Hearing loss can affect everyone from babies to people in their 60s and 70s. Many things may cause hearing loss, but exposure to loud noise is the most common reason people have the condition. Hearing loss can’t be reversed, but surgery to treat some issues can improve hearing. Devices like hearing aids can reduce hearing loss.
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Hearing loss happens when something affects your hearing system. If you have hearing loss, you may have trouble understanding, following or participating in conversations. It may be hard for you to hear telephone conversations, to take part in online meetings or follow dialogue when you’re watching television.
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Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
Hearing loss can affect your ability to work, communicate with others and generally enjoy life. Most often, hearing loss can’t be reversed. But audiologists — healthcare providers who specialize in diagnosing and treating hearing loss — can help. They can recommend treatments like hearing aids or cochlear implants that reduce hearing loss.
Yes, it is. More than 1 in 10 people in the United States have some degree of hearing loss:
There are three types of hearing loss:
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Most people lose their hearing gradually. They may not even notice that it’s happening. In general, you may be developing hearing loss if:
Babies with hearing loss may seem to hear some sounds but not others. They may:
Older children with hearing loss may:
Many things can cause hearing loss. For example, short-term or sudden exposure to very loud noise — like attending a loud concert — can affect your hearing.
Conductive hearing loss causes include:
Sensorineural hearing loss causes include:
Mixed hearing loss in a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. That means it affects your outer and middle ear as well as your inner ear. For example, if you take medications that affect your inner ear and you accidentally rupture your eardrum in your middle ear, you have mixed hearing loss.
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Having hearing loss can make you feel disconnected from the world around you. You may become frustrated, irritable or angry. People with severe hearing loss can become anxious or depressed. Children with hearing loss may struggle in school and get poor grades. Studies also show a link between hearing loss in older adults and dementia.
Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and do a physical exam. They’ll check for signs of infection or other issues that could cause hearing loss. They may do a CT scan (computed tomography scan) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) if you hurt your ear or they think you may have a tumor. Your provider may refer you to an audiologist (or you may contact one on your own) who’ll do specific hearing tests.
Common hearing tests include:
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If you have a hearing test, your audiologist will share test results and explain what they mean. Often, hearing loss is classified as the degree of loss. The degree of loss is how loud sounds need to be for you to hear them. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the degrees of loss are:
Treatments are different depending on the type of hearing loss you have.
Conductive hearing loss
Sensorineural hearing loss
Mixed hearing loss
Side effects vary, but surgeries likely have the most significant side effects:
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There are some types of hearing loss you can’t prevent. For example, many people develop hearing loss as they grow older. That said, noise is the most common cause of hearing loss. You can help prevent noise-induced hearing loss by avoiding situations and environments where you’re bound to encounter very loud noise. If you can’t avoid noisy situations, protect your hearing by:
That depends on your situation. Some hearing loss is temporary, like hearing loss that happens because you have a cold, swimmer’s ear, or there’s something stuck in your ear. Sensorineural and age-related hearing loss is usually permanent, but hearing aids or cochlear implants may restore most of your hearing.
It can be challenging to live with hearing loss, even if you’re already receiving treatment like using hearing aids or cochlear implant surgery.
There may be times when you can’t hear as well as you’d like. If that’s your situation, you may want to let people know you have hearing loss.
Hearing loss can affect your emotional health. Even with treatment, you may feel depressed or anxious. If you do, consider sharing your feelings with a healthcare provider.
Contact your healthcare provider if you think your hearing loss is getting worse. You may need a different kind of hearing support.
If hearing tests show you have hearing loss, you may want to ask your provider the following questions:
The difference is someone with hearing loss still hears sounds well enough to take part in conversations. They can improve their hearing ability through hearing aids or other treatments. Someone who’s deaf can hear very little or nothing at all. Hearing aids and devices don’t help. A person who’s deaf may use sign language to communicate.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects people with disabilities from discrimination. The ADA considers certain medical conditions to be disabilities if the conditions limit people’s abilities to do everyday activities. Hearing loss is one such medical condition, but the level of hearing loss factors into whether it’s a disability under federal law.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Hearing loss can be temporary, but many people have hearing loss that doesn’t go away. Hearing loss may make you feel as if you’re missing out on life. You may feel uncomfortable trying to carry on telephone conversations or frustrated because you can’t enjoy your favorite movies or shows. You may feel isolated or depressed. If you think you have hearing loss, talk to a healthcare provider or audiologist. They’ll determine the best way to improve your hearing.
Last reviewed on 08/24/2023.
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