Hearing Healthcare Professionals | Physicians | Press

Hearing Loss

"Free speech carries with it some freedom to listen."

Warren Burger

About Hearing Loss

How We Hear

The process of hearing involves a complicated pathway, leading the brain to recognize and process sound. Hearing loss misleads our brain and distorts messages, making it difficult to cope with hearing loss. Learn how we hear and find out why we "hear" with our brain, and not with our ears.

Consequences of Hearing Loss

Sadly, many people affected with hearing loss are reluctant to seek help. Untreated hearing loss poses considerable negative social, psychological, cognitive and health effects. Read about the impact of hearing loss on quality of life and why it is so important to Hear What You've Been Missing!

Prevalence of Hearing Loss

Common myth dictates that those with hearing loss are elderly. However, people of all ages suffer from loss of hearing. Read about the prevalence of hearing loss, with statistics from the National Family Opinion (NFO) panel.

Signs of Hearing Loss

There are a number of indications signifying hearing loss. Impaired hearing affects one socially, emotionally, and medically. Symptoms can be subtle or obvious. Learn more about the various signs of hearing loss.

Types of Hearing Loss

There are two main types of hearing loss, conductive and sensorineural. A combination of both is considered mixed hearing loss. Treatment options and the impact of such treatment vary for the different types of hearing loss. Unilateral hearing loss is a type of hearing impairment that affects one ear; bilateral hearing loss affects both. Read more about the different types of hearing loss here.

Causes of Hearing Loss

Causes of hearing loss are diverse and their impact on hearing is variable. Causes can be further broken down by the type of hearing loss, either sensorineural or conductive. Discover the different ways hearing loss is caused.

Hearing Loss Simulator

Learn how sensorineural hearing loss, the most common type, affects hearing. Listen to various audio files that simulate how a person with sensorineural hearing loss would hear a typical conversation or scenario. The audios are broken down into normal, mild hearing loss and moderate hearing loss to give you the best understanding based on you or your loved one's situation. We have also attempted to provide a visual representation of the hearing loss in this simulation.

BHI Online Hearing Test

The BHI Online Hearing Test is a means of quickly assessing if you suffer from hearing loss, which would necessitate a referral for an objective hearing test and possible hearing solution. This five minute test is based on the Revised American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) quick hearing check.

Myths about Hearing Loss

From complete denial of the problem to false reasoning that there is no solution, there are several common myths surrounding hearing loss. Read about the various falsehoods surrounding hearing loss, hearing health and hearing aids.

Diabetes and Hearing Loss

Unfortunately, diabetes sufferers are more than twice as likely as those without the disease to suffer from hearing loss. Those with diabetes should begin checking their hearing health long before symptoms of hearing loss show. Read about diabetes and hearing loss here.

Hearing Loss and Children

The single most important sign of hearing loss in children is the failure to develop, or the delayed development of spoken language. Learn about the communication behavior of children with healthy hearing, warning signs for hearing loss in children and evaluation options for early intervention.