Understanding hearing loss
Why speech starts to sound mumbled
Hearing loss can affect people of any age. It can be present from birth or develop later, and it ranges from mild to severe. Knowing the signs helps you act early.
How hearing loss affects speech
Different sounds live at different pitches
A hearing test measures how softly you can hear tones from low pitch (250 Hz) to high pitch (8000 Hz). Speech uses all of them, but not equally.
Symptoms
Signs it is time for a hearing test
- Other people seem to mumble or speak unclearly
- Background noise makes conversation hard to follow
- The TV, phone or video calls are difficult to hear
- Women's and children's voices are harder to hear
- You often ask people to repeat themselves
- You hear constant ringing or other noises in your ears
Common causes
There is no single cause. Some of the most common include:
- Ageing
- Long exposure to loud noise
- Infections
- Head injury
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Circulation problems
- Stroke
- Measles
- Otosclerosis
- Ménière's disease
- Tumours
- Certain medications
Untreated hearing loss can affect your work, relationships and social life. Testing early limits its impact and opens up more treatment options.
Types of hearing loss
Three types, three different paths
Sensorineural
The most common type. Damage to the inner ear or hearing nerve, usually to the hair cells in the cochlea, from noise, ageing, illness, injury, medication or genetics. Hearing aids are the usual treatment.
Conductive
Sound cannot reach the inner ear because of a problem in the outer or middle ear, such as wax, fluid, infection, an object in the ear or eardrum damage. It can sometimes be reversed with medical or surgical treatment. Common in children with repeated ear infections.
Mixed
A combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss, which may develop one after the other.
Book a hearing assessment
Ready to hear the conversation again?
Call to book a time with Prasanth, or send an enquiry and we will call you back. Eligible pensioners and veterans may be covered under government programs.