Unfortunately, hearing loss is often accompanied by problems with the speech apparatus. Communication problems, in turn, lead to difficulties communicating with other people. And they are one of the significant negative manifestations of hearing loss. A considerable number of people suffer from this disease, not only adults, but also children. The problem manifests itself for various reasons - from changes in the structure of the eardrum to pathologies of the inner ear.
One of the varieties of hearing loss is bilateral sensory hearing loss. In the article we will deal with the causes of this condition, its characteristic symptoms, diagnosis of the disease and possible treatment options.
Types of disease
What is the ICD-10 code for sensorineural hearing loss? H90.6. Under this designation stands "mixed bilateral sensorineural and conductive hearing loss." Therefore, the disease has two varieties.
In the case of conductive hearing loss, the main problem is the poor conductivity of sounds in the middle and outer ear. This type of disease does not affect the recognition of speech by patients. However, there is only one way to treat this hearing loss - only surgery. They improve hearing here in two ways: by performing myringoplasty or by correcting the position of the auditory ossicles.
As for sensorineural hearing loss (code according to ICD-10 - H90.6), the cause of this disease is different. In damage to nerve cells in the inner ear or in the eardrum, damage to the auditory nerve. The causes of unilateral and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss are manifold.
The disease can provoke a side effect of taking antibiotics. Often it becomes a consequence of infectious diseases. If the patient has been exposed to industrial noise for a long time, this can also provoke sensorineural hearing loss (bilateral or unilateral).
Do not forget about such a reason as a hereditary predisposition to hearing loss. It is dangerous because the disease does not disturb a person for a long time, does not manifest itself in any way, and then hearing impairment sharply sets in. Often, a genetic predisposition is manifested not in the direct descendants of the patient, but through a generation.
About the neurosensory variety
According to medical statistics, hearing problems are not uncommon. To one degree or another, 2% of the world's population suffers from them. And the most frequently diagnosed diagnosis is precisely sensorineural hearing loss.
Most often, the disease is determined in the elderly. But such a diagnosis is not uncommon among young people (including due to the fact that a hereditary predisposition to the disease may manifest). Other names for this disease are perceptual or sensorineural hearing loss.
In the course of the development of the disease, a certain section of the sound-perceiving section of the hearing analyzer is affected. It may be the following:
- Sensory structures and individual cells of the inner ear.
- Middle ear.
- Cortical temporal lobe of the human cerebral cortex.
The sensorineural form of hearing loss also develops in case of damage to the nerve cells of the inner ear, auditory nerve or the center of the nervous system. The disease is dangerous in that if it is defective, improper treatment (or complete lack of therapy), it can lead to complete deafness. Moreover, such a pathological state of hearing is achieved in a short time. What is dangerous, deafness in this case will already be irreversible.
Degrees of disease
What is the diagnosis of neurosensory bilateral hearing loss of 1 degree? The disease, respectively, further varies in degrees:
- The first (or mild hearing loss). In this condition, the patient can distinguish a whisper at a distance of 1-3 meters, and a conversation of people at a distance of about 4 meters.
- The second (or severe hearing loss). In this pathological condition, a person can hear a conversation and a whisper only from a closer distance.
- The third. The patient does not hear a whisper at all. Loud speech can be recognized only from a distance of 1 meter.
- Fourth. This degree of hearing loss is comparable to absolute deafness. The patient can hardly hear anything.
Causes of pathology
Note that sensorineural hearing loss can be both acquired and congenital. If you have a hereditary predisposition to this disease, then increased noise load can provoke its progression. For example, in the production facilities where you work. This factor can lead to impairment and even hearing loss even at working age.
The disease is often found in acquired form. In this case, the following can provoke its development:
- Various common infectious diseases. Among them - flu, scarlet fever, syphilis and so on.
- Bacterial lesions of the auditory organs, as a result of otitis media, labyrinthitis, meningitis.
- Injuries to the external and internal structures of the ear.
- Various toxic damage to the body.
- Vascular disease.
The provocative significance of all these factors is that their effect leads to circulatory disorders in the auditory organ, damage to blood vessels that feed the auditory analyzer. And this already leads to hearing loss.
Symptoms of the disease. How to recognize
Imagine the main symptoms of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. The following are the warning signs:
- Hearing loss. You note that you no longer hear the sound in the headphones, from the TV at the usual volume. Not the first time you understand what your interlocutors say. Or the voices of talking people merge into a monotonous noise, and you cannot make out individual words.
- A feeling of stuffiness in the ears for no reason.
- Frequent dizziness.
- Noise in ears.
- Impaired coordination of movements and other problems with the vestibular apparatus.
