We all can agree on a single universal fact: ‘Hearing is important.’ We cannot feel nature or what something tells us until our ears can process the sound. Yet for millions of people worldwide, these everyday experiences grow increasingly distant as they face hearing challenges in both ears, a condition audiologists call bilateral hearing loss.
As per the National Institutes of Health, 15% of American adults (37.5 million) aged 18 and over report some trouble hearing. This can happen due to bilateral hearing loss, which can make someone struggle to hear conversations from any direction.
Given that so many American adults report hearing difficulties, with many experiencing reduced auditory function in both ears, it becomes crucial to learn as much as possible about bilateral hearing loss. This number climbs yearly as our population ages and exposure to environmental noise increases.
Can you relate to these hearing problems? If yes, this article on bilateral hearing loss is for you. Learn everything about this hearing condition and take better action towards your ear health.
What Is Bilateral Hearing Loss
It is a hearing condition where you suffer from the impairment of hearing in both ears. There are many causes of bilateral hearing loss, including genetic predisposition, being exposed to loud noises, some medical conditions, or aging into old age.
In this case:
- Social interactions become increasingly challenging
- Workplace communication may require additional effort
- Safety concerns can arise from missed environmental cues
- Music and entertainment experiences may change dramatically
Bilateral Hearing Loss Symptoms
- Struggle to understand speech and verbal communication through both ears simultaneously, which impacts daily interactions and conversations.
- Having a persistent need to crank the volume settings up on televisions, phones, music players and most other audio devices.
- Facing communication barriers when you ask people to repeat spoken words or sentences multiple times while talking, as it occurs.
- Getting dependent on lip reading and facial expressions while conversing to compensate for reduced hearing ability.
- Speech and other sounds seem muffled or unclear in both ears.
- In noisy environments, it becomes difficult to talk on the phone, locate sound sources and follow conversations.
- Difficulty in monitoring your own voice volume, resulting in many of us unknowingly speaking louder than necessary.
What Causes Bilateral Hearing Loss
Trying to follow a conversation in a bustling café? However, the voices around you sound muffled and distant in both ears. Cannot relate? Well, this is the daily reality for millions living with bilateral hearing loss – a condition affecting hearing in both ears.
Age-Related Bilateral Hearing Loss
The impact of age on our ears, like on many parts of our body, changes as we grow older. Among adults aged 65-74, one in three experiences some form of hearing difficulty. This number climbs even higher after 75, affecting more than 50% of seniors, according to the National Institute on Deafness findings.
Noise-related Hearing Damage
Environmental factors can take a toll on our hearing health. Think about the sounds that fill your day: lawnmowers roaring on weekends, music playing through earbuds during workouts, or machinery humming in factories. These everyday noises can gradually wear down the delicate structures inside our ears.
Recent public health research reveals a concerning trend: nearly a quarter of American adults between 20-69 have experienced noise-related hearing damage.
Underlying Health Conditions
Hearing loss stems from underlying health conditions:
- Inherited conditions like Usher or Alport syndromes
- Past infections, particularly those affecting the brain or middle ear
- Autoimmune responses where the body affects its own hearing mechanisms
- Reactions to certain medications that can impact inner ear function
Understanding your specific situation helps healthcare providers create personalized treatment strategies that work best for your lifestyle and needs. With proper diagnosis and care, many people successfully adapt and maintain their quality of life despite hearing challenges.
ICD 10 Code for Bilateral Hearing Loss
Decreased hearing capability affecting both ears is documented in medical records using precise classification codes. The standardized system known as bilateral hearing loss ICD 10 assigns H90.3 to cases where both ears experience hearing difficulties.
Research indicates that roughly one-tenth of adults living in America experience diminished auditory function in both ears. The severity can range from subtle to complete hearing reduction on both sides.
When medical professionals document H90.3 in patient records, they're specifically noting damage to the inner ear structures or hearing nerve pathways rather than mechanical issues in the external or middle ear components. This particular form of hearing reduction, which affects the sensory system, commonly develops through:
- Natural aging processes
- Extended exposure to loud sounds
- Inherited traits
- Various health conditions
Proper documentation through this classification system plays a vital role in several aspects of patient care. It helps healthcare teams:
- Establish precise diagnostic records
- Develop targeted treatment strategies
- Process insurance claims effectively
- Chart the most appropriate intervention methods
VA Rating for Bilateral Hearing Loss
Hearing impairment affecting both ears falls under the Veterans Benefits Administration's list of compensable conditions. The assessment of VA rating for bilateral hearing loss relies on sophisticated auditory measurements to determine severity.
The compensation framework begins at a baseline designation (0%) where measurable loss exists but falls below disability thresholds. For cases of profound auditory dysfunction, benefits can reach the maximum tier (100%).
