Decrease in a person's ability to perceive sound, causing great difficulties with speech communication, in medicine it is customary to designate the term "hearing loss". Hearing loss can be diagnosed in both the elderly and young children. Such a clinical picture is due to various factors, including congenital disorders.
Hearing loss, the causes of which are any external influences or pathologies of internal organs, can be cured with the help of modern medical technologies. Folk remedies also provide considerable assistance in this process.
Acute hearing loss diagnosed in young children requires mandatory and immediate treatment, as, among other things, it can lead to a delay in the mental development of the child. Let's take a closer look at these questions.
Causes of pathology in children
Regardless of external symptoms, the factors that cause the described disease are well studied. Hearing loss in children is provoked by the following diseases:
- otitis media;
- scarlet fever;
- measles;
- rubella.
There are cases when hearing loss in young children was due to improper treatment with antibacterial drugs that have ototoxic effects.
Adult disorders
Hearing loss that becomes symptomatic later in life is due to:
- acute infectious diseases caused by various dangerous pathogens (meningitis, influenza, syphilis, cytomegalovirus);
- allergic to various external factors;
- traumatic effects both directly on the ear and on the head as a whole;
- neoplasms of a benign and malignant nature that appear in the head cavity;
- acoustic injuries.
In addition, a decrease in the ability to perceive sound waves may appear due to atherosclerosis and hypertension. Work in hazardous industries also has a significant impact on the quality of hearing.
The organs of hearing of the elderly reduce their functionality due to changes in the auditory nerve, as well as the gradual death of the tissues of the inner and middle ear.
There is also hearing loss, the causes of which are poisoning with various poisons at work and in everyday life.
Types of diseases
There are several varieties of the considered pathology. First of all stand out:
- unilateral hearing loss (one ear affected);
- bilateral hearing loss (when negative processes that impair hearing,affect both human organs).
In addition, depending on the reasons that influenced the occurrence of the violation, there is a slightly different division. Medical professionals distinguish:
- conductive disease;
- neurosensory pathology.
It should be noted that it is not uncommon for hearing loss or hearing loss to be affected simultaneously by several factors. In this case, mixed hearing loss is diagnosed, which requires a special approach to treatment. For example, when using hearing aids, you will need a type with a special design.
Conductive hearing loss
This type of pathology appears in a patient when an obstacle is formed in the path of sound vibrations. These violations include:
- sulfur plugs;
- improper development of the inner or middle ear;
- various forms of otitis media;
- foreign bodies in the auditory canal;
- tumor formations;
- traumatic impact;
- otosclerosis.
The main symptom of the considered type of violation is a change fixed in the sound bone and affecting the eardrum.
Sensory hearing loss
In this case, the inability to perceive the sound series is due to the disappearance or violation of the ability to convert vibrations of sound waves into impulses understandable to the human brain.
When a patient is diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss, symptomswhich will be discussed below, there is not only a deterioration in the quality of speech perception, but also sound distortion.
This condition can be caused by the following violations:
- acoustic neuritis;
- injuries;
- atherosclerosis;
- age-related changes;
- infectious diseases;
- hypertension.
You can distinguish the described type of pathology with the help of accompanying signs that often accompany hearing loss: nausea, vomiting, tinnitus.
Symptoms and degrees of pathology
As mentioned above, outwardly, hearing loss is manifested in the form of noise, a weaker perception of sounds (especially high frequency - a woman's voice, cries of birds, children's laughter). A person can often not hear his interlocutor, increases the volume of the TV, has difficulty communicating on the phone.
More acutely the external manifestations of the disease are seen in pathology caused by a violation of the conversion of sound waves into nerve electrical impulses. Depending on the nature of these symptoms, medicine distinguishes the following degrees of sensorineural hearing loss:
1 degree. In this case, the patient is able to distinguish words spoken in a whisper at a distance of about three meters. Ordinary human speech is well perceived when the interlocutor is at a distance of 4 meters from the victim's ear. Some sounds are perceived incorrectly, the conversation is accompanied by a clear presence of extraneous noise in the ear.
2degree. When a person hears a whisper at a distance of up to 1 meter, and words spoken at a normal volume - no further than 4 meters, we can talk about hearing loss of the 2nd degree. Treatment of such a pathology is carried out in a medical institution using special techniques and hardware complexes. Sometimes the use of hearing aids is necessary. By the way, this hearing impairment leads to the fact that the patient perceives a sound appeal to him only when it is repeated several times with a louder intonation.
3 degree. The patient does not perceive a whisper from a very close distance (no further than outstretched arm). The speech of the interlocutor is audible at a distance of up to 2 meters. With such a degree of hearing loss, a person cannot feel comfortable in the world around him, it does not allow him to communicate normally. Treatment and the use of an apparatus that amplifies sound waves is mandatory in this case.