- Causeless nausea.
Forms of the disease
First of all, acute and chronic forms of sensorineural hearing loss are distinguished. The first is determined if the symptoms of the disease manifested themselves within one month. A chronic form of pathology - if the patient notes that the disease developed more than 30 days.
It is important to note that inadequate treatment or its absence, the acute form of sensorineural deafness quickly becomes chronic. In some cases, you can even talk about sudden deafness. When the symptoms of the disease appear in full intensity within a few hours.
In the medical environment, the separation of sensorineural deafness into one-sided and two-sided is also popular. The first is noted when one ear is affected, the second - when both ears are affected.
Disability Assignment
As for disability, it is always assigned when diagnosing a patient with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Also, the patient acquires the status of "disabled person" when he has a hearing loss of the fourth degree. As for child patients, they are assigned a disability if either the third or fourth degree of the disease is diagnosed.
Pathology diagnostics
A qualified otolaryngologist is involved in the diagnosis of this disease. To establish the patient’s neurosensory bilateral hearing loss, the specialist conducts a series of examinations.
The most important of these is a hearing test. The patient is offered to listen to the whisper and normal conversation of people from various distances. Based on when he managed to recognize individual words, a degree of hearing loss is assigned. As you remember, there are four of them.
The main directions of treatment
Like any other disease, sensorineural hearing loss is easier to treat if it was detected at the initial stage. Therefore, it is so important, when self-diagnosing her symptoms, not to postpone a visit to the ENT.
Therapy is systemic. The most effective for the 1st and 2nd degree of hearing loss. If the patient carefully follows the instructions of his doctor, takes the necessary medications, the likelihood of hearing recovery is quite high.
In the case of the neurosensory type of hearing loss, drug therapy is prescribed. The doctor prescribes drugs that can improve blood microcirculation both in the area of the inner ear and the brain as a whole. Medicines have a beneficial effect on the rheological composition of the blood, and also improve the metabolism in the tissues of the auditory organ.
In some cases (depending on the cause of the hearing loss), diuretics and hormones are prescribed. The following are used as supportive, supportive care:
- Vitamin complexes, essential macro- and microelements.
- Electrophoresis
- Magnetotherapy.
- Acupuncture.
- Acupuncture.
If the disease is in neglected, severe form, all of the above methods are not enough. The patient requires constant wearing of a hearing aid, an implant. Not sure which one to choose? Today, the leader in quality and popularity here are Siemens hearing aids. Those suffering from hearing loss note their quality, reliability, ease of use. But the devices of the German manufacturer in Russia are of relatively high cost.
Early Detection Therapy
Is successful treatment of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss possible? Experts compare it with dental therapy. So, even if you partially lost your hearing, it is much more difficult to restore it than to make and install dentures. If we talk about the disease in two ears, then the chances of a complete cure are even smaller.
With bilateral neurosensory hearing loss, in contrast to the conductive form of the disease, it is possible to successfully use conservative therapy. In particular, this is taking medications prescribed by a doctor, using electrical stimulation, and using physiotherapy methods. Manual therapy, which is popular today, is often used. But it is worthwhile to understand that all of the listed treatment methods are effective only at the initial stage of detection of the disease.
Treatment for late detection of the disease
In the event that two ears are damaged or a severe degree of hearing loss is detected during a hearing diagnosis, the therapy consists in hearing replacement. Which device to choose? In particular, Siemens hearing aids are widely used today. The above treatment methods for severe hearing loss are no longer effective.
Therefore, it is important to know the symptoms of sensorineural hearing loss in order to recognize the disease on time. Recall that the main ones are constant tinnitus, causeless dizziness, problems with the vestibular apparatus.
So that it doesn’t come to buying expensive hearing aids, before registering a disability for neurosensory bilateral hearing loss, you need to make an appointment with the otolaryngologist at the first “disturbing calls”. It is important! Indeed, with partial hearing loss, there is the possibility of its restoration, cure of hearing loss.
Prevention of hearing loss
The determining component of preventive measures in relation to any disease is an attentive attitude to your health. Refusal of bad habits, an active lifestyle, a balanced diet, protection against constant stress, control of physical activity.
As for the prevention of hearing loss, here we can distinguish timely treatment of common infectious diseases, pathologies affecting the hearing aid. It is important to monitor the noise environment in your life. If you work in an industrial environment, do not forget about ear plugs. At home, try to listen to music, watch TV, use headphones at a moderate volume.
Sensorineural hearing loss, especially bilateral hearing loss, is fraught with absolute deafness with inadequate treatment or its absence. Therefore, it is important to contact a qualified otolaryngologist at the first symptoms of the pathology.