The level of hearing impairment varies as in elderly adults suffer more from hearing loss. In children, the most common cause of hearing loss is otitis media.
Deafness /Hearing loss can be present at birth (congenital )
Acquired deafness may or may not be genetic.
Acquired deafness may be due to damage to the ear due to a medical condition.
Hearing loss can be classified into sensorineural hearing loss -when the nervous system is affected (brain and spinal cord ).
Examples – Meniere’s disease, nerve injury, nerve tumours.
Conductive hearing loss –when the portion of the ear responsible for transmitting the sound to nerves is affected ( ear canal, eardrum, middle ear )
Examples –otitis media, ear wax, otosclerosis
The following are some of the major causes of hearing loss.
With increasing age, there is a progressive loss of the ability to hear high frequency of sound. Hearing loss can be inherited
• Other illnesses include –Measless ( which causes damage to the auditory nerve )
• Meningitis ( damage to auditory nerve )
• Auto-immune disease
• Mumps
• Enlargement of adenoids can obstruct the Eustachian tube.
• Patients with AIDS
• Syphilis
• Premature birth
• Otosclerosis
• Neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis also have an effect on hearing.
• Overmedication
• Trauma
• Stress can also play a role in hearing loss
• Sudden hearing loss is also related to excess inflammation of the liver
• Hearing loss is also related to deficient kidney function
• Hearing loss symptoms include the inability to hear sounds of higher frequencies.
• Constant ringing or buzzing in the ears [one of the symptoms of Tinnitus]
• Complete deafness
• Removing the ear wax
• Medications for treating ear infection
• Surgical procedure
• Hearing aids
• Implants
• Magnesium supports healthy nerve function
• Introducing supplements in the diet – Copper and zinc
• Diet rich in amino acids
Belladonna –
• Pain in the middle and external ear
• Humming noises
• Swelling of parotid glands, otitis media
• Acute and sub-acute conditions of Eustachian tube
Causticum –
• Ringing and pulsating noises in ears with deafness
• Chronic otitis media
• Accumulation of ear wax
Hepar Sulphur –
• Discharge of pus from ears
• Whizzing and throbbing in ears
• Deafness after scarlet fever
• Pustules in the auditory canal
Lycopodium –
• Offensive, thick discharge
• Otorrhea and deafness
• Humming and roaring in ears with hardness of hearing
Verbascum Thapsus –
• Otalgia, deafness
• Dry, scaly condition of meatus
• Swimmer’s ear
