How to help people with Cookie Bite Hearing Loss?

If you have carefully followed our blogs, you are well aware that there are various types of hearing losses. They differ from each other in certain symptoms and causes.

Audiologists most often recommend hearing aids to restore hearing ability. People using these medical devices quickly and painlessly return to their normal lifestyles.

Today I will tell talk about a nerve related hearing loss, which is often referred to as a Cookie bite hearing loss. What are its causes and symptoms? Is it treatable? Let’s find the answers to these questions.

What should I know about Cookie Bite Hearing Loss?

First, let’s see why this type of hearing loss has such a strange name. You will find the answer in the audiogram. When we look at the graph of someone’s loss we can describe it by the shape it takes. With Cookie bite hearing loss the curve resembles a bite into something, like a cookie, hence the name. However, a specialist may call this type of hearing loss in another way, for example, U-shaped hearing loss, mid-frequency, or pool hearing loss. This type of loss is mostly found since birth or in the younger adults.

How to understand that you have problems? Of course, you should pay attention to the first signs. The main sign of Cookie bite hearing loss is the person’s inability to hear the so-called mid-frequency sounds. At the same time, there are no problems with other sound frequencies. For example, a person can listen to music without problems, but at the same time, he cannot hear a person who is talking to him. Our leading specialist, Dr. Stella Fulman, notes:

Sensorineural hearing loss may be very subtle at first.  Individuals may hear well in some situations but ask for repetition in more noisy environments.  Many times it is not about hearing the speech but it is about understanding the clarity of the speech.

Unfortunately, the patient rarely goes to the audiologist when the first symptoms of Cookie bite hearing loss appear, because it can start out very mild and a person does not notice them. Doctors note that difficulties begin to appear vividly only after 30 years. Young people at this age rarely seek help, not to mention a diagnosis.

A hearing check should be performed, including a full audiogram, to detect this type of hearing loss. Only after receiving all the necessary information, a hearing care professional can establish the correct diagnosis.

Let us answer the following important question. What causes a Cookie bite hearing loss? Scientists say that the main reason for this is genetics. It’s the key criterion for this kind of problem. If parents have any problems with sensorineural hearing loss or are carriers, then difficulties can also be found in children.

However, experts do not exclude other reasons that could lead to Mid-Frequency Hearing Loss. Among them:

• Complications of various diseases
• Long-term exposure to loud noise
• Side effect of several drugs
• Head and ear injuries

What are the consequences?

Cookie bite hearing loss creates a lot of difficulties for a person. Depending on the severity of the mid-frequency loss we can miss out on many important sounds that contribute to the clarity of speech.  There are also many environmental sounds that we should think about, that are important to hear not just for enjoyment (ex. music) but for safety reasons (ex. oncoming traffic).

Difficulties begin, both in the family and at work, and over time, these problems only intensify. Psychological problems stack on physical discomfort, a person gradually ceases to lead a social life and stops to communicate with other people. The patient can lose a sense of importance and fall into depression.

It is enough to seek the help of an audiologist in time to prevent these negative consequences. The doctor will conduct a thorough diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment, which will surely return the patient to a happy life!

How to help a person with a Cookie Bite Hearing Loss?

Cookie bite hearing loss is a form of sensorineural hearing loss. Unfortunately, the problem cannot be reversed to normal hearing. However, modern medicine can minimize unpleasant consequences. The main treatment method that works effectively is the use of specific types of hearing aids. These devices can be programmed specifically to accommodate the individual’s prescription.  For example, modern hearing aids are very specific and an audiologists will be able to set them out so as to not amplify the not needed sounds and make hearing comfortable and natural.

The use of such devices gradually returns a person to everyday life. The ability to hear loved ones and friends improves one’s quality of life and diminishes all the negative effects that can come with a hearing impairment.

Cookie bite hearing loss can seriously change your life. Therefore, people, especially those aged 20 to 30, who have difficulty communicating or feel that their hearing ability has deteriorated, should not be delay checking their hearing. Here at Audiology Island, you can pass all the necessary tests, and our audiologists will select and customize your hearing aids based on your performance. Professional help and your happy smile is our goal!