Chronic sound sensation disorder
How does chronic acoustic sensitivity disorder occur and how is it treated? – Permanent noise exposure Noise makes you ill! First and foremost, the ear itself is affected before psychological reactions occur.
A daily noise exposure of six hours with a volume of 75 dB or more can cause considerable damage to the inner ear after years. Factory workers, flight floor personnel, disk jockeys and even regular visitors to loud discotheques run the risk of being permanently affected by inner ear hearing loss. Occupational health and safety legislation requires that for professions with high noise exposure, noise protection measures with appropriate hearing protection must be taken.
- Age-related hearing loss (presbyacusis) As we age, hearing deterioration is still normal to a certain extent. Various aging processes such as circulatory problems, medication, high blood pressure, diabetes and lifelong exposure to noise contribute to hearing deterioration. Bilateral hearing loss can start from the age of 50 and initially affects the higher frequencies.
Insects and birdsong, for example, can no longer be heard now. In louder background noise, such as at a birthday party, where there is usually lively conversation and perhaps music is still being played, speech comprehension may be limited. Nowadays, hearing loss can be compensated with the most modern hearing aids.
- Tumor on the auditory nerve (acoustic neuroma) The acoustic neuroma is a benign and slowly growing tumor on the auditory and vestibular nerve (nervus vestibulocochlearis), which usually does not appear until the age of 50. Early symptoms include hearing loss, impaired balance, dizziness and ringing in the ears (tinnitus). Surgical removal can stop the increasing hearing loss.
- Central damage Since hearing does not only take place in the ear and its structures, but is ultimately perceived in the brain, damage to the central auditory pathways can result in hearing loss or even complete loss. A stroke (apoplexy) caused by bleeding or arteriosclerosis can be the cause of central hearing damage. In most cases, other neurological symptoms also occur and cause the hearing loss to fade into the background.
