As the sense of hearing, the ear has an important role in your life. Not only does it function to hear, the ear also helps you to maintain balance. By listening, you can communicate and discuss with your interlocutors. But as we get older, ear function decreases. Decreased hearing ability is not trivial, because this problem can affect the quality of life and also your relationship with your partner.
If you experience decreased hearing ability, of course your communication and interaction with other people becomes impeded. That will make you bother, right? The ear consists of several parts, namely the outer, middle, and inner parts. The outer ear consists of the earlobe that you normally see, including the ear canal which is coated with hair and glands that secrete ear wax. Whereas the middle ear contains 3 small bones which are also known as hammer bones, anvil, and stirrups. Finally, the inner ear, which contains the cochlea, serves as the main sensory organ of hearing.
Danger of Listening to Music Too Loud
The hearing process occurs when sound waves enter your ear and cause the eardrum to vibrate. This vibration is then continued to the middle ear and then, the vibration will be strengthened to proceed to the cochlea, where the cochlea finally sends signals through the auditory nerve to the brain. Please note that the sound that is normal and safe to hear by you is a voice with a loudness level of around 60 decibels (dB). In general, sounds above 85 decibels are included in the dangerous category, but it depends on how long and how often you hear the sound with that loudness level, and whether you wear protective equipment such as earplugs or earplugs or not According to WHO, until 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 the music player is used and also the sound from entertainment venues such as bars, nightclubs, music concerts, and sports competitions. In general, decreased 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, even some drugs (such as antibiotics, chemotherapy, aspirin, malaria, etc.) can also damage your hearing function. There are two types of hearing loss that are distinguished based on the location of the disorder, namely sensorineural hearing loss and conductive hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss is a hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea in the inner ear or damage to the auditory nerve. This can occur naturally as we get older or as a result of injury. Whereas conductive hearing loss occurs when sound cannot be transmitted to the inner ear. This is often caused by a blockage such as ear wax, a buildup of fluid due to an ear infection, or due to a ruptured eardrum. Hearing loss can occur suddenly, but usually develops gradually. Common signs of hearing loss include difficulty hearing the words of others clearly, misunderstanding with 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 hearing loss that you experience, including:- In conductive hearing loss, there are several options such as a doctor cleaning the ear-clogging dirt with the help of oil to thin the dirt, then removing the dirt. In addition, the treatment of ear infections by administering antibiotics or eardrum surgery procedures (if there are holes) can restore hearing function properly.
- In sensorineural hearing loss, the damage is permanent, so the goal of treatment is to maximize hearing. Using hearing aids is the first choice. By using a hearing aid, you can make the sound stronger and easier to hear. If the disruption is severe, cochlear implants are another option. Unlike hearing aids that amplify sound and direct it to the ear canal, cochlear implants replace damaged or non-functional parts of your inner ear.
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