Living with hearing loss affects more people than you might realize, and it can significantly impact your daily communication and overall quality of life. At Hearing Aids By Tricia Leagjeld, you’ll find expert care from Hearing Instrument Specialists with many years of professional experience and a family tradition in hearing health dating back to 1955.
We understand the importance of early detection and the right support for managing your hearing health. Whether you need a comprehensive hearing evaluation, advanced hearing aids, or ongoing support, our clinic provides personalized care to help you maintain better hearing and stay connected with those around you.
Understanding Hearing Loss
Hearing loss affects a significant portion of Central Oregon’s community and can influence daily interactions, work, and relationships. Recognizing the signs and understanding the causes can help you take action, seek treatment, and protect your overall health.
You may notice subtle changes before realizing there’s a problem. Common signs include frequently asking others to repeat themselves, difficulty following conversations in noisy environments, or turning up the volume higher than others prefer. You might also experience misunderstood words, especially when people don’t face you, or feel that others are mumbling. Tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears) is another potential indicator of hearing issues.
How Hearing Works
Understanding how we hear helps explain what happens when hearing loss occurs. Sound travels through three main parts of the ear:
• The outer ear (pinna and ear canal) gathers sound waves and directs them toward the eardrum
• The middle ear contains the eardrum and three tiny bones (ossicles) that transmit vibrations to the inner ear
• The inner ear’s cochlea converts vibrations into electrical signals that travel to the brain via the auditory nerve
The process is remarkably complex. Sound waves cause the eardrum to vibrate, which moves the three tiny bones in the middle ear. This motion creates fluid movement in the cochlea, bending thousands of tiny hair cells. These hair cells change the movement into electrical impulses that the brain interprets as sound. The cochlea is arranged by frequency, much like a piano, encoding sounds from 20Hz (low pitch) to 20,000Hz (high pitch).
Types of Hearing Loss
We evaluate three main types of hearing loss, each with different causes and treatment options:
Conductive Hearing Loss
• Occurs when sound can’t efficiently travel through the outer or middle ear
• May be caused by earwax blockage, ear infections, fluid in the middle ear, or perforated eardrum
• Can sometimes be temporary and treatable with medical intervention
• Hearing aids effective when medical management isn’t possible
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
• The most common type, resulting from inner ear or nerve damage
• Causes include aging, noise exposure, genetics, certain medications, and head trauma
• Generally permanent and progressive
• Best treated with properly programmed hearing aids
Mixed Hearing Loss
• Combines both conductive and sensorineural components
• The conductive portion may be treatable
• Sensorineural component typically requires hearing aids
Impact on Quality of Life
Untreated hearing loss has consequences that extend far beyond difficulty hearing. Communication barriers often cause people to avoid conversations or group settings, creating feelings of isolation or loneliness. Many people with hearing loss report fatigue, headaches, and depression, as straining to hear and understand speech demands extra mental effort. Over time, this increased effort affects concentration and mental health. Research shows that ignoring hearing loss can have serious effects on overall health and well-being, including links to cognitive decline.
The good news is that properly fitted hearing aids and appropriate interventions can significantly improve quality of life and help prevent these negative health effects.
Causes of Hearing Loss
Age-related changes (presbycusis) represent the most common cause of hearing loss, as inner ear structures naturally deteriorate over time. However, noise exposure runs a close second, particularly in Central Oregon where construction, farming, and outdoor recreational activities expose many to damaging sound levels.
Genetics play a significant role—if your parents or siblings have hearing loss, you’re more likely to develop it. Certain medications, known as ototoxic drugs, can damage hearing as a side effect. These include some antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, and high doses of aspirin.
Chronic health conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure affect blood flow to the delicate inner ear structures. Ear infections, especially when recurring or left untreated, can cause permanent damage. Head trauma may damage any part of the auditory system, while excessive earwax, though easily treatable, can temporarily block sound transmission.
Less common causes include autoimmune diseases, Meniere’s disease, and acoustic neuromas (benign tumors on the hearing nerve). Sometimes hearing loss results from a combination of factors, making professional evaluation essential for proper diagnosis and treatment.
Hearing and Balance Disorders
The inner ear plays a crucial role in maintaining balance through the vestibular system, which includes three semicircular canals and the vestibule. These structures work with your eyes, muscles, and brain to keep you steady. When this system malfunctions, various balance disorders can develop.
- Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) causes brief spinning sensations when you move your head, often noticed when lying down or rolling over in bed.
- Meniere’s disease presents as episodes of severe vertigo lasting hours, accompanied by fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, and ear pressure.
- Vestibular neuritis, an inflammation of the balance nerve often following a viral infection, causes sudden severe dizziness that may last days or weeks.
Treatment depends on the specific disorder but may include medications to control symptoms, vestibular rehabilitation exercises to help the brain compensate, dietary modifications, or repositioning maneuvers. Many patients benefit from balance therapy performed by physical therapists specializing in vestibular rehabilitation.
When to Seek Help
Don’t wait for hearing loss to significantly impact your life before seeking help. Schedule an evaluation if you notice any signs of hearing loss, experience sudden hearing changes, have ringing in your ears, or work in noisy environments. Adults over 50 should have baseline hearing tests even without noticeable problems, as early detection provides the best outcomes.
Family members often notice hearing problems before the affected person does. If loved ones mention your hearing, take their concerns seriously. Similarly, if you have a family history of hearing loss, regular monitoring helps catch changes early.
Emergency situations requiring immediate attention include sudden hearing loss in one or both ears, hearing loss with dizziness or drainage from the ear, or hearing changes following head injury. These symptoms may indicate conditions requiring prompt medical treatment.
Our comprehensive evaluations identify your specific type and degree of hearing loss, guiding personalized treatment recommendations. At Hearing Aids By Tricia Leagjeld, we’re committed to helping you maintain optimal hearing health throughout your life, providing expert care tailored to your unique needs and Central Oregon lifestyle.