There are several different types of hearing impairments. Some are caused by old age, while others are hereditary or caused at birth. Whatever the cause of the hearing impairment, living with this disability is a life altering challenge. As stated before, there is not one known cause of deafness or hearing loss. There are a few basic types of hearing loss. One is conductive hearing loss. This happens when there is a problem with the outer or middle ear. Most people with conductive hearing loss have mild and temporary loss, which can be medically treated. The cause of conductive hearing loss usually occurs at birth in the form of malformed parts of the ear. At times there may be tiny holes in the eardrum, or wax build up in the ear canal. Acoustic Neurinoma is an example of this type of hearing loss. It is a benign tumor, which forms on the nerves in the inner ear. This tumor causes the vibrations from the inner ear not to be transmitted to the brain therefore prevents the person from hearing sounds. Another type of hearing loss is sensory hearing loss. The cause of this type of hearing loss can be hereditary, or can be caused in the fetus, if a pregnant mother suffers from certain types of diseases. Sensory hearing loss can also be caused by severe damage to the head or by listening to or being around loud noises such as music or fireworks on a constant basis. This type of hearing loss occurs when the cochlea is not working properly. The hairs inside the cochlea have been damaged in sensory hearing loss. Often times the damage is permanent. The loss of hearing can affect one ear or both, and it will often affect the speech of a person. Mondini Syndrome is also related to the cochlea, however in this case the cochlea is not complete or abnormally shaped. Mixed hearing loss is a combination of conductive and sensory hearing loss. Neural hearing loss occurs when there is a problem with the connection from the cochlea to the brain. One condition of neural hearing loss is auditory neuropathy, in which the cochlea of the ear functions properly, however, the nerve receptors to the brain do not. As stated before, there are also severe diseases that can cause hearing loss. Perhaps the most deadly and dangerous of these diseases is Meningitis. Meningitis is a severe sickness with symptoms such as high fever and extreme fatigue. Often people suffering form Meningitis will gradually experience hearing loss, as was in the case of Helen Keller. (Nichcy Fact sheet, 6/25/03)
The Life of Helen Keller
Helen Keller was a woman who faced many obstacles in her life, but overcame them with dignity and pride. When Helen was 19 months old she became very ill. The doctors at the time did not know what the illness was. We now know today because of her symptoms, Helen was suffering from Meningitis. Although many people suffering from Meningitis die, Helen overcame and survived this terrible illness. What seemed like a gift from god turned tragic again, when Helen’s parents soon realized that their daughter was not responding to sounds as well as hands or objects flashing in her face. It was soon discovered that the illness Helen had suffered left her both deaf and blind. A person dealing with two drastic disabilities would be likely to give up and not pursue a better, more fulfilled life. This was not the case with Helen. Along with the support of her family and Anne Sullivan, a blind teacher, Helen overcame her obstacles and has become a hero to any person trying to overcome a challenge. (Hurwitz, pg 4-25)