Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can happen naturally with age, or as the result of an injury or infection. In both cases, it can dramatically impact your quality of life and make it difficult to engage socially and maintain close personal relationships.

Find your ENT Request Appointment

Most hearing loss occurs with age. For many patients who experience this, their hearing loss occurs gradually, fading more and more over time. Hearing loss is not reversible, but there are solutions to help you hear better with modern advances in technology. Our highly-trained audiologists can connect you to the hearing loss solution that best suits your needs and lifestyle.

boy looking through a telescope with a man sitting beside him

How is Hearing Loss Caused?

There are several ways hearing loss can be caused, and several ways it can be treated. The specific cause of a case of hearing loss will play a significant role in determining the proper course of treatment. If you begin to experience hearing loss due to a conduction problem where the sound is disrupted in the ear canal, eardrum, or middle ear, surgery or hearing aids may be beneficial. Sensorineural hearing loss is when the inner ear or hearing nerve is damaged or stops working correctly. This is often caused by:

Age
Loud noises that have impacted the ears
Trauma or injury to the ears
Inherited disorders that impact the hearing ability

Sensorineural hearing loss is unable to be corrected by surgery, but can benefit from hearing aids. Those with severe hearing loss that does not respond to hearing aids can benefit from a cochlear implant.

Your Treatment Options

The recommended treatment approach will depend on the severity and underlying cause of your hearing loss. However, SFENTA physicians are well-versed and experienced in the full range of solutions for hearing problems. Some treatment options include:

Earwax Removal

A buildup of earwax can affect your ability to hear properly. When wax builds up too much, it is best addressed by a physician rather than an at-home treatment. Our providers will use a suctioning device or small tool to remove the blockages and clean your ears.

Learn More About Earwax Removal

Surgery

Hearing requires the ear to be structurally intact. Injuries, trauma, or even illness can impact the structure of the inner or outer each, which can result in hearing loss. Surgery can help correct these concerns and lead to improved hearing ability.

Learn More About Ear Surgery

Hearing Aids

Hearing aids amplify the sounds around you, making them easier to hear. Our providers can help you select the best hearing aids for your degree of hearing loss and program the settings to help you hear as naturally as possible.

Learn More About Hearing Aids

Cochlear Implants

These devices can be used for patients with more severe hearing loss. The device is able to directly reach the hearing nerve, avoiding areas of the ear that may no longer be working properly.

Learn More About Cochlear Implants

What Causes Hearing Loss?

The hearing process is complex and multi-faceted. First, sound waves enter the outer ear and create vibrations at the eardrum. The eardrum, along with three small bones in the middle ear, then amplifies those vibrations as they travel to the inner ear. Once at the inner ear, the vibrations pass through fluid located in the cochlea.

The nerve cells in the cochlea are attached to thousands of tiny hairs that translate sound vibrations into nerve signals that your brain can recognize. Different vibrations interact with these hairs in unique ways, allowing you to distinguish a variety of sounds.

Symptoms of Hearing Loss

Sounds are muffled
Needing to listen to the TV or radio at high volumes
Frequently asking others to speak more loudly or clearly
Trouble understanding words and consonants, especially in crowded settings
An inability to participate in conversations

About SFENTA

South Florida ENT Associates are one of Florida’s premier providers of ENT care. We offer our patients:

Patient-Centered Care

We ensure that your treatment plan is designed around your symptoms and how they impact your life.

Continuity of Care

No matter your diagnosis, symptoms, or previous treatments, our goal is to help you achieve lasting relief.

A Highly Trained Physician Network

Our staff includes more than 50 providers and allied professionals trained in the full range of ENT specialties and subspecialties.

Community Staple

With over 30 years in practice, we’ve become part of the South Florida community. We now have over 30 locations, ensuring we’re always there when you need us.

Who is Affected by Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss is most common in those over the age of 60. It can also be found in patients who have:

Inner ear damage: The aging process and exposure to loud sounds can damage the hairs and nerve cells in the cochlea. When this occurs, the signals aren’t transmitted properly, resulting in permanent hearing loss.
Earwax buildup: When earwax builds up, it can block the ear canal and prevent sound waves from passing through and creating the necessary vibrations. This form of hearing loss is temporary and can be reversed by simply removing the blockage.

Ruptured eardrum: When a tear develops in the thin membrane separating your inner and outer ear, it’s known as a ruptured eardrum. Because the eardrum is responsible for sensing sound waves and converting vibrations into nerve signals, this injury can result in hearing loss.
Ear infection, abnormal growths, and tumors: Any one of these conditions can occur in the outer and middle ear and may lead to hearing loss.

Hearing Loss FAQs

Can hearing loss be treated?

While hearing loss is not reversible, there are treatments available that can improve your hearing.

At what age does most hearing loss begin?

Hearing loss is most common in those over the age of 60, but it can begin years before or even after this. It will depend on the individual patient.