Chronic sensorineural hearing loss: causes
Deafness is a persistent decrease in hearing that makes it difficult to perceive speech and other sounds. There are three degrees of deafness: mild (speech is perceived at a distance of more than four meters), medium (from two to four meters) and severe (normal speech is perceived at a distance of less than two meters).
Deafness can be caused by various reasons:
- local inflammatory process;
- perforation of the tympanic membrane;
- Meniere's disease;
- the impact of noise;
- taking some medicines;
- otosclerosis;
- cholesteatoma;
- aging and other reasons.
With significant hearing loss, the patient may be diagnosed with disability. The basis for the third group of disability in case of deafness is bilateral hearing loss of the fourth degree.
Symptoms of conductive deafness
There are three types of deafness. The cause of neurosensory or sensorineural deafness is damage to the sound-receiving apparatus. Hearing loss can occur as a result of microcirculatory disturbances in the inner ear, pathology of the auditory nerve, Meniere's disease, complications of infectious diseases. Irreversible hearing loss can develop after taking ototoxic drugs, for example, aminoglycoside antibiotics, some diuretic drugs. Chronic sensorineural hearing loss can be caused by prolonged exposure to household or industrial noise, intoxication of the body (lead, mercury).
The cause of conductive deafness is obstacles that arise in the way of conducting and amplifying sound at the level of the outer, middle or inner ear. Symptoms of conductive deafness are a decrease in sensitivity in the perception of sounds while preserving their expressiveness.
Causes of conductive deafness:
- sulfur plug;
- external and middle otitis;
- perforation of the tympanic membrane;
- otosclerosis;
- middle ear tumor;
- exposure to loud noise.
Tinnitus with occupational deafness often appears from the first days of work in a noisy production and becomes obsessive after 15-20 years of prolonged stay in conditions of increased noise.
Conductive and sensorineural deafness can be combined in the same patient. In these cases, we are talking about a mixed form of the disease.
How to treat mixed bilateral deafness? Usually, nootropics and antihistamines are prescribed. If conservative therapy does not give the proper effect, surgery to restore hearing or a hearing prosthesis is indicated. Hearing aids for deafness help patients in everyday life. For the correction of a mixed type of hearing disorder, devices of a more complex design are required. Read more about hearing aids on our website https://dobrobut.com/
Treatment of sensorineural deafness in children
The main rule in the treatment of acute deafness in one ear is that the earlier the cause is established and appropriate drug therapy is prescribed, the more chances there are to preserve hearing. Acute sensorineural hearing loss can be corrected with medication.
The drugs of choice are:
- antibiotics (for deafness of bacterial genesis);
- antiviral means (for deafness of viral origin);
- preparations that improve microcirculation;
- vitamins of group B;
- antihistamines;
- spasmodics;
- diuretic drugs;
- corticosteroids.
Medical therapy is selected for each child strictly individually, depending on the reasons that caused sensorineural deafness. In the treatment of sensorineural deafness in children, physiotherapeutic methods are also appropriate. Magneto- and laser therapy are usually prescribed. Reflexology is carried out according to an individual program.
The goal of comprehensive treatment of deafness is to improve hearing, develop speech and learning skills of young patients. Children with sensorineural deafness are shown classes with a speech therapist-defectologist. If the child has fourth-degree deafness and has already undergone cochlear implantation surgery, but his speech lags behind the age norm and he does not learn the educational material well, microcurrent reflexology may be prescribed.
Surgical treatment of deafness
Surgical operations for conductive deafness provide complete restoration or significant improvement of hearing. In some cases, restoration of hearing is possible even with complete deafness. The type of surgical intervention depends on the nature of the damage to the sound-conducting system.
Unique high-tech operations for the diagnosis of deafness allow to restore hearing to patients with sensorineural hearing loss. A cochlear implant is an electronic device that consists of two sections. During cochlear implantation, a system of electrodes is inserted into the inner ear, they provide sound perception with the help of electrical stimulation of the preserved fibers of the auditory nerve. That is, the device works by bypassing damaged hair cells. The operation allows people with severe hearing loss to hear speech and other sounds.
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