Hearing Impairment

What Is Hearing Impairment?

Hearing impairment occurs when a person has difficulty perceiving sounds or is completely unable to hear. It can take various forms, ranging from mild hearing loss, which can often be corrected with hearing aids, to total deafness. Depending on the cause and severity of the hearing impairment, several types can be distinguished:

Deafness (complete hearing loss),
Hearing loss (partial hearing impairment).

Causes of hearing impairment:

Congenital causes – may result from genetic factors, congenital infections (e.g., rubella during pregnancy), or complications during birth.
Acquired causes – conditions such as ear infections, head injuries, exposure to loud noises (e.g., industrial noise, loud music), aging (presbycusis), or certain medications that may damage hearing.

Examples of Hearing Impairments:

Conductive hearing loss – occurs when sound is not conducted properly through the structures of the ear (e.g., damage to the eardrum, issues with the auditory ossicles). It is often treatable surgically or with hearing aids.
Sensorineural hearing loss – occurs due to damage to the auditory nerve or inner ear cells (e.g., from trauma, viral infections, or aging). This type of hearing loss is more difficult to treat, but it can be managed with cochlear implants or hearing aids.
Mixed hearing loss – a combination of both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, where both sound conduction and perception are impaired.

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architectural (buildings and spaces),
informational-communicational (access to information and communication support),
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