Hearing loss can be extremely frustrating and it can place a great strain on the life of the person who is suffering from hearing loss as well as those people who have regular contact with them. There are many different forms of hearing loss which can effect different areas of our hearing range and this means that it is extremely important to find out what sort of hearing loss a person is suffering from. A loss in the low frequencies is very different from to a loss in the high frequency hearing loss and the impact on a person's life will be extremely different. This is why not all hearing losses are the same and why they are not always treated the same.
Sensorineural hearing loss can result in a low frequency hearing loss and this means that it is a hearing loss which is caused by the inner ear hair cells being damaged. The role of these hair cells is to make sure that sound travels from the outer ear all the way through to the brain with the hair cells ensuring the sound is passed along. This means that any damage to the hair cells can seriously impact on the ability of the person to hear. Anyone that is suffering from low frequency hearing loss will generally not be able to hear sounds that have a frequency of 2,000 Hz or below.
This form of hearing loss is referred to as a "reverse slope audiogram". This is due to the fact that people will still be able to hear sounds that occur in the higher end of frequencies which is the opposite of conventional hearing loss. This means that people suffering from low frequency hearing loss are still able to take part in conversations and they tend to hear human speech to a better level. This means that many people suffering from this form of hearing loss will often find that they are able to muddle through without too many problems, but they may still miss out on many things in life. This is why it is important to have your hearing analysed and reviewed, even if you can take part in everyday conversations.
Causes of Low Frequency Hearing Problems
While there are a number of different elements that can cause low frequency hearing loss to occur, research undertaken at the Kresge Hearing Research Institute indicates that there is a mutation in the Wolfram Syndrome gene which causes this low frequency hearing loss. This style of mutation is referred to as the Wolfram Syndrome 1. However, there are also other forms of this style of hearing loss which can be caused by Meniere's disease, Mondini dysplasia and sudden hearing loss.
While research and findings have indicated that lower frequency hearing loss occurs less than high frequency hearing loss, it is important to understand these figures. This is because it can be more difficult to identify this style of hearing loss. There are no real symptoms to this form of hearing loss so there will be many people who are unlikely to realise that they have this problem. People who still have the middle and higher end frequency hearing capabilities will be able to mask their deficiencies much easier. This means that they may not know they have an issue and they could be in a strong position to carry on life without too much imposition or loss. This means that the stated figures for the number of people suffering from low frequency hearing loss should be treated with more caution than other forms of hearing loss.
Do You Struggle With Group Conversations?
One way in which low frequency hearing loss may come to the fore is with someone having difficulty hearing conversation or picking out parts of conversation when meeting in a group or being in a noisy environment. Again, this may be difficult for many people at certain times but if someone finds that this is occurring on a regular basis, there is a good chance that they will be suffering from this form of hearing loss.
When it comes to treating low frequency hearing loss, there are a number of ways that hearing devices and hearing aids can provide benefit to the user. Modern hearing aids, which have multi-channel capabilities, are able to provide considerable support to people that are suffering from this type of hearing loss.
While many people may find that low frequency hearing loss is not as damaging or will not have as much impact on people as high frequency hearing loss, there is still a problem for the person. This is why it is important to know that medical support and professional assistance is available for all sufferers of this hearing loss condition. Modern hearing aid devices provide an effective and workable solution for many people suffering from this form of hearing loss.