Hearing impairment
Hearing loss is sometimes sudden,but often it's gradual and you may not notice it at first. Being aware of the early signs can help you identify the problem quickly.
It's important to spot hearing lossas soon as possible, because treatment is often more beneficial if started early.
Early signs of hearing loss can include:
In some cases, you mayrecognise signs of hearing loss in someone else before theynotice it themselves.Research suggests it takes 10 years from the time someone notices they have hearing loss, before they do anything about it.
If you also hear a ringing, buzzing or whistling sound in your ears, this could be a sign of Tinnitus , which is often associated with hearing loss.
However, there are signsyou canlookout forwhich may suggest you should seeyour GPto arrangeanother hearing test.
You should consider seeing your GP if you notice that yourbaby or toddler:
You should consider seeing your GP if you notice that your child:
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Make an appointment to see your GP if you're having problems with your hearing, or your child is showing signs of hearing difficulties.
Ifyou wake upwith a sudden loss of hearing in one ear or lose the hearing in one ear within a couple of days, youshould seeyour GP as soon as possible.
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Hearing loss is a common problem that often develops with age or is caused by repeated exposure to loud noises.
Hearing loss is sometimes sudden, but often it's gradual and you may not notice it at first. Being aware of the early signs can help you identify the problem quickly.
Age and loud noises are the most common causes of sensorineural hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss occurs when sounds are unable to pass into the inner ear
See your GP if you're having problems with your hearing. They'll examine your ears and carry out some simple hearing tests
How hearing loss is treated depends on the underlying cause of the condition.
The ears are fragile structures that can be damaged in many ways, so it's not always possible to prevent hearing loss.
Susan is a community mental health nurse helping deaf people with mental illnesses. She talks about how attitudes to deafness have changed and says deafness
Millies hearing started deteriorating when she was a child. She talks about learning to cope with the hearing loss and shows that it hasn't stopped her doing