Hearing loss myths: busted. It’s about time to listen to the truth and forget all the myths you have believed over and over again.

Myth#1: Hearing loss is an aging problem, thus affects only elderly people.

Truth:

It affects all age brackets. Statistics provide that in the U.S., about 15% or 37.5 million adults aged 18 and over report some trouble hearing. Furthermore, one in eight people in the U.S. aged 12 years or older is suffering from hearing loss in both ears. In Singapore, it is said that 1 in 6 youths is at risk of noise-induced hearing loss.

Myth#2: Hearing loss is permanent.

Truth:

While this is partly true, we cannot ignore the fact that there are two main types of hearing loss, namely permanent loss and temporary loss. In the former, your auditory nerve or inner ear is damaged. On the other hand, there’s only temporary hearing loss when the sound waves cannot reach you inner ear. Possible causes are a punctured eardrum or buildup of ear wax. Treatments to both types of hearing loss are cochlear implants, medications, surgery, and use of hearing aids.

Myth#3: A one-time incident of hearing loss is normal.

Truth:

So you had this moment when you can’t hear at all. It was sudden. You panicked but returned to your senses again when you started hearing again. You felt relieved. However, such instance should never be ignored. This incident may happen again and if you will continue on disregarding it, without even consulting a specialist, don’t be surprised if the doctor will tell you that your condition has worsened. The very first time you have experienced it means that something may be wrong. The auditory system in your brain may have stopped recognising sounds. It is recommended to seek medical advice and assistance in case such incident happens.