About Hearing Loss

Every now and then, your doctor may ask you to get a hearing test. Don’t assume that something is wrong. Hearing tests are how doctors use to make sure that your ears work well.
With age, hearing loss becomes more likely. About 14% of people ages 45 to 64 have some degree of hearing loss, but that rises to more than 30% among people who are 65 or older. This is why your doctor will want to test your hearing every few years, rather than just once as an adult.
Experts recommend that adults get their hearing tested every 10 years until age 50, and then every 3 years after that.

How we hear?

The ear has three main parts or sections - the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. Each section has a specific function that allows sound waves that enter the ear to be transformed into electrical impulses that the brain can understand. The outer ear collects sound waves and directs them to the middle ear. The middle ear then amplifies the sound and transmits it to the inner ear. The inner ear converts the sound vibrations into electrical impulses that travel along the auditory nerve to the brain.

  • The outer ear catches sound waves and directs them into the ear canal.
  • The ear canal carries the sound waves to the eardrum (tympanic membrane).
  • Sound waves cause the eardrum (tympanic membrane) to vibrate.
  • The bones in the middle ear (malleus, incus and stapes) pick up these vibrations.
  • Vibrations pass through the oval window to the cochlea, setting the fluid inside in motion. This causes special nerve cells to turn the sound waves into electrical impulses.
  • The auditory nerve sends these electrical impulses to the brain where they are heard as sound.