{"id":602,"date":"2020-08-27T08:40:19","date_gmt":"2020-08-26T23:40:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/what-is-high-frequency-hearing-loss\/"},"modified":"2020-12-01T10:39:20","modified_gmt":"2020-12-01T01:39:20","slug":"what-is-high-frequency-hearing-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-loss\/what-is-high-frequency-hearing-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"What is High-Frequency Hearing Loss?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hearing loss is a common issue, but it comes in many forms and levels of severity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You should be aware of a few different types of hearing loss \u2014 one of which is high-frequency hearing loss. If you have this type of hearing loss, you will find high-pitched sounds harder to hear.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like other types of hearing loss, high-frequency hearing loss happens when tiny hair-like hearing cells (stereocilia) in your inner ear (the cochlea) suffer irreversible damage. As our ears task these inner hair cells with translating sounds into electrical impulses for your brain to interpret as sound, this can be detrimental to an individual\u2019s fully functional hearing.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#What_Causes_High-Frequency_Hearing_Loss\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">1<\/span> What Causes High-Frequency Hearing Loss?<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Aging\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_2\">1.1<\/span> Aging<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Genetics\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_2\">1.2<\/span> Genetics<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Loud_noise\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_2\">1.3<\/span> Loud noise\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Drugs\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_2\">1.4<\/span> Drugs<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Disease_and_Illness\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_2\">1.5<\/span> Disease and Illness<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#What_are_the_Symptoms_of_High-Frequency_Hearing_Loss\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">2<\/span> What are the Symptoms of High-Frequency Hearing Loss?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_do_you_Treat_High-Frequency_Hearing_Loss\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">3<\/span> How do you Treat High-Frequency Hearing Loss?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#About_Olive_Union\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">4<\/span> About Olive Union<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<h2><span id=\"What_Causes_High-Frequency_Hearing_Loss\">What Causes High-Frequency Hearing Loss?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although high-frequency hearing loss is common amongst older people with age-related hearing loss, it can affect individuals regardless of age.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High-frequency hearing loss occurs for a variety of reasons, from long-known causes such as exposure to loud noise to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nejm.org\/doi\/10.1056\/NEJMra1616601\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">other causes like diabetes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that are still being researched.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Aging\"><strong>Aging<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aging is at the root of many people\u2019s hearing issues. This is unfortunate yet understandable \u2014 as you get older, the chances of you experiencing age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) increases. Though common, this form of hearing loss develops over a long period of time, so can be difficult to notice at first. Both of your ears are usually equally affected, making it worse.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Genetics\"><strong>Genetics<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This leads to our next risk factor \u2014 genetics. If you have relatives that developed high-frequency hearing loss (for no obvious reason), you may have a genetic predisposition to develop the condition. It might develop as you get older, so ask your family if there are any cases you should know about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Loud_noise\"><strong>Loud noise\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re exposed to loud sounds you\u2019re also prone to developing this condition. Noise-induced hearing loss affects millions of Americans as exposure to loud noise is common and often unavoidable. You can be affected by a one-off exposure to extremely loud noise such as an explosion, or you can develop hearing loss over a long period if you have constant exposure to noise louder than 85 dBA. If you work in a noisy environment, for example, as a builder or touring musician, you are more likely to be affected.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Drugs\"><strong>Drugs<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your hearing health can also be impacted by certain medications. Ototoxic drugs such as aminoglycoside antibiotics, salicylates such as aspirin (in large quantities), and drugs used in chemotherapy can potentially cause damage to your hearing health.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Disease_and_Illness\"><strong>Disease and Illness<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Importantly, some diseases, if left untreated, can lead to hearing loss. Meniere\u2019s disease of the inner ear can cause fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo. Severe cases can even lead to low-frequency hearing loss. In children, untreated chronic otitis media (known as a middle ear infection) has been associated with hearing loss, as has diabetes (due to damage caused to nerves and blood vessels).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"What_are_the_Symptoms_of_High-Frequency_Hearing_Loss\">What are the Symptoms of High-Frequency Hearing Loss?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re struggling to hear high-frequency sounds, this will be apparent to you in a few different ways.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When we\u2019re talking about high-frequency hearing loss, we\u2019re talking about a difficulty to hear high-pitched sounds. As a result, noises that are higher in pitch such as women\u2019s and children\u2019s voices will naturally be harder to hear if you have this type of hearing loss.