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By Dana Luzon, Au.D., CCC-A, FAAA –
Permanent hearing loss is also known as Sensorineural hearing loss and it occurs in 90% of patients who are diagnosed with hearing loss. Meaning it cannot be surgically or medically corrected. It is the most common type of hearing loss found today. Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when the hair cells in the inner ear and or hearing nerve have become damaged and do not transmit signals to the brain.
While the causes of hearing loss can vary, they include aging, genetic predisposition, noise exposure, medications, trauma or sudden loss can be due to a virus or infection. New studies have revealed links to hearing loss related to smoking and obesity.
Symptoms of sensorineural hearing loss can include:
• Having difficulty understanding speech in degraded acoustic environments, such as in a restaurant or party environment.
• Lacking clarity or understanding of sentences.
• Asking people to repeat themselves.
• Feeling like other people are mumbling.
• Difficulty with female voices.
• Turning up the TV volume but still not understanding the speech clearly.
It is important to understand your specific hearing loss. Sometimes it takes several discussions with your audiologist and with your family for things to “click.” By better understanding your hearing loss, you will gain new insights into why you think people are mumbling, why you “hear” but cannot “understand,” why you have difficulty with female voices, and the other questions you have been asking yourself for so long. Sensorineural hearing loss can be treated by the use of prescribed digital hearing aids to hear what you’ve been missing.
Dana Luzon, Au.D., CCC-A,
Doctor of Audiology
Originally from Southern NJ, Dana Luzon received her undergraduate degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from the Richard Stockton College of NJ, and continued on to receive her Doctorate of Audiology at Salus University’s residential program. Her varied clinical experiences throughout her doctoral studies include: VA hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, ENT and private practice settings. Her professional interests include: audiologic rehabilitation and progressive tinnitus devices. Her interests in the field outside of the clinic include: Humanitarian Audiology, and Audiology Awareness. Dr. Luzon currently lives in West Palm Beach, FL.