Columns: pure tone threshold average
Rows: relative percent of speech discrimination
VA disability rating for hearing loss (%)
Research findings published in audiological literature indicate that roughly one-third (30%) of former service members diagnosed with dual-ear hearing deficits receive mid-range compensation. This points to a prevalence of intermediate impairment levels that meaningfully impact daily activities while not constituting total hearing loss.
The benefits determination process incorporates multiple diagnostic measures, including frequency response testing and verbal comprehension evaluation. Beyond monetary compensation, qualifying individuals may receive support for obtaining hearing enhancement devices and related adaptive equipment.
Optimal outcomes depend on consistent monitoring through professional hearing assessments and ongoing coordination with VA medical specialists to ensure benefit levels align with current auditory status.
Bilateral Hearing Loss Treatment
- Hearing Aid Technology
Management of bilateral hearing loss through hearing aid technology represents a cornerstone intervention. With modern digital systems, they offer customisation for different listening environments and integration with smart devices for enhanced user control and adaptation to varying acoustic scenarios throughout daily activities. Here are the most popular styles on the market right now. Among them, Beacon are the best bluetooth hearing aids in the world and Core One is designed for people looking for discreet hearing aids.
Core One IIC OTC Hearing Aids
Beacon RIC OTC Hearing Aids with Bluetooth
Nexus BTE Hearing Aids
Fusion ITE Hearing Aids
- Cochlear Implantation
The cochlear implantation presents a transformative solution for people experiencing severe to profound bilateral hearing impairment, involving a precisely engineered electronic device that circumvents damaged inner ear structures to deliver direct stimulation to the auditory nerve fibers, necessitating both meticulous surgical implementation and an extensive postoperative rehabilitation period during which the brain gradually adapts to interpret these new electrical signals as meaningful sound patterns.
- Contemporary Assistive Listening Technology
It encompasses a diverse array of sophisticated solutions, including advanced frequency modulation systems, electromagnetic induction loops, and specialized audio streaming devices, all engineered to significantly enhance auditory clarity across challenging acoustic environments such as large public spaces, educational settings, or entertainment venues where distance and background noise traditionally pose substantial communication barriers.
- Comprehensive Auditory Rehabilitation Programs
These incorporate multifaceted therapeutic approaches, combining specialized speech-language pathology interventions, systematic auditory training protocols, psychological support services, and communication strategy development workshops, all working synergistically to optimize hearing functionality and foster successful adaptation to hearing assistance devices while addressing the psychosocial aspects of hearing impairment.
- Surgery
Surgical interventions for bilateral hearing loss encompass various sophisticated procedures, including advanced reconstructive techniques for ossicular chain repair, innovative middle ear bone replacement surgeries, correction of congenital structural abnormalities, and other specialized otologic procedures, all carefully selected based on detailed diagnostic evaluations to address specific anatomical or physiological causes underlying the hearing impairment while maximizing potential auditory outcomes
Types of Bilateral Hearing Loss
- Sensorineural: It is caused by damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve. Age, noise exposure, medication, or genetic factors are the usual reasons for this form. Symptoms are difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds and difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments.
- Conductive: This is when there is some trouble in the way sound passes through the outer or middle ear. Common causes include ear infections, earwax buildup and structural abnormalities. This type results in muffled sound and low sound perception, most commonly.
Bilateral Hearing Loss Audiogram
A bilateral hearing loss audiogram helps to determine how much or what type of hearing loss is affecting both ears. The softest sounds a person can hear is the range of this test to discover what is wrong.
The results can also tell healthcare professionals if the hearing loss is symmetric or asymmetric and if it is conductive, sensorineural, or both by comparing the results with the left and right ears. So armed with this detailed information, clinicians will then be able to develop targeted treatment plans that will meet the needs of people who have bilateral hearing impairment.
Conclusion
To sum up, bilateral hearing loss is a complex medical condition. It can affect someone’s overall quality of life to a great extent. If you’re someone going through the symptoms of this condition, now is the time to act upon some of the treatment options we have discussed above.
No matter if you have sensorineural or conductive bilateral hearing loss, the best treatment options—like the hearing aid or cochlear implantation—can help you take a step forward to the better management of this hearing condition.
However, people with bilateral hearing loss can lead active and social lives with proper support and treatment plans in place. Raising awareness and advocating for early detection will help people living with bilateral hearing loss regain control of their health and take control of their lives.
FAQs
Bilateral hearing loss cannot be "cured". However, with treatment options like hearing aids or cochlear implants, you can suppress the symptoms and manage them.
Yes, bilateral hearing loss can be considered a disability, especially when it is severe. In many cases, it can meet the criteria for disability under laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or the Social Security Administration’s definition of disability.
Unilateral loss of hearing is when you only lose the hearing ability of one ear, whereas the latter is when you lose the ability to hear from both ears.
This hearing condition in young people does happen – from genetics, infection, noise exposure, or other medical problems.
