Hearing loss

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Ear anatomy

Decreased hearing; Deafness; Loss of hearing; Conductive hearing loss

You can often flush wax buildup out of the ear (gently) with ear syringes (available in drug stores) and warm water. Wax softeners (like Cerumenex) may be needed if the wax is hard and stuck in the ear.

Take care when removing foreign objects from the ear. Unless it is easy to get to, have your health care provider remove the object. Don't use sharp instruments to remove foreign objects.

See your health care provider for any other hearing loss.

Call your health care provider if:

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• Hearing problems interfere with your lifestyle
• Hearing problems do not go away or become worse
• The hearing is worse in one ear than the other
• You have sudden, severe hearing loss or ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• You have other symptoms, such as ear pain, along with hearing problems
• You have new headaches, weakness, or numbness anywhere on your body

The health care provider will take your medical history and do a physical exam.

Medical history questions may include:

• Is the hearing loss in both ears or one ear?
• Is the hearing loss mild or severe?
• Is all of the hearing lost (you cannot hear any sound)?
• Do words sound garbled?
• Do you have trouble understanding speech?
• Do you have trouble finding the source of a sound?
• How long has the hearing loss been present?
• Did it occur before age 30?
• What other symptoms do you have?
• Is there tinnitus (ringing or other sounds in the ear)?
• Is there ear pain?
• Is there dizziness?
• Do you have other family members with hearing loss?

The health care provider will carefully examine your ears.

Tests that may be done include:

• Audiometry (a hearing test used to check the type and amount of hearing loss)
• CT scan of the head (if a tumor or fracture is suspected)
• MRI of the ear and brain (see: MRI of the head)
• Tympanometry

If hearing loss does not go away, surgery may be done to improve hearing. If you have sensorineural hearing loss, a hearing aid may help you hear. Cochlear implants are only used in people who are completely deaf and would not benefit from a hearing aid.

Review Date: 05/31/2011
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Seth Schwartz, MD, MPH, Otolaryngologist, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).