Today one in six Australians have some degree of hearing loss. It is expected that this number will rise to one in four Australians by 2050 as a result of an ageing population and exposure to severely loud noise. Amplifon can help determine your type of hearing loss and support you through your hearing health journey.
Hearing loss, also referred to as hearing impairment, occurs when the ability to hear the sounds around you decreases. It is a common problem that anyone can experience.
It may affect one or both ears or arise from an issue within a part of your ear. People experiencing hearing loss may also be able to hear certain sounds or no sounds at all.
There are many factors that can cause hearing loss. However, age and frequent exposure to loud noise are the most common.
To understand hearing loss, it's helpful to know the relationship between the ear and the brain, how information is passed between them and how this sense can be impacted.
The earlier you are able to recognise hearing loss, the sooner we can help treat the issue. Here are some of the signs to watch for that might indicate that your loved one has a hearing impairment:
While there are many different causes of hearing loss, they can be grouped into three main types of hearing loss:
As you can see, there are many different causes of hearing loss that impact different parts of the ear. Before a treatment can be offered, it's important to understand what is the main cause/s of hearing loss.
There are some common risk factors where your likelihood of experiencing hearing problems can arise, including:
Other hearing diseases and issues may be contributing to a decline in your hearing. These may include:
More than 3.5 million Australians are impacted by hearing loss. If you or a loved one are exhibiting signs of hearing loss, it's worthwhile to get it checked out. Living with hearing loss can feel frustrating and isolating, and if left untreated can impact your quality of life.
Hearing tests are simple, painless and available all around Australia. Amplifon's free hearing tests can help you understand if you're suffering from hearing loss and provide further testing to understand what's causing this condition.
Our hearing tests involve entering a quiet and sanitised screening room where you'll be played a series of sounds through sterile headphones. The test will last 20 minutes, and all you need to do is press a button each time you hear a sound. The audiologist will then review your results and determine if you have hearing loss or not.
If the test shows that you do have hearing loss, you will be recommended to return for a comprehensive hearing test with an audiologist or audiometrist.
While online hearing tests cannot replace a professional hearing test from a qualified audiologist, they can be a start in checking in on your hearing health.
The most common way to treat your loss of hearing is with hearing aids. These devices not only amplify and increase the volume of sounds, but are fit with advanced hearing aid technology that reduces background noise and can be tailored to your individual hearing needs.
Although ear acupuncture is seen as an alternate form of care for hearing loss, further research is needed to determine how effective it is in treating this illness.
If not treated, hearing loss may lead to further problems including communication issues and emotional distress. We are here to help you identify your type of hearing loss and provide a tailored solution to your hearing needs, so that you are able to experience the full quality of sounds.
In addition to hearing aids, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is emerging as a promising treatment for certain types of hearing loss, particularly sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). HBOT works by increasing the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream, which is then delivered to damaged auditory tissues. This enhanced oxygenation can reduce inflammation, support cellular repair, and potentially improve hearing outcomes when administered early in the course of the condition.
While there are unavoidable factors such as age or injury that can impact your hearing, there are some ways to prevent hearing loss or stop it from getting worse. Regular exposure to sounds at 85 decibels or above can affect your hearing on a more permanent basis.
Those in noisy work environments, musicians, motorcyclists and people operating loud equipment, including home gardening equipment such as lawn mowers, should wear hearing protection. Other ways to protect your hearing and prevent hearing loss include:
Remember, hearing loss often occurs gradually. It’s not unusual for people to accommodate and ignore these signs. If more than two or three of the symptoms of hearing loss apply to you or someone you care about, it would be a good idea to get your hearing tested. Make every day count: book your free hearing test at your local Amplifon clinic.
Age-related hearing loss, otherwise known as presbycusis, is the gradual loss of hearing that many adults over the age of 60 begin to face. There are many factors that can contribute to increased hearing loss as you get older, including:
Hearing loss can have a major impact on the quality of one’s life but can be commonly treated with hearing aids. Hearing impairments can affect your physical, mental and emotional health.
Hearing loss can impact your ability to communicate with others, which can lead to social withdrawal and feelings of depression or anxiety. It can also contribute to brain atrophy, which alongside social isolation can be a factor in the occurrence of dementia.
Generally, hearing loss is permanent and cannot be reversed. However, there are some good options to regain some of this sense to maintain your quality of life. Hearing aids are the most common solution and can vastly improve one's communication and daily experience.
Of course, if there are temporary factors causing hearing loss such as an ear infection or ear wax build-up, these symptoms may disappear once you have recovered from the condition.
