Could you imagine never being able to hear the voice of someone you love again? Never hearing your favorite song? Birds chirping? Rain? Wind blowing?

The ability to hear sound makes social interaction, expressions and overall communication a simple and often unappreciated ability. Many times we take for granted our ability to hear. However, there are many that lose this ability gradually, while others lose it suddenly; and, there are those that never had the chance to experience the joy of sound at all.

So, what causes deafness or hearing loss? There are basically two types of deafness and they have different causes.

First, there is conductive hearing loss. Sound reaches the inner ear by conduction. When you have problems with the sound reaching the inner ear it is called conductive hearing loss. This is the less common type.

Second is sensorineural hearing loss. Often this is referred to as nerve deafness; however, the auditory nerve is usually not the problem. The problem is generally in the hair cells of the cochlea. This can be gradual or, more devastatingly, sudden. Causes of this type are wide in range from noise, ototoxicity (drug-induced), genetics, aging, etc.

With the advancement of medical science, we are better able to understand hearing loss and deafness. In some instances, hearing is even salvageable and able to be maintained with artificial hearing devices, etc.

We do not live in a quiet world and once you have experienced the hustle and bustle of life, you do not want to live without it. Take care of your body and hearing. If you find you are experiencing problems contact your doctor for a hearing evaluation. Meanwhile, take the world in one noise at a time...

Learn more about this author, Missie Kay.
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