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How Much Do You Know About Hearing Loss?

Test your knowledge of the different types of this common condition

Sarah Elizabeth Adler,

AARP

En español

Published January 28, 2022

9 Questions

How Much Do You Know About Hearing Loss?

[ {
  "question" : "This type of hearing loss accounts for most hearing trouble in older adults:",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Sensorineural hearing loss",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Conductive hearing loss",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Mixed hearing loss",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "An estimated 90 percent of hearing loss in adults 50 and older is sensorineural, meaning it is caused by damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve. Age-related sensorineural hearing loss is also called presbycusis.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "True or false? Aging and noise exposure are two common causes of sensorineural hearing loss.",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "True",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "False",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Aging and noise exposure can damage or destroy the hair cells found in the cochlea, the snail-shaped organ of the inner ear responsible for hearing. Once hair cells are destroyed, the damage can’t be reversed — leading to permanent hearing loss.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What percentage of hair cells need to be damaged before hearing loss is detectable on a hearing test?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "5 to 10 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "20 to 40 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "30 to 50 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "75 to 80 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "By the time hearing loss can be measured on a hearing test, up to 30 to 50 percent of hair cells in the cochlea may be damaged or destroyed. The average person is born with approximately 16,000 hair cells in each cochlea.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Symptoms of sensorineural hearing loss can include:",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Trouble with high-pitched sounds",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Dizziness",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Tinnitus",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "All of the above",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "In addition to a general loss of sound volume and clarity, sensorineural hearing loss commonly affects your ability to hear high-pitched frequencies, like women’s or children’s voices. Dizziness and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) may also occur.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "True or false? Hearing aids and cochlear implants are treatment options for mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss.",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "True",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "False",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Hearing aids can help people with sensorineural hearing loss, including mild hearing loss, by amplifying the specific frequencies they have trouble with. Cochlear implants, which bypass the inner ear to transmit sound input directly to the auditory nerve, are recommended when hearing loss is profound.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Conductive hearing loss refers to hearing loss that:",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Is commonly caused by infection or obstruction",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Is often temporary or treatable",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Diminishes your ability to hear sounds at a low volume",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "All of the above",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Conductive hearing loss occurs when sounds can’t travel through the outer or middle ear to reach the inner ear, causing what you hear to sound muffled or blocked. Common causes include ear infections and obstructions like earwax buildup or benign tumors. Depending on the cause, conductive hearing loss can be treated with medicine, surgery or interventions such as professional earwax removal.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "The most common cause of conductive hearing loss is:",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Swimmer’s ear",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Earwax buildup",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Congenital defects",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Benign tumors",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "We all have earwax, but too much of this waxy substance can obstruct the ear and cause conductive hearing loss. Professional earwax removal can help with buildup. Experts say to avoid cleaning your ears with cotton swabs or other implements, which can increase your risk of lodging wax deeper in the ear canal.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Mixed hearing loss refers to:",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Hearing loss that is different in each ear",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Hearing loss that occurs only in one ear",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Hearing loss that worsens and then gets better",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "None of the above",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Mixed hearing loss occurs when someone experiences conductive hearing loss at the same time as sensorineural hearing loss. For example, a person with age-related sensorineural hearing loss who develops a middle-ear infection that exacerbates his or her existing hearing loss is experiencing temporary mixed hearing loss.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "True or false? Untreated hearing loss is linked to an increased risk of depression and dementia.",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "True",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "False",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "The effects of hearing loss can extend far beyond the ears. According to a 2018 report published in the 'Journal of the American Medical Association' (JAMA), individuals with untreated hearing loss experienced a greater risk of dementia, depression, heart attack and falls when compared to people without hearing loss.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
} ]

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How Much Do You Know About Hearing Loss?

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Sarah Elizabeth Adler is a writer based in Washington, D.C. She has written about science, art and culture for outlets including aarp.org, where she was previously a staff writer, The Atlantic and California magazine.