As the sense of hearing, the ear has an important role in your life. Not only function to hear, the ear also helps you to maintain balance. By listening, you can communicate and discuss with your interlocutor. But with age, the function of the ear decreases. Hearing loss is not trivial, because this problem can affect your quality of life and your relationship with your partner.
If you have decreased hearing ability, of course your communication and interaction with other people will be hampered. That would be troublesome for you, wouldn't it? The ear consists of several parts, namely the outer, middle, and inner. The outer ear is made up of the auricle you normally see, including the ear canal which is lined with hair and glands that secrete earwax. While the middle ear contains 3 small bones which are also known as hammer, anvil, and stirrup bones. Finally, the inner ear contains the cochlea, which is the main sensory organ for hearing.
Dangers of Listening to Music Too Loud
Hearing occurs when sound waves enter your ear and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted to the middle ear and then, the vibrations will be amplified to continue to the cochlea, where the cochlea finally sends signals via the auditory nerve to the brain.
Please note that a sound that is normal and safe for you to hear is a sound with a loudness level of around 60 decibels (dB). In general, sound above 85 decibels is considered dangerous, but it depends on how long and how often you hear the sound at that loudness, and whether or not you wear protective equipment such as earplugs or earmuffs.
According to WHO, by 2015, there were around 360 million people worldwide suffering from hearing loss. Meanwhile, there are about 1.1 billion people in the world who are at risk of suffering from hearing loss due to the way music players are used and also the sound from entertainment venues such as bars, nightclubs, music concerts, and sports matches.
In general, a decrease in hearing ability occurs when the signal from the sound does not reach the human brain. Decreased hearing ability is caused by various factors such as increasing age, repeated exposure to loud sounds, and even some drugs (such as antibiotics, chemotherapy, aspirin, malaria, and others) can also damage your hearing function.
There are two types of hearing loss which are distinguished based on the location of the abnormality, namely sensorineural hearing loss and conductive hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss is hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea in the inner ear or damage to the auditory nerve. This can occur naturally with age or as a result of injury. Meanwhile, conductive hearing loss occurs when sound cannot be transmitted to the inner ear. This is often caused by a blockage such as earwax, fluid buildup from an ear infection, or a ruptured eardrum.
Hearing loss can occur suddenly, but usually develops gradually. Common signs of hearing loss include difficulty hearing other people's speech clearly, misunderstanding what they say, asking people to repeat what they say, and listening to music or watching television at a higher volume than others.
How to Treat Your Hearing Loss
If you have decreased hearing ability, then there are several ways of treatment depending on the cause and severity of your hearing loss, including:
- In conductive hearing loss, there are several options such as the doctor cleaning the wax that is blocking the ear with the help of oil to thin the wax, then removing the wax. In addition, treatment of ear infections with antibiotics or eardrum surgery procedures (if there is a hole) can restore hearing function properly.
- In sensorineural hearing loss, the damage is permanent, so the goal of treatment is to maximize hearing. Using a hearing aid is the first option. By wearing a hearing aid, you can make your voice louder and easier to hear. If the disorder is severe, a cochlear implant is another option. Unlike hearing aids that amplify sound and direct it into the ear canal, a cochlear implant replaces the damaged or dysfunctional part of your inner ear.
There are many benefits of several ways of treating hearing loss as described above, which make you more confident, closer relationships with loved ones, reduced depression, and an increase in your quality of life.
Hearing aids are an option that can help you if you have sensorineural hearing loss. Unfortunately, only 1 in 5 people who need a hearing aid choose to use one.
If you experience decreased hearing ability, immediately consult a doctor about the appropriate treatment procedure.