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You sound some consonants (f, h, and s) out at a higher pitch to other letters. These are referred to as high-frequency sounds and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/high-frequency-hearing-loss-1048448#overview\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">range from 1,500 to 6,000 Hertz<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If you\u2019re struggling with high-frequency hearing loss, you might notice that when you\u2019re listening to others speak you struggle to make out these letters. What\u2019s happening here might be apparent to you, but it might just seem like your friends are muffling. This will almost definitely be the case when you use the telephone, as they already make voices sound quite distorted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Speech may also sound muffled if you\u2019re watching television or trying to hold a conversation in a noisy environment, which can be frustrating. You might even notice the absence of background noises that you normally hear around your home or place of work such as birds tweeting outside the window, or the beep of trucks reversing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These symptoms certainly explain why people with high-frequency hearing loss often report feeling like they can hear but not understand others. If you think of high-frequency hearing loss as selectively inhibiting your hearing of certain sounds, you can understand why it is a confusing condition for the sufferer, especially in the beginning and before any diagnosis when you aren\u2019t quite sure what\u2019s going on.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"How_do_you_Treat_High-Frequency_Hearing_Loss\">How do you Treat High-Frequency Hearing Loss?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The bad news is that high-frequency hearing loss is (usually) irreversible. However, hearing aids can massively reduce your symptoms. They can take some time to get used to, but many people report a dramatic improvement to their quality of life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hearing aids can help high-frequency hearing loss by taking the higher frequency sounds and lowering them to a more easily audible frequency. This can be done by frequency transposition or nonlinear frequency compression. They also have abilities to adjust amplification levels based on each sound frequency, which can also help with high-frequency hearing loss.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are even hearing aids specially designed for high-frequency hearing loss such as the open fit <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthyhearing.com\/report\/52965-Hearing-aids-with-domes-are-they-right-for-me\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">receiver in the ear (RITE) that has a dome<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that sits in the ear canal, known for avoiding the muffling of the low-frequency sounds you\u2019re still able to hear. RITE and most other hearing aids can be programmed to amplify the specific frequencies you find difficult to catch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although many people find them more aesthetically pleasing than standard devices, hearing aids such as the \u2018invisible-in-the-canal\u2019 or \u2018completely in the canal\u2019 hearing aids actually block low-frequency sounds, so aren\u2019t the best option if you suffer from high-frequency hearing loss.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting your hearing aid fitted correctly is very important, as different fittings will be better for different people. To get the maximum benefit out of your hearing aid make sure you see a specialist.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As with anything, the key to effectively managing your symptoms is early diagnosis. If you\u2019re struggling with your hearing and think you might be experiencing hearing loss, talk to your practitioner as soon as possible. Untreated hearing loss can lead to other health conditions down the line such as balance issues and dementia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A simple hearing test will be able to tell you what kind of hearing loss you have, the level of severity (mild, moderate, moderately severe, severe or profound), and will highlight the best course of treatment for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"About_Olive_Union\">About Olive Union<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To find out more information about hearing loss, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/blogs\/the-olive-branch\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">discover our other blog articles<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you don\u2019t have hearing loss, but are looking to enhance your experience of background sounds, consider a Personal Sound Amplification Product (PSAP) such as the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/products\/smart-ear\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Olive Smart Ear<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Our CES Innovation award-winning personalized hearing earbud offers unrivaled sound amplification to provide you with a great listening experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>The information in this guide has been written using the following reliable sources<i>:<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthyhearing.com\/report\/52448-Understanding-high-frequency-hearing-loss\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.healthyhearing.com\/report\/52448-Understanding-high-frequency-hearing-loss<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hiddenhearing.co.uk\/hearing-information\/hearing-loss\/low-frequency-hearing-loss\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.hiddenhearing.co.uk\/hearing-information\/hearing-loss\/low-frequency-hearing-loss<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hearingreview.com\/practice-building\/practice-management\/changing-with-the-times-managing-low-frequency-hearing-loss\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.hearingreview.com\/practice-building\/practice-management\/changing-with-the-times-managing-low-frequency-hearing-loss<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/high-frequency-hearing-loss-1048448#risk-level\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.verywellhealth.com\/high-frequency-hearing-loss-1048448<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nejm.org\/doi\/10.1056\/NEJMra1616601\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.nejm.org\/doi\/10.1056\/NEJMra1616601<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>High-frequency hearing loss is a common type of hearing loss. We explain what causes it, how to recognise it, and what treatments are available.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":874,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-loss\/what-is-high-frequency-hearing-loss\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is High-Frequency Hearing Loss? - Olive Union\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"High-frequency hearing loss is a common type of hearing loss. 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