get you the correct help to treat it.

Tinnitus

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the word to describe noises you hear that is not caused by the outside world. It’s a continuous sound, only you can hear.

Most of the hearing loss or hearing impairment conditions you have read about in this article have tinnitus as a potential symptom. Tinnitus sound varies from person to person.

Some of the most common ways people describe it is as a ringing, whooshing, buzzing or hissing sound.

Tinnitus Causes

Many things could cause tinnitus. If you experience any of the types of hearing loss mentioned earlier in the article, then these might be causing you to hear ringing sounds.

You might also have tinnitus if you have conditions such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes or thyroid disorders.

Tinnitus can be a side-effect of certain medications. You might also experience these sounds if you feel anxious or depressed.

Tinnitus Symptoms

You might feel tinnitus in one or both ears. It depends on what is causing your hearing impairment in the first place.

Tinnitus’ main symptom is that extra sound in your ears that is not caused by the outside world. However, you might be feeling other symptoms caused by different types of hearing loss – from high temperatures and nausea, to pain within your ear.

Is Tinnitus Permanent?

Much like the different types of hearing loss, tinnitus can be either permanent or temporary.

If the condition causing the hearing loss is permanent, then the tinnitus will also be permanent.

Likewise, if you can treat your hearing loss, then this should alleviate the tinnitus as well. However, there are a few things that you can try to ease the effects of tinnitus.

How to Get Rid of Tinnitus

Tinnitus treatment will depend on the underlying condition causing your other hearing problems. Getting treatment for this condition – whether it is sensorineural or conductive hearing loss – should alleviate the tinnitus.

If you are unable to find the cause of your tinnitus, then you might be recommended to try tinnitus counselling to help you learn about tinnitus and find ways to cope with it.

You might also be recommended to try cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to change the way you think about tinnitus. It is also possible to retrain your brain to tune out the tinnitus sounds.

And you might be offered the use of hearing aids for tinnitus, if it is causing problems with your hearing.

Pulsatile Tinnitus

Pulsatile Tinnitus is similar to tinnitus in the way that you will hear a sound not created by an external source; however, pulsatile tinnitus will be rhythmical – usually following the beating of your heart.

This type of tinnitus is caused by a change in the blood flow in the vessels near the ear(s). This, in turn, can be caused by general increased blood flow from:

1. exercise
2. pregnancy
3. severe anaemia
4. localised increased blood flow
5. turbulent blood flow.

Much like general tinnitus, the treatment depends on what is causing the problem.

For example, if your pulsatile tinnitus is caused by anaemia, then you will be given medication to help.

If there is no one thing identified as causing it, then you may be advised to use different forms of therapy to understand and retrain your brain to ignore those sounds.

Hearing Loss Treatment

You have many choices of treatment for hearing loss, depending on what has caused the hearing impairment in the first place.

Many of these treatments have been mentioned above. Also:

Hearing Aids

These are small electronic devices that you wear in your ear that helps to make sounds louder and clearer.

A hearing aid will not restore your hearing to normal, but it will make your hearing better.

There are three main types of hearing aids:

1. one that sits outside the ear over the top and sits in the back of your ear
2. one that sits just in the ear like a headphone
3. or one that is fitted a little further into the ear canal.

You can talk to your doctor about which will be the best hearing loss solution for you.

You can get hearing aids on the NHS, but these are usually the ones that sit at the back of the ear. If you are not happy wearing a hearing aid like this, then you can go to a private hearing specialist to purchase one of the other kinds of hearing aids.

Implants

Hearing aids will not help everyone with their hearing so you might need to get a hearing implant. These are special devices that are attached to your skull either on the inside or outside through surgery.

The most common types of implants are:

1. bone-anchored hearing aids
2. cochlear implants
3. auditory brainstem implants
4. middle ear implants

Your doctor and your hearing specialist will be able to talk you through what the best option is for you.

A bone-anchored hearing aid will be useful if you have trouble with sound reaching your inner ear. Modern devices are connected to your skull using magnets instead of with a connector through the skin, and they can be unclipped for going to bed, using the shower or swimming.

Cochlear implants will be used if you have profound or severe hearing loss that cannot be helped with a hearing aid. This implant turns sound waves into the electrical signals your brain needs to understand sound. The implant has two parts, a microphone that sits outside the skull on the ear that picks up sound waves and a device under the skin that then sends these waves to the inner ear.

