Deaf and hearing impairment

Hearing loss can be temporary or permanent. It often comes on gradually as you get older, but it can sometimes happen suddenly.

It's not always easy to tell if you're losing your hearing. Common signs include:

• difficulty hearing other people clearly, and misunderstanding what they say, especially in noisy places
• asking people to repeat themselves
• listening to music or watching television loudly
• having to concentrate hard to hear what other people are saying, which can be tiring or stressful

The signs can be slightly different if you only have hearing loss in one ear or if a young child has hearing loss.

Hearing loss can have many different causes. For example:

• sudden hearing loss in one ear may be due to earwax, an ear infection, a perforated (burst) eardrum or Ménière's disease
• sudden hearing loss in both ears may be due to damage from a very loud noise, or taking certain medicines that can affect hearing
• gradual hearing loss in one ear may be due to something inside the ear, such as fluid (glue ear), a bony growth (otosclerosis) or a build-up of skin cells (cholesteatoma)
• gradual hearing loss in both ears is usually caused by ageing or exposure to loud noises over many years

Read about hearing loss on the NHS website.

Hearing loss sometimes gets better on its own or may be treated with medicine or a simple procedure. For example, earwax can be sucked out, or softened with eardrops.

But other types – such as gradual hearing loss, which often happens as you get older – may be permanent. In these cases, treatment can help make the most of the remaining hearing. This may involve using:

• hearing aids – several different types are available on the NHS or privately
• implants – devices that are attached to your skull or placed deep inside your ear, if hearing aids are not suitable
• different ways of communicating – such as sign language or lip reading

It's not always possible to prevent hearing loss, but there are some simple things you can do to reduce the risk of damaging your hearing.

These include:

• not having your television, radio or music on too loud
• using headphones that block out more outside noise, instead of turning up the volume
• wearing ear protection (such as ear defenders) if you work in a noisy environment, such as a garage workshop or a building site; special vented earplugs that allow some noise in are also available for musicians
• using ear protection at loud concerts and other events where there are high noise levels
• not inserting objects into your or your children's ears – this includes fingers, cotton buds, cotton wool and tissues