Deafness of the 2nd degree: treatment. Hearing loss: symptoms, causes

Decrease in a person's ability to perceive sound, causing great difficulties with speech communication, in medicine is usually called the term "deafness". Hearing impairment can be diagnosed in elderly people and in young children. Such a clinical picture is caused by various factors, including congenital disorders.

Hearing loss, the causes of which consist in any external influences or pathologies of internal organs, can be cured with the help of modern medical technologies. In this process, the people's means also render considerable assistance.

Acute hearing loss, diagnosed in young children, requires compulsory and immediate treatment, as, among other things, can lead to a delay in the child's mental development. Let's consider these issues in more detail.

The causes of the pathology in children

Regardless of external symptoms, the factors that cause the described disease have been well studied. Deafness in children is provoked by the following diseases:

• Otitis media;
• Scarlatina;
• Measles;
• Rubella.

There are cases when hearing impairment in young children has appeared due to improper treatment with antibacterial drugs having ototoxic effect.

Disorders in adults

Hearing loss, the symptoms of which were manifested at a more mature age, is due to:

• Acute infectious diseases caused by various dangerous pathogens (meningitis, influenza, syphilis, cytomegalovirus);
• An allergy to various external factors;
• Traumatic effects both directly on the ear, and on the head as a whole;
• Neoplasms of a benign and malignant character, appearing in the cavity of the head;
• Acoustic injuries.

In addition, a decrease in the ability to perceive sound waves may appear due to atherosclerosis and hypertension. A significant influence on the quality of hearing is also provided by work in harmful industries.

Hearing organs of elderly people reduce their functionality due to changes in the auditory nerve, as well as the gradual withering away of the tissues of the inner and middle ear.

There is also a deafness, the causes of which are poisoning with various poisons at work and in everyday life.

Types of disease

There are several varieties of the pathology in question. First of all stand out:

• One-sided hearing loss (one ear is affected);
• Bilateral deafness (when negative processes that impair hearing, affect both organs of a person).

In addition, depending on the reasons that influenced the occurrence of the violation, there is a slightly different division. Medical specialists distinguish:

• Conductive disease;
• Neurosensory pathology.

It should be noted that it is not uncommon for several factors to influence the reduction or loss of hearing at the same time. In this case, mixed mild deafness is diagnosed, which requires a special approach to treatment. For example, when using hearing aids, you need a view that has a special design.

Conductive Hearing Loss

This type of pathology appears in the patient in the case when an obstacle is formed in the path of sound waves. Such violations include:

• Sulfur fuses;
• Incorrect development of the inner or middle ear;
• Various forms of otitis media;
• Foreign bodies in the auditory canal;
• Tumor formation;
• Traumatic impact;
• Otosclerosis.

The main feature of the considered type of violation is a change fixed in the sound bone and affecting the tympanic membrane.

Sensorineural hearing loss

In this case, the impossibility of perceiving the sound sequence is due to the disappearance or disruption of the ability to transform oscillations of sound waves into impulses understandable to the human brain.

When the patient is diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss, the symptoms of which will be discussed below, there is not only a deterioration in the quality of speech perception, but also a distortion of sound.

This condition can be caused by the following violations:

• Neuritis of the auditory nerve;
• Injuries;
• Atherosclerosis;
• Age-related changes;
• Infectious diseases;
• Hypertension.

Distinguish the described variety of pathology with the help of accompanying signs, often accompanying hearing loss: nausea, vomiting, noise in the ears.

Symptoms and degrees of pathology

As already mentioned above, outwardly violations related to hearing loss appear in the form of noise, a weaker perception of sounds (especially the high frequency - female voice, screams of birds, child laughter). A person often can not hear his interlocutor, increases the volume of the TV, has difficulty communicating on the phone.

More acutely external manifestations of the disease are visible in pathology due to the violation of the transformation of sound waves into nerve electrical impulses. Depending on the nature of these symptoms, medicine identifies the following degrees of sensorineural hearing loss:

1 degree. In this case, the patient is able to distinguish words pronounced in a whisper at a distance of about three meters. Ordinary human speech is well perceived when the interlocutor is at a distance of 4 meters from the ear of the victim. Some sounds are perceived incorrectly, the conversation is accompanied by a clear presence of extraneous noise in the ear.

2 degree. When a person hears a whisper at a distance of up to 1 meter, and words pronounced with normal volume - not more than 4 meters, you can talk about the deafness of 2 degrees. Treatment of such pathology is carried out in a medical institution with the help of special techniques and hardware complexes. Sometimes it is necessary to use hearing aids. By the way, this hearing impairment leads to the fact that the patient perceives a sound appeal to him only when he is repeated several times with a louder intonation.

