Deafness (Total Hearing Loss) - Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders

Deafness (Total Hearing Loss)

Hearing involves a complex process by which sounds outside the ear are transmitted as auditory signals through the middle and inner ear and to auditory centers in the brain. Some infants, due to genetic factors or birth abnormalities, are born deaf–that is, they are born with structural abnormalities of the three middle ear bones. Other causes of deafness include impairments of the eight nerve fibers concerned with hearing. As Margolis reports in The Johns Hopkins Medical Handbook , more than 4,000 infants are born deaf every year in the United States. Approximately half of these cases are due to hereditary disorders.

Deaf patients with structural abnormalities can never recover full hearing. They can, however, be given cochlear implants which stimulate partial hearing. Cochlear implants are tiny microphones which are placed behind the ear. The microphones pick up sound signals and relay them to a speech processor which the patient wears in a pocket. Gillian Weiss reports in the November 1990 issue of American Health that the implants may eventually be common treatment for total deafness.

People with partial deafness can benefit from using hearing aids which amplify sound signals that stimulate the cochlear hair cells. However, hearing aids can only help people who still have some hearing abilities. Their effectiveness varies according to their design and how well the aid matches the individual's needs.

Vitamin and Mineral Therapies.     According to the May 4, 1993 edition of the San Francisco Chronicle , researchers hope to develop an eventual cure for the principal form of deafness by restoring inner-ear cells essential for hearing. Dr. Thomas Van De Water of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York reported a study in the April 1993 issue of Science which found that retinioc acid, a derivative of vitamin A, can cause the inner ear to grow new auditory hair cells in laboratory rats. The death or malfunction of auditory hair cells is thought to be the major cause of deafness for approximately 18 million Americans. Van De Water and his colleagues are hopeful that the growth of inner ear cell tissue will be successful in humans.

Vasoconstrictors.     Over-the-counter nasal sprays which contain phenylephrine help reduce swelling in the ear. The spray shrinks the lining of the nose and the area around the entrance of the eustachian tubes. Nasal sprays or nose drops containing phenylephrine, however, should not be used for more than a few days, and recommended dosages should never be exceeded.

Heat Therapy.     Two forms of heat therapy, according to Feinstein, help relieve earaches. One involves setting a heating pad on medium and placing it on top of the sore ear. Another entails turning a hair dryer on the lowest warm setting and directing the warm air down the ear canal by holding the dryer 6–12 inches from the ear. The dryer should not be used for more than three to five minutes.