Link Audiology helps people with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in Silverdale, Vashon, and University Place, WA. 

SNHL is common and can make it hard to hear sounds clearly. You might miss parts of conversations or need help hearing in noisy places. This can make daily life harder and even affect your work or job.

It’s important to get treatment for SNHL. Hearing aids or other devices can help you hear better and improve your quality of life. At Link Audiology, we offer different treatments and work with you to find the best solution. If you think you have hearing loss, visit us in Silverdale, Vashon, or University Place. Early treatment can make a big difference!

Symptoms of Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL) can have different symptoms. Here are some of the common ones:

Difficulty Hearing Conversations

You might need help to hear people talking, especially in noisy places like restaurants or playgrounds. It might feel like everyone needs to be mumbling or speaking too softly.

Trouble Hearing High-Pitched Sounds

Sounds like birds chirping, the beeping of a microwave, or even certain letters in words (like “s” or “th”) can be hard to hear.

Ringing in the Ears (Tinnitus) 

You might hear a ringing, buzzing, or hissing sound in your ears that isn’t coming from the outside. This can be annoying and make it even harder to hear.

Asking People to Repeat Themselves

You might often find yourself saying “What?” or asking people to repeat what they said because you didn’t hear them the first time.

Turning Up the Volume

You may need to make the TV, radio, or music louder than usual. Other people might say it’s too loud, but for you, it seems just right.

Feeling Tired from Listening

Trying to hear and understand sounds can be tiring. After talking to people or listening to things, you might feel more tired than usual.

Missing Phone Calls or Alarms

You might not hear your phone, alarm clock, or doorbell ringing, which can cause you to miss important messages.

Difficulty Understanding Speech

It can be hard to follow what people are saying, especially if they talk fast or there is background noise.

Causes of Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL) can happen for several reasons. Here are some common causes:

Loud Noises

Listening to very loud sounds, like fireworks, loud music, or construction noise, can damage the tiny hair cells in your inner ear. These hair cells help you hear, and once they are damaged, they can’t be fixed.

Aging

As people age, their hearing can worsen. This is a natural part of aging because the cells in the inner ear wear out over time.

Infections

Some infections, like measles, mumps, or meningitis, can damage the inner ear or the nerves that help you hear, leading to hearing loss.

Head Injuries

If you hit your head really hard, it can damage the parts of your ear or brain that help you hear. Wearing a helmet during activities like biking can help protect your head and ears.

Genetics

Some people are born with genes that make them more likely to have hearing loss. If your parents or grandparents had hearing problems, you might have them too.

Medications

Certain medicines, especially some strong antibiotics or cancer treatments, can harm your hearing. Doctors sometimes will have an audiologist monitor your hearing for small changes while you’re taking these medications so they can adjust the dose or frequency if needed.

Diseases

Conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure can affect your hearing over time. These diseases can cause problems with the blood flow to your inner ear.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss Diagnosis and Treatment 

Different treatments can help people with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Three of the best treatments are hearing aids, cochlear implants, and bone-anchored hearing aids.

Hearing Aids

Hearing aids are small devices that you wear in or behind your ear. They make sounds louder so you can hear better. There are many kinds of hearing aids. Some are very small and hard to see, while others are a bit bigger. They have microphones that pick up sounds and speakers that send the sounds into your ear. Hearing aids are great for people with mild to severe hearing loss. They help you hear conversations, watch TV, and listen to music.

Cochlear Implants

Cochlear implants are for people with severe hearing loss who don’t get enough help from hearing aids. A cochlear implant has two parts: one part goes inside your ear during surgery, and the other part is worn outside, like a hearing aid. The implant helps you hear by sending sound signals directly to your brain. This can help you understand speech and other sounds better. It’s a more complex treatment, but it can be life-changing for people with very bad hearing loss.

Bone-Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA)

Bone-anchored hearing aids are different from regular hearing aids. They are used for people who have problems with their outer or middle ear (conductive hearing loss) or for those with single-sided deafness. A BAHA is a small device that is placed in the bone behind your ear during surgery. This device picks up sounds and sends them through the bone directly to the inner ear. This way, you can hear sounds clearly even if your outer or middle ear isn’t working well. Or, in the case of single-sided deafness, the sound transfers across the skull to the normal-hearing ear.

Can you fix sensorineural hearing loss? 

Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL) usually can’t be completely fixed because it happens when tiny hair cells in the inner ear or the nerves that send sound signals to the brain get damaged. Once these hair cells or nerves are damaged, they can’t be repaired.

However, there are ways to help people with SNHL hear better. Hearing aids make sounds louder, which can help with mild to severe hearing loss. Cochlear implants can help people with very bad hearing loss by sending sound signals directly to the brain. Bone-anchored hearing aids can help those with problems in their outer or middle ear.

These treatments don’t cure SNHL, but they can make a big difference in how well someone hears and help them enjoy their daily activities more.

How do you prevent further sensorineural hearing loss? 

Preventing further sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is important. Here are some easy ways to protect your hearing:

Avoid Loud Noises

Avoid very loud sounds like fireworks, concerts, and loud music. If you have to be around loud noises, wear earplugs or noise-canceling headphones.

Keep the Volume Down

When you listen to music or watch TV, keep the volume at a safe level. If someone else can hear your music through your headphones, it’s too loud.

Take Breaks

If you’re in a noisy place, give your ears a rest by stepping outside or to a quieter area every so often.

Use Ear Protection

Wear ear protection when mowing the lawn, using power tools, or attending loud events.

Get Regular Hearing Checks

Visit an audiologist to check your hearing regularly. Early detection can help prevent further damage.

By following these tips, you can help keep your hearing healthy and prevent more hearing loss.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL) happens when tiny hair cells in your inner ear or the nerves that help you hear get damaged. This can make it hard to hear conversations, high-pitched sounds, or even the TV. Loud noises, aging, infections, head injuries, genetics, certain medications, and diseases can cause SNHL.

The best treatments for SNHL include hearing aids and cochlear implants. If there’s also a problem with the middle or outer ear, or if there is single-sided deafness,bone-anchored hearing aids are also an option. Hearing aids make sounds louder, cochlear implants send sound signals directly to the brain, and bone-anchored hearing aids send sounds through the bone to the inner ear.

To prevent further SNHL, avoid loud noises, keep the volume down, take breaks from noisy places, use ear protection, and get regular hearing checks.

If you think you have hearing loss, it’s important to get help early. Visit Link Audiology in Silverdale, Vashon, or University Place, WA. We can help you find the best treatment to improve your hearing and quality of life. Don’t wait—protect your hearing and enjoy all the sounds around you!