HEARING LOSS

This is a big topic as hearing loss can vary depending on whether it is mild or severe, whether it is In one ear or the both, what it might be caused by and importantly whether it affects a child or an adult.

If the hearing loss is about potential fluid in the ear then please see this link to go to the glue ear section. It also lists the things to look out for in children when they have hearing loss (for whatever reason).

I want to start by stating that treating hearing loss reduces your chance of developing dementia.

The actual risk of this is not entirely clear but it does seem to be an independent risk factor. Most of us get our eyes tested at certain times in our lives, so why not our hearing? There is a well established schedule for children to get their hearing tested but once we are adults, we tend to forget about it and ignore the signs and symptoms of hearing loss. Probably because it tends to slowly creep in. Or because we are fearful of what the test might find!

So if you weren’t convinced by that original statement in bold to get your hearing checked out, then see below the others symptoms that hearing loss might cause- some that you may not be aware of, but quite likely that the person you live with will have noticed.

It’s not always easy to tell if you’re losing your hearing.

Common signs include:

• difficulty hearing other people clearly, and misunderstanding what they say, especially in noisy places
• asking people to repeat themselves
• listening to music or watching television loudly
• having to concentrate hard to hear what other people are saying, which can be tiring or stressful

The signs can be slightly different if you only have hearing loss in 1 ear or if a young child has hearing loss.

• if you or your child suddenly lose hearing (in 1 or both ears), call a GP or book in here to see me.
• if you think your or your child’s hearing is getting gradually worse, make an appointment to see a GP or me via this link. 
• if you’re concerned about a friend’s or family member’s hearing, encourage them to see an Ear specialist like myself. 

I work with an expert team of audiologists and together we will be able to diagnose at your first visit the likely cause of your ear problems and how it can be put right. Please click here to read about potential conditions that can cause hearing loss.

There are several reasons for potential hearing loss.

I will try and break them into the main sections as it can get quite complicated otherwise.

Hearing loss in adults is most likely related to be an aging ear which causes a nerve hearing loss (sensorineural hearing loss). This is sometimes accelerated due to excessive noise exposure, or your genetic make up (such as if it runs in your family). 

If it is related to dizziness it can be due to labyrinthitis or Menieres disease for example.  

In some people it may be “conductive” hearing loss, which means that sound is dampened / reduced before it gets to the nerve of hearing. This could be either due a problem in the ear canal, the ear drum, the hearing bones, fluid or scarring in the ear, or a combination of these.

An ear specialist like myself has been trained in diagnosing and treating these conditions successfully for many years including the use of specialist hearing implants. The vast majority of ENT surgeons do not have super-specialist training in ear conditions after reaching consultant level. Being seen via the NHS route is fine as you will likely get to the right treatment (in most cases) but it will take time, especially as the COVID backlog is worked through. I also have a busy NHS practice so feel free to ask your GP to be referred to me on the NHS. My profile page lists my practices, both private and NHS.

Click here to go to the hearing loss information leaflet