How to properly assess your ear issues

You ears are one of the most important organs in your body, but it’s sad and surprising how many people don’t realise how fragile and precious their hearing is. If you’re having issues with your ears lately, here’s a brief guide to give you some idea as to what you may be suffering from. That way you’ll have a little background info before you go to see your medical professional.

Symptoms: You hear a constant ringing, hissing whooshing or other sounds inside your ear, even when you are in a silent environment.
You may have: Tinnitus.
Solution: Visit your healthcare professional and ask whether you need hearing aids. Sometimes someone with tinnitus has underlying problems with hearing loss, so improving a person’s hearing can help reduce or eliminate the ringing or hissing sound.

Symptoms: Pain deep inside the ear, fever, headaches, pus coming out of the ear, feeling like there’s fluid inside your ears.
You may have: A middle ear infection.
Solution: Be sure not to leave the infection untreated – middle ear infections can cause permanent damage if left alone for too long. Your doctor will usually prescribe you a short course of antibiotics, and these may be in the form of tablets taken orally, or as eardrops.

Symptoms: Dizziness, trouble hearing people when there is a lot of background noise, sounds are quieter and less clear, trouble hearing high pitched sounds.
You may have: Sensorineural hearing loss.
Solution: This is a complex type of hearing loss, but can often be made better with various technologies and therapy programs. Your health care professional may suggest a hearing aid or cochlear implant for you.

Of course, there are many other hearing and ear problems which exist, and these are just a few. It’s important to be diligent with taking care of any ear concerns you may have before they develop into something serious or irreversible. Young children often also develop ear problems quite often, so it’s important to keep an eye on the behaviour and hearing of your child. Hearing loss treatment plans are more advanced and easily accessible these days, and there’s usually an appropriate solution for everyone, so speak to your healthcare professional about hearing loss treatment options.

Learn more about ear problems and the causes of hearing loss, and find a hearing loss treatment for you online.

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