Deafness, or hearing loss, is a partial or total hearing loss that makes it difficult to understand and communicate the affected person, this can happen from congenital causes, when the person was born with the deficiency, or acquired throughout life, due to genetics.predisposition, trauma or illness affecting that organ.
The cause will also determine the type of deafness, which is classified into:
- There is also mixed deafness.
- Which occurs by joining both types of deafness.
- Committing both the middle and inner ears.
Hearing loss is characterized by a decrease in the ability to perceive sounds, partially, in which a certain degree of hearing may still persist, or total, this hearing loss can be measured using a device called an audiometer, which measures hearing levels in decibels..
Thus, deafness can be classified by degrees
In case of symptoms of hearing loss, consultation should be made with the otolaryngologist, who, in addition to the audiometric examination, will perform the clinical assessment to determine whether it is bilateral or unilateral, what are the possible causes and appropriate treatment.Find out what audiometric examination is all about.
Treatment of deafness depends on its cause, such as cleaning or drainage of the ear in case of wax buildup or secretions, or surgery in case of perforation of the eardrum or to correct any deformity, for example.
However, hearing can be used to recover hearing aids or implants in electronic devices. Learn more about when hearing aids and major types need to be used. After you have indicated the hearing aid, the speech therapist will be the professional responsible for guiding the use., type of device, in addition to adapting and monitoring the hearing aid for the user.
In addition, some patients may also benefit from certain forms of rehabilitation that include lip reading or sign language, which improve the quality of communication and social interaction of these people.
Some of the main causes of deafness include lifetime causes, whether sudden or progressive, such as:
Congenital deafness occurs when it is transmitted during pregnancy, as a result of alcohol and drug use, maternal malnutrition, diseases such as diabetes, or even infections that occur during pregnancy, such as measles, rubella, or toxoplasmosis. loss, see: How to tell if you are losing your hearing.