An auditory brainstem implant (ABI) is similar to a cochlear implant, but this bypasses the inner ear and sends the signals straight to your brain. This option is usually used for severe and permanent hearing loss, and if you have problems with your auditory nerve.

A middle ear implant will be used if you cannot use a hearing aid. This might be because they do not sit right in your ears, or you might be allergic to the materials used to make them. Like the ABI and cochlear implant, it consists of two parts, one that sits outside the skin to pick up sounds and another under the skin to send the signals to the hearing bones in the middle ear.

Assistive Listening Devices

Assistive Listening Devices are supplementary to hearing aids and implants.

These devices can be used alongside hearing aids and implants, to make things louder and clearer for you to hear.

• A personal hearing loop can help you listen to music or hear phone calls directly through your hearing aids.
• Personal communicators also called conversation listeners are portable devices used to help you hear over long distances or in noisy places.
• Television amplifiers help you hear sounds from the television directly through your hearing aid instead of having to have it on very loud.
• Alternative smoke alarms suitable for your level of hearing such as vibrating devices

How Much Hearing Loss Requires a Hearing Aid?

It is best to use hearing aids or assistive devices even if you have a mild hearing loss.

If you have a mild hearing loss, you might feel like you can hear but that you do not understand conversations, especially in loud environments. As stated earlier, you will not be able to hear sounds quieter than 25 decibels (15 decibels for children).

Several things can cause temporary mild hearing loss, such as ear wax build-up or an ear infection. However, with a permanent mild hearing loss, then it is important to get help with it as soon as possible.

You can prevent mild hearing loss by being mindful of protecting your ears, when you are in loud places or around loud machinery; And not listening to music through headphones at full volume.

Although it might not sound so bad, mild hearing loss can lead to further problems. Not being able to hear other people in social situations might push you to feel like you are not a part of the conversation. This might lead you to become introverted and could even lead to depression.

Research has also found that untreated mild hearing loss can later lead to cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s and dementia. There is no need for you to struggle with mild hearing loss. You have a huge array of treatment options – including the use of smaller hearing aids – compared to people with severe or profound hearing loss.

If you do not treat your mild hearing loss early enough, then it can lead to it getting worse.

Without external help, your brain forgets how to understand sounds, and you will begin to stop understanding speech.

How long it takes to acquire a hearing aid or assistive device depends on whether the doctor or hearing specialist must run tests to see what is causing your hearing loss. You will also be able to discuss which type of hearing loss treatment is right for you.

It is not that one is better than the other in general, but you will need to take into consideration your own individual needs and wants. Once fitted with a hearing aid or implant, you should begin to hear better immediately.

If there is no change or you feel like it is worse, then return to your doctor or hearing specialist. You want to make sure that it has been fitted correctly, so as not to cause further damage to your hearing.

How Can I Restore or Improve my Hearing Naturally, Without a Hearing Aid?

There are a few things that you can do to help your healing naturally. There are a few different vitamins that have been linked to helping your ears, and your hearing.

• Folic acid promotes circulation to your ears
• Magnesium helps aid healthy nerve function and to prevent any damage
• Zinc helps your immune system which will prevent ear infections as well as protecting the hair cells in the ear
• B vitamins help the regulation of fluid levels as well as optimising oxygen use.

You can test your hearing by staying away from man-made noises. Take a walk in the woods and try to identify all the different noises you can hear from the wind, the trees to any animal noises. Try this for a few days and see if you can pick up more and more sounds.

All these things can help your hearing, but the number one thing you can do to help your hearing long term if you are suffering from hearing loss is to get seen by a medical professional. They will be able to assess any underlying conditions and give you options for the best treatment to make sure you do not suffer from any long-term problems.

Entertainment for Hearing Loss

Suppose you are hard of hearing or hearing impaired. In that case, you might feel like you are missing out on a lot of things, such as experiencing different types of entertainment. But this does not need to be the case.

There are a few different assistive options set up at cinemas to help people with hearing loss.

Check with your local cinema to see when they are doing a showing of films with subtitles. They should also offer two forms of hearing assistance such as hearing loops or infrared systems at both the check-in desks and in the screens themselves. These can be fed directly into your hearing aid to increase the clarity and volume of sounds.

The same goes for television, music and the radio. Almost all televisions, as well as streaming sources such as Netflix or Disney+, include subtitles on all the products they provide.

