Causes and Treatment of Hearing Loss – Hearing Aids Cost
Hearing is an intricate mechanism that allows people to convert a wide variety of sound signals into usable information. The human hearing system is made of three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. Each part serves a distinct function, and all of them have to work in perfect harmony to ensure proper hearing. The outer ear is responsible for picking up sounds from the environment and directing them to the middle ear. The middle ear contains the eardrum and three tiny bones – the hammer, the anvil and the stirrup – that vibrate and move sounds to the inner ear. The most important component of the inner ear is the cochlea, a snail-shaped organ that is filled with a special fluid and contains microscopic hairs. These hairs vibrate, converting sounds into electrical impulses that are transmitted to the brain through the hearing nerve.
When one or more parts of the hearing system do not function properly, hearing loss occurs. Depending on the type and extent of damage, hearing loss can range from a minor inconvenience to complete deafness and from temporary hearing loss to permanent impairment. Some of the more common causes of hearing loss include ear infection, head trauma, exposure to loud noise, congenital defects and aging. It is very important to indentify the precise cause of hearing impairment because the treatment for hearing loss and the long-term prognosis directly depend on it.
Diagnosis of hearing loss and the underlying cause is usually performed by examining a patient's hearing system, evaluating his or her health history and lifestyle, and administering special hearing tests. If the evaluation reveals that the patient's hearing loss is moderate and developed gradually, the doctor will typically suspect a problem with the outer and/or middle ear. Common causes of this type of haring loss include trauma to the outer ear, middle ear infection and perforated ear drum. These conditions can be treated with antibiotics, surgery and special ear drops. After the health of the outer and middle ear has been restored, patient's hearing usually returns to normal.
Hearing loss arising from inner ear problems can come on suddenly or develop gradually. Unfortunately, this type of hearing impairment is usually permanent. For example, in cases whereby the inner ear's tiny hairs are damaged, patients can lose their abilities to hear certain sounds or become completely deaf. If the hearing nerve is affected, patients usually notice gradual hearing loss that might be accompanied by ringing in the ears. A damaged hearing nerve cannot provide the brain with proper electrical impulses, rendering the affected individuals partially or completely deaf.
After carefully evaluating each patient, specially trained doctors (audiologists) recommend the most suitable treatments. In many cases, hearing can be greatly improved by using special hearing aids. These devices help hearing impaired individuals hear better by amplifying a wide spectrum of sounds. Depending on the condition, age and needs of each patient, he or she might be fitted with hearing aids that are worn behind the ears, inside the ears or inside the ear canal. Because these devices come in a variety of shapes and designs and can have a range of sophisticated features, hearing aids cost varies greatly. Another factor affecting the final cost is the insurance coverage. While some insurance companies might cover all of the expenses related to hearing aids, others might cover only the cost of hearing evaluation. As a result, a patient in need of hearing aids might have to pay anywhere between several hundred dollars to $3,000 to obtain this device.