Specific methods of getting rid of the disease are prescribed only after a detailed diagnosis and study of the clinical picture of the disease. In addition, the age of the patient must also be taken into account.
If we talk about alternative treatment of hearing loss, then such techniques should only be used in conjunction with traditional treatment, as well as after consultation with a medical specialist.
Diagnosis
Speech audiometry is usually performed to make an initial diagnosis. Its essence lies in the fact that a doctor who deals with hearing problems establishes the patient's ability to perceive a whisper and normal human speech.
After that, a consultation with an audiologist is carried out to determine the specific root cause of the disease. The chosen method of getting rid of the pathology directly depends on the conclusion he makes.
The following methods of diagnosing hearing loss are commonly used:
- audiometry;
- tuning forks;
- tone audiogram;
- otoscopy.
Treatment Methods
Specific measures to eliminate the violation depend on the causes of the disease.
If a conductive form of pathology is established, in order to improve hearing, it is necessary to restore the natural state of the auditory ossicle and membranes that perceive sound vibrations. This can only be achieved through surgical intervention on damaged organs. In especially severe cases, it is possible to put artificial prostheses instead of damaged organs. This makes it possible to cope even with cases of complete hearing loss.
More attention is required for sensorineural hearing loss of the 2nd degree. The treatment of such a disorder is complicated by the fact that it is caused by damage or complete death of specific ear cells that cannot be restored with a scalpel. In this case, they can help:
- drug therapy;
- physiotherapy treatments;
- electrical stimulation of the inner and middle ear.
In the third degree of hearing loss, only the correct selection of an apparatus that amplifies sound waves will help get rid of deafness.
Let's dwell in more detail on the fight against the diseasethe second degree of complexity caused by neurosensory reasons.
Nootropics
Often there is a condition when in the organs of the inner and middle ear there is a deterioration in blood supply, due to which oxygen starvation (hypoxia) of the auditory nerve occurs. This causes a grade 2 hearing loss. The treatment is precisely to eliminate the symptoms described above.
Drugs whose active substance has antihypoxic properties help well. You can also use pharmacological agents that improve blood circulation in the brain and hearing organs. All these properties are possessed by the so-called nootropics. These include:
- "Pentoxifylline";
- "Cinnarizine";
- "Fezam";
- "Semax";
- "Piracetam" and others.
Among other things, these drugs improve the resistance of nerve and auditory cells to negative external influences, improve their immunity.
The main factor influencing the effectiveness of treatment should be recognized as its speed. So, immediately after diagnosing the pathology, the listed pharmacological agents should be introduced into the body through a dropper. During the first four days, the dose is gradually increased, and then maintained for 1-2 weeks.
The described therapy should show a positive result, after which the patient is transferred to supportive and preventive medications. The rehabilitation period is about 2 months. At the same time, preference is already given to intramuscular injections and tablets taken orally.
Of course, all procedures must be carried out under the strict supervision of a medical specialist.
Antihistamines
Sometimes grade 2 hearing loss, treated with the drugs described above, is accompanied by additional external signs:
- nauseous;
- dizzy;
- vomit.
This indicates that negative processes occur not only in the organs of hearing, but also in the so-called labyrinth - an organ that allows the brain to determine the position of the body relative to the earth.
To combat the described symptoms, antihistamines are used to reduce fluid pressure in the labyrinth and improve blood circulation in the capillaries penetrating the tissues of the inner ear. An example of such drugs would be:
- "Betahistine";
- "Bellataminal";
- "Betaserk".
Non-drug therapy
In order for the effectiveness of the treatment to be maximum, in addition to the use of various medicines, it is necessary to undergo some procedures that have a positive effect on the organs of the inner and middle ear. This will significantly shorten the rehabilitation period.
One of the commonly used methods is reflexology (a type of acupuncture). Recently, instead of regular needlesa laser beam can be used. Both procedures are similar in nature and effects.
A typical acupuncture course consists of 10 treatments. If necessary, the treatment is repeated at intervals of one month.
In addition, hyperbaric oxygen therapy has repeatedly proven its positive effect. This procedure implies the following. The victim breathes a special air mixture in which the percentage of oxygen is increased. Its molecules, entering the body, have a positive effect on the process of blood circulation in the capillaries and improve the functioning of the hearing organs, which speeds up recovery.
Conclusion
Violation of a person's ability to perceive sound speech does not add to his comfort in everyday life. Acute hearing loss generally calls into question his ability to maintain his usual way of life. However, the achievements of modern medicine make it possible to effectively deal with the described pathology. The main requirements are speed and full medical control. Therefore, do not neglect to see a doctor, do not self-medicate!