Through Bluetooth, you can also connect your listening devices to your television, mobile phone or laptop to hear the shows and movies directly through your in-ear device. The same goes for music being listened to through your phone, laptop or television.

Sign language and lip reading are useful forms of communication, whether you have a hearing impairment or have a complete loss of hearing.

Lip reading allows you to keep up with conversations with other people, even in noisy places.

The Association of Teachers of Lip Reading to Adults (ATLA) can help you find a lip reading class near you. You can usually find classes to learn sign language at your local college or community centres.

Like other languages, each country has their own sign language. For example, the UK uses British Sign Language, and in the USA, they use American Sign Language. As well as different versions of sign language per country, there will be dialect variations between different parts of the country, much like varying accents and colloquial language.

Sign language is an interesting language to learn and considering that there are 11 million people who are hearing impaired in the UK alone, it is something that more people should be learning, even just the basics.

You can also check out disability activists on social media such as Jessica Kellgren-Fozard who bring awareness to the rights of deaf people and who use British Sign Language in their videos.

Hearing Disability: Is Hearing Loss and Hearing Impairment a Disability?

Hearing loss and hearing impairment, from mild to profound all count as a disability.

As stated by the .gov website, ‘Under the Equality Act 2010 in the UK you are disabled if you have a physical or mental impairment that is substantial and has a long-term negative effect on your ability to do normal activities.’

A loss of hearing will affect the way you go about your daily life, and it might also cause other problems at the same time, such as anxiety and depression. Hearing loss will not be classed as a physical disability as it should not affect your ability to move around. However, you may have side effects such as vertigo or balance issues from whatever is causing the hearing loss.

Hearing impairment is mostly an invisible disability as you will not be showing outwardly that you have a disability.

People might be able to recognise your disability if you are wearing a hearing aid or listening device or implant. Still, you might find some people being less understanding about your disability, since they can’t see it.

If you are struggling, then reach out to friends and family. Or visit your doctor, who can help you get the help you need through therapy. At therapy, they help you navigate your condition and facing other people.

Hearing Disability: Hearing Loss Disability Benefits

Much like any other disability or long-term health condition, you might be entitled to disability benefits if you have a hearing loss.

These benefits can help you with money, if you are unable to work with your disability – or are unable to work full-time. They can also help you get the necessary equipment to help with your hearing loss at home and at work.

Whether your level of hearing loss qualifies for disability benefits will be taken on an individual basis. Some people with mild hearing loss might find that they do not need these benefit; while some others might really need them.

For many of the benefits, you will be assessed to see how much you are entitled to. If you are suffering, do not hesitate to check whether you are entitled to a disability benefit, if it can help you in your daily life.

Check out our article on Money for People with Disabilities to see the benefits you might be able to claim, for your hearing loss.

Hearing Disability: Hearing Loss Claim

If you have suffered hearing loss or hearing impairment due to working conditions, then you might be entitled to a monetary claim in compensation. This will often be called industrial deafness.

Although noise might be an inescapable part of certain jobs such as construction or in factories, this does not mean that you have to accept work-related deafness. In 2005, the Noise at Work Regulation was put into place, that means your employer has legal responsibility for your health.

To file a claim, you must visit a doctor to medically prove that you have suffered hearing loss or impairment and further to prove that your job or workplace caused it. All workplace claims have a time limit meaning that if you want to make a claim, you must make sure you do it as quickly as possible.

Depending on your level of hearing loss you may be entitled to between £5,000 and £29,000. For more information on placing a workplace claim due to injury, visit Injury Claims Advice or Citizens Advice Bureau. You can also follow other peoples personal advice on hearing loss claims forums such as on the Money Saving Expert website.

The same information applies to hearing loss experienced from being a veteran or from serving in the military. Being in noisy environments is a by-product of working in the military, and you might be entitled to compensation for suffering any hearing loss due to your work. This might also take the form of disability benefits given directly from the Armed Forces.

If you are struggling with your hearing, speak to your doctor and see what options there are out there for you. Whether your hearing loss is temporary or permanent, there are treatments out there to help make your daily life a little easier.

Organisations such as the Royal National Institute for Deaf People of the RNID are a great resource for people who are hard of hearing or deaf. They are a charity who raise awareness as well as support deaf people helping to provide devices as well as alternative forms of entertainment such as e-books.