Hearing problems are heterogeneous. Many people think that hearing loss is the same disorder given to all patients and has the same symptoms and signs. As you can see, this is far from being true. Every hearing problem is individual. Each of us has a unique hearing structure and individual perception of external sounds. We are not only different from each other in appearance. Our brains work differently in each person. Therefore, hearing loss can have different symptoms depending on the cause of the problem. For example, people often hear well but cannot understand some words or phrases. Some only have problems in noisy places with a lot of sound stimuli. Will hearing aids help in such situations?
What is high-frequency hearing loss?
There are different types of hearing loss. One of them is high-frequency hearing loss. Its main feature is difficulty hearing speech, especially in noisy and crowded places. Patients hear sounds but are unable to perceive and understand them. People with high-frequency hearing loss can hear low-frequency sounds, such as male voices and thunderclaps. However, as the frequency of the sound increases (e.g., high female or children’s voices), their hearing deteriorates. People stop understanding some letters and sometimes-even phrases!
Vowel sounds are pronounced at low frequencies, while consonants are at high frequencies. A person with high-frequency hearing loss can hear vowel sounds well. It helps a person identify the presence, direction, and source of the sound. But the consonant sounds are confused or fall out of the perceptual domain. As a result, the person hears speech but cannot make out or understand what is being said.
As with many disorders, time is of the essence with hearing loss. The sooner you see the beginning of the problem and start treatment, the sooner you can back to a happy life. Nowadays, it’s not that difficult to check your hearing health. For example, if you have any suspicions, use a free online hearing test. It is a test of hearing acuity without the help of a doctor. A hearing test won’t give you a complete picture of the disorder. But the result of the test will show you whether or not there is a problem. You’ll get to a consultation with an audiologist sooner and start treatment!
What problems could arise?
With high-frequency hearing loss, speech perception difficulties occur even in a relatively quiet acoustic situation. However, in noisy places (restaurants, concerts, cafes, etc.) the situation worsens. As a result, the patient cannot understand a single word spoken. What does it lead to without treatment?
A person with high-frequency hearing loss avoids busy places and noisy companies. Communicating with others becomes extremely difficult. What problems arise? These are:
- Problems with maintaining a conversation
- Speech perception difficulties during phone calls
- Difficulty watching TV (even with the volume turned up)
- The perception of children’s and women’s voices is complicated by the abundance of high-frequency sounds in them
- Listening to music is not as enjoyable as before because of the distortion of the sound, especially in the high frequencies
- The speech of others seems inarticulate
- Auditory fatigue develops (temporary reduction of hearing sensitivity, physical and psycho-emotional fatigue develop)
Some people try to get used to the new conditions of life. It is human nature to get used to new conditions quickly. That’s how our brain works. And high-frequency hearing loss is no exception. Many patients are in no hurry to seek help, believing it’ll pass on its own. It is a big mistake. Hearing problems never go away over time. On the contrary, the difficulties only get worse.
Do you have high-frequency hearing loss and refuse treatment? Then you may face the following consequences:
- Family members, friends, and co-workers can get annoyed. After all, they are sure you are not listening to them attentively
- Your spouse may accuse you of selective hearing
- You’ll blame everyone around you for your slurred speech
- Sometimes you’ll answer a question incorrectly because you can’t catch the essence of the interlocutor’s remarks
- You may have difficulty making sense of jokes. You may laugh inappropriately, or, conversely, you don’t react when the other person expects you to smile
Problems in communicating with close people increase the psychological burden. As a result, the patient isolates himself from society, preferring solitude. Gradually psychological disorders, such as depression, develop.
Use hearing aids to correct your hearing!
Hearing loss is a common problem in the population. Can hearing be restored after hearing loss? Unfortunately, no. You can’t restore hearing because of hearing organ characteristics (for example, the hair cells do not recover from damage). But you can correct it and be able to hear and understand surrounding sounds and your favorite voices again. Hearing aids do the job! These compact and stylish medical devices are great for high-frequency hearing loss.
Hearing aids amplify high-frequency sound signals. The low-frequency sounds will remain at the same level. You’ll notice an improvement in your speech perception from the first days you wear the device. Moreover, you will begin to hear high-frequency sounds that, due to your impairment, have long been outside your perception. Enjoy birdsong again!
Remember, high-frequency hearing loss is treatable. Hearing care professionals know and use effective methods to correct hearing loss. The main thing is not to waste time and to seek help from an audiologist in time!
