Ears quantify the quality of life in a lot of ways, not just hearing. Ears maintain our body’s balance. Besides, the beauty of hearing is in hearing every sound loud and clear.
This, however, isn’t always the case. Our ears are affected by a lot of things ranging from something as minor as traffic horns to something as major as a concussion.
No matter the reason, many people – including infants and toddlers – suffer from ear problems like tinnitus, hyperacusis, and vertigo.
In this quick post, we will take you through the alley of different hearing disorders that affect the quality of life but can actually be treated. Have a look!
Tinnitus
Tinnitus is the irritating buzzing sound that you hear in your ears without any noise (that is, in the absence of any sound at all). The known causes include head traumas, accumulated ear wax, concussions, certain medications, and tumors.
Vertigo
It’s probably the scariest form of auditory disorder since it messes up the balance of the body. Patients with Vertigo can’t walk in a straight line, can’t walk in darkness at all, and get dizzy whenever they stand.
Even the idea of not being able to walk properly is scary. Fortunately, there are tests to confirm that what you’re suffering from is indeed Vertigo and it can be treated and managed.
Hyperacusis
Hyperacusis is extreme sensitivity to high-pitched sounds. Whilst the patient isn’t affected by all frequencies, sounds of selective frequencies are intolerable.
In fact, there’s another form of hypersensitivity that’s known as Misophonia. It mostly troubles kids between the ages of 8-12. Surprisingly, this condition makes children very sensitive to sounds as low as the sound of their breathing.
That said, what you need to understand here is that ear disorders can affect people of all ages. Hence, there are different kinds of tests that depend upon the age of the patient.
A reputable clinic like Audiology Centre West hearing screening center offers tests and treatments for patients of all ages.
- Infants are diagnosed with hearing disorders using a very comfortable, pain less procedure.
- Toddlers and young children are placed in an isolation audiometric booth (accompaied by an adult) where certain visual tests are used.
- Adults are diagnosed using advanced tests like VNG and BPPV.
To conclude, no matter the age, you don’t have to wait for a problem to occur and worsen. It’s always a good idea to get an auditory assessment done once or twice a year so that problems, if any, can be detected early on and treated.