3 degree. The patient does not perceive a whisper from a very close distance (not beyond the extended arm). Speech interlocutor can be heard at a distance of up to 2 meters. With such a degree of deafness, a person can not feel comfortable in the world around him, she does not allow him to communicate normally. The treatment and use of a device that amplifies sound waves is, in this case, mandatory.

The specific methods of getting rid of the disease are appointed only after detailed diagnosis and study of the clinical picture of the disease. In addition, the age of the patient must also be taken into account.

If we talk about folk treatment of hearing loss, then these techniques should be used only in conjunction with traditional treatment, and after consulting with a medical specialist.

Diagnostics

For the purpose of establishing a primary diagnosis, speech audiometry is usually performed. The essence of it is that a doctor who deals with hearing problems, establishes the patient's ability to perceive whispers and normal human speech.

After that, to determine the specific root cause of the illness, a consultation with a hearing therapist is conducted. The chosen method of getting rid of pathology directly depends on the conclusion made by him.

Usually the following methods for diagnosing hearing loss are used:

• Audiometry;
• Tuning forks;
• Tone audiogram;
• Otoscopy.

Methods of treatment

The specific measures aimed at eliminating the violation depend on the causes that cause the disease.

If a conductive form of pathology is established, to improve hearing, it is necessary to restore the natural state of the auditory ossicles and membranes that perceive sound vibrations. This can be achieved only through the operational impact on the damaged organs. In especially severe cases, it is possible to put artificial prosthesis instead of damaged organs. This allows you to cope with even cases of complete hearing loss.

More attention requires neurosensory deafness of the 2nd degree. Treatment of such a violation is complicated by the fact that it is caused by damage or complete death of specific ear cells that can not be restored with a scalpel. In this case, you can help:

• Drug therapy;
• Physiotherapeutic procedures;
• Electrostimulation of organs of inner and middle ear.

At the third degree of hearing loss, only the correct selection of the apparatus that amplifies the sound waves will help relieve deafness.

Let us dwell in more detail on the fight against the second degree of complexity caused by neurosensory causes.

Nootropic drugs

Often there is a condition when in the organs of the inner and middle ear there is a deterioration of the blood supply, because of which there is an oxygen starvation (hypoxia) of the auditory nerve. This causes a 2 degree hearing loss. Treatment is just the elimination of the symptoms described above.

The drugs with active antihypoxic properties are of great help. You can also use pharmacological agents that improve the blood circulation of the brain and hearing organs. All these properties have so-called nootropics. These include:

• Pentoxifellin;
• "Cinnarizine";
• "Fezam";
• "Semax";
• "Piracetam" and others.

Among other things, these drugs contribute to improving the resistance of nervous and auditory cells to adverse external effects, improve their immunity.

The main factor affecting the effectiveness of treatment, we must recognize its speed. So, immediately after diagnosing the pathology, the listed pharmacological agents should be injected into the body by means of a dropper. During the first four days, the dose gradually increases, and then persists for 1-2 weeks.

The therapy described should show a positive result, after which the patient is transferred to supportive and preventive medicines. The rehabilitation period is about 2 months. In this case preference is given to intramuscular injections and tablets taken orally.

Naturally, all procedures should be carried out under the strict supervision of a medical specialist.

Antihistamines

Sometimes the 2 degree deafness, treated with the medicines described above, is accompanied by additional external signs:

• Nausea;
• Dizziness;
• Vomiting.

This indicates that negative processes occur not only in the hearing organs, but also in the so-called labyrinth - an organ that allows the brain to determine the position of the body relative to the ground.

To combat these symptoms, antihistamines are used to reduce the pressure of the liquid in the labyrinth and improve blood circulation in the capillaries that penetrate the tissues of the inner ear. An example of such drugs can be:

• "Betagistin";
• "Bellataminal";
• "Betaserk".

Non-drug therapy

In order to maximize the effectiveness of the treatment, in addition to the use of various drugs, it is necessary to undergo certain procedures that have a positive effect on the organs of the inner and middle ear. This will significantly shorten the rehabilitation period.

One of their frequently used methods is reflexotherapy (one of the varieties of acupuncture). Recently, instead of conventional needles, a laser beam can be used. Both procedures are similar in nature and impact.

The usual course of acupuncture consists of 10 procedures. If necessary, the treatment is repeated intermittently in one month.

In addition, hyperbaric oxygenation has repeatedly proved its beneficial effect. This procedure implies the following. The victim breathes a special air mixture, in which the percentage of oxygen is increased. Its molecules, getting into the body, have a positive effect on the process of blood circulation in the capillaries and improve the work of the hearing organs, which accelerates recovery.

Conclusion

Violation of a person's ability to perceive sound speech does not add to his comfort in everyday life. Acute hearing loss in general casts doubt on his ability to maintain a habitual way of life. However, the achievements of modern medicine can effectively combat the described pathology. The main requirements are quickness and full medical control. Therefore do not neglect the address to the doctor, do not self-medicate!