Stages of hearing loss problems

Hearing loss is the loss of hearing in one or both ears. According to a study, approximately one in three people between the ages of 65 and 74 have hearing loss. While hearing loss is attributed to age, genetics and other natural factors, people tend to ignore how modern lifestyle affects and damages the ear.

What causes a loss of hearing?

1. AGE: It is the major factor that causes hearing loss. People in the age group of 65-74 tend to be more prone to hearing loss and the possibility increases after the age of 75. The mechanical working of the ear deteriorates with age and this mixed with genetics causes hearing loss.
2. EXPOSURE TO NOISE: Sound that is persistent, frequent and long might damage the eardrums. This usually affects the working class involved in factories, mines, construction. Many musicians also fall victim to this and hence, as a preventive measure, wear earplugs to protect their ears.
3. MEDICATIONS: A number of drugs have proven to cause damage to the ears as a side effect to fighting the disease that they were made for. These drugs include chemotherapy drugs, antibiotics. These are called ototoxic drugs.
4. PREEXISTING CONDITIONS: Sometimes, high blood pressure or diabetes may cut the supply of blood to the ears. Some diseases like otosclerosis, mumps and other autoimmune diseases may impair hearing.
5. Other causes include trauma which can be short-term or long-term depending on the severity, infection in the ear which is usually temporary or vascular or neural damage involving the hearing system.

Stages of dealing with hearing loss

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross described five stages of grief, known as DABDA. They include Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. Hearing loss is one such thing which is hard to deal with, let alone getting through it. A problem of such intensity comes with complex emotions involved which are hard to deal with. So, follow as we list the five stages, in the hope that it might bring some change and help you take the necessary steps:

First Stage: DENIAL

Hearing loss is an unconventional problem which often goes neglected and not identified. People suffering from a hearing loss problem will first resort to blaming the other person for their speech, volume or any other problem. This is why when this issue is diagnosed initially, people tend to go through a phase of unexplained emotions, denial and shock. However, this stage is temporary and easy to move on from.

Second Stage: ANGER

People usually don’t know how to deal with a problem with such complexity. As a result, they may channelize their anger to their close ones. They might react to something they heard wrongly or misinterpreted. Being angry might make the person blame the world for being unfair and this might affect their mental health. So, they should seek help as soon as possible.

Third Stage: BARGAINING

This stage applies to more grievous problems, hearing loss not being one of them. However, it may have a mild effect on people. People will obviously try to look for solutions to their crisis and hence, they may try and approach a conclusion where they might want to ‘sacrifice’ something in return for hearing better. This might become more complex and lead to stress, anger and anxiety.

Fourth Stage: DEPRESSION

Once people have become aware of their hearing loss, they might feel more burdened than before because they might have to focus to hear better or miss out on conversations that they want to be a part of. They might have to spend a lot of money on hearing aids, which will affect them both financially and mentally. Here, it is the job of their loved ones and professionals to help them come out of this with ease.

Fifth Stage: ACCEPTANCE

This is the last and most important stage. After going through all the stages, people finally come to a stage where they accept that they do, in fact, have a problem and getting angry or taking stress will only worsen the situation for them. Then they start looking for solutions where they may consult a professional, get the necessary information about the hearing instruments and try moving on. However, this stage may reverse and care must be taken so that the person doesn’t move back.