Whistling sound in your ears? You could be losing your hearing

In the same month as Deaf Awareness Week, Dr Renee Hoenderkamp reveals the causes of hearing loss, how it can be prevented and what can be done to treat it.

There are currently one in six people in the UK who suffer some form of hearing loss, but many of us don’t think about it until it has gone.

Indeed, research suggests it takes ten years from when someone first notices hearing loss to them seeking help for it. 

But the earlier it’s detected, the more that can be done to improve things and possibly halt the decline.

It’s caused when sound signals reaching our ears are not transmitted to the brain, and as a result we don’t hear them at all or in the way that we normally should. 

There are two types, depending on where the problem lies. 

Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by damage in the inner ear to sensitive hair cells or damage to the auditory nerve. 

On the other hand, conductive hearing is when sounds are physically unable to pass from the outer to inner ear.

What are the symptoms?

Signs in yourself:

The first sign you might have hearing loss is when others point out to you that they are having to repeat things, that you don’t turn when called, that you miss the doorbell or phone, or that you are turning music or the TV up louder than is comfortable for others. 

Experiencing a ringing, whistling or buzzing sound in your ears, known as tinnitus, can also be associated with hearing loss. 

For sensorineural hearing loss it is high-frequency sounds, such as a woman’s voice, that become more difficult to hear. People often notice the first difficulty when listening to speech against background noise.

Signs in children:

If your baby or toddler doesn’t turn towards a sound, loud noises don’t startle them and they have no speech by the age of one, they might have hearing loss.

Other indicators for this age group include recognising you by sight, bit not when you call their name, and if they notice some sounds and not others.

For slightly older children, notice if they don’t reply when you call their name, their speech is slow to develop or if they as you to say things again.

Additionally, talking very loudly and turning the TV volume up can also be symptoms.

What are the causes?

Sensorineural hearing loss

The biggest cause is age. From 40 years it is normal to begin to lose a small amount of hearing and this increases as you get older – most people will have significant hearing problems by 80.

However, it can also be triggered by damage to the ear from repeated exposure to loud noises over time causes noise-induced hearing loss.  This occurs when sensitive hair cells inside the cochlear become damaged by loud noise. 

Working with noisy equipment (compression tools), in noisy environments (nightclubs) or regularly listening to music through headphones at too high a volume can all cause noise related hearing loss. 

Sometimes a sudden exposure to an exceptionally loud noise (an explosion) can cause hearing loss known as acoustic trauma.

Other causes can include genetics, stroke and an autoimmune condition.

Conductive hearing loss

This type is usually caused by a blockage, and can be a build up of too much ear wax, fluid in the inner ear or by an ear infection.  

It can also be caused by eardrum perforation, damage to the delicate bones of the inner ear and abnormal bone growth in the middle ear.

How to prevent it?

You can reduce your risk of noise-induced hearing loss:

– Keep TV/radio/music volume down. 

– Use noise cancelling headphones 

– Do not push objects into your ears or into children’s ears. 

– If you work in noisy environment use ear protection equipment (e.g. ear plugs or muffs) 

– If attending noisy events such as motor racing wear ear-protection

How is it treated?

If you think you may have hearing loss, see your GP. 

Conductive hearing loss is often temporary and treatable.

Options include ear wax removal using drops, suction or syringing, antibiotics to treat infection, surgery to repair damaged ear drums and bones and fluid build-up can be drained. 

However, sensorineural hearing loss is permanent.

It can be improved by haring aids, cochlear implants or auditory brainstem implant.

Sufferers may also find it helpful to learn lip reading and sign language.