Why Does Hearing Deteriorate?
Some of the more common causes to hearing deterioration:
Cochlear damage due to prolonged exposure to loud noise. Lack of high frequency sound to stimulate the ear.
Lack of good muscle tone in the middle ear, caused by stress or poor
diet. Psychological factors - inability to resolve personal issues and
communicate. Otosclerosis - overgrowth of the cochlear bone which results in fusing
the staples to the cochlea.
Is Deterioration Inevitable With Age?
No. It is not the number of years of living that causes hearing damage,
it is the number of years of noise abuse. Young people who listen to rock
music often have a hearing level equal to fifty year old factory workers.
However, even people in their eighties have experienced improvement in their
hearing using the Echofone
What is Conductive Hearing Loss?
There are two types of hearing loss, conductive and sensorineural. The
Echofone can help with both types. Conductive hearing loss refers to
any disorder in the sound transmission system in the middle ear. The bones
and muscles in the middle ear adjust and tune the hearing mechanism so that
the sound can travel from the ear drum to the inner ear.
An overgrowth of the inner ear bone, called otocsclerosis, causes the
staples (stirrup) bone in the middle ear to become fixed, so the ear loses its
adjustability. This condition requires surgery.
Hypertension or lack of tone in the middle ear muscles (tensor tympani
and stapedius) also leads to conductive hearing loss.
What is Sensorineural Hearing Loss?
Sensorineural hearing loss refers to damage which has occurred inside
the inner ear, where the sensory cell transmits sound to the auditory
nerve. Loud or prolonged noise flattens the fine, hair - like sensory cells, called
cilia, in the inner ear. When the cilia are flattened they can no
longer pick up sound vibrations, so the sound does not reach the auditory nerve. A
diagnosis of nerve deafness does not necessarily mean the nerve is
damaged, it may just be that the cilia have been flattened.
How can the Echofone help?
Exercising the muscles. The middle ear contains two tiny muscles, the
tensor tympani and the stapedius. Good muscle tone and flexibility is
essential for the fine tuning of the middle ear mechanism if it is to accurately
conduct sound to the inner ear. The Echofone exercises ear muscles and helps
restore the muscle tone and improves the functioning of the whole ear
mechanism.
Stimulating the cilia. The Echofone high frequency sounds stimulate the
cilia (the fine, hair - like sensory cells in the inner ear). Where the cilia
have been flattened by too much noise the high frequency sound stimulates&nbs
them to return to their upright position. This restores the person's hearing in
high frequencies.
Psychological opening. Hearing is sometimes closed down to some extent
for psychological reasons. The Echofone encourages resolution of
psychological issues by re-introducing high frequency sound and re-creating the
pre-birth experience of sound. As the psychological issues are resolved, the
person can allow themselves to open to the full range of hearing.
How Effective is the Echofone?
More research is needed to determine the effectiveness of the Echofone
on hearing loss. However, feedback received from Echofone listeners over
the last three years indicated that most people experience some improvement
in their hearing. In some cases it requires several months of listening to
improve hearing. Persistence is essential.
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