Why Can’t I Hear my Granddaughter’s Voice But I Can Hear Soft Sounds?

Woman talking with her granddaughter at a pier now that she is not suffering from high-frequency hearing loss.

Hearing loss is about pitch as much as about volume. If it’s hard to comprehend the speech of a woman or a child, but you can still, for the most part, understand the men in the room, you may have some level of high-frequency hearing loss. This is a very common kind of hearing loss so you’re not alone.

high-frequency Hearing Loss Symptoms

With high-frequency hearing loss, consonant sounds that make conversations understandable, get muddled even though you might still be able to pick up on the volume of a woman or a child’s voice. Normally, consonant sounds like t, th, ch, soft c, s, sh, f, k, and h are the most difficult to pick out. So, it might sound like a woman or child is mumbling, even though they aren’t. Understanding a child’s joke or your loved ones question about dinner plans becomes very difficult because you have lost the ability to distinguish these sounds. Isolation from family and friends, sadness, and frustration can be the result.

Other sounds within the high-frequency hearing loss range (2000 Hz) are lost to people who have this condition. This includes birds chirping, high musical notes, whistles or squeaks. Low-frequency sounds like bass musical notes, the rumble of thunder or a man’s voice might still be relatively easy to discern, even if the volume isn’t very loud.

Causes of High-Frequency Hearing Loss

As the most typical type of loss of hearing, high-frequency hearing loss can sneak up on people as they age, frequently imperceptibly in the beginning. high-frequency hearing loss can be caused by other things in addition to aging such as certain medical conditions like cardiovascular disease, too much noise exposure, and some medications.

The tiny hair-like sensors within the cochlea are injured by all of these situations. It’s these little cells that receive sound input and send it to the brain for processing. The high-frequency sensory cells are more susceptible to injury than the low-frequency sensory cells, which is why the higher-pitched sounds are commonly the first to be difficult to understand.

high-frequency Hearing Loss, How to Prevent it

Even though you can’t prevent your ears from growing older, there are several steps you can take to stop or at least slow the advancement of high-frequency hearing loss. Some of these include:

  • Never using a swab (or other small objects) to get rid of ear wax. This can push old ear wax into your ear canal and dull your capacity to hear. Carefully wash out excess earwax with a washcloth after you shower, or ask your hearing care specialist about different ear irrigation techniques for removing earwax without injuring your hearing.
  • If you use any medication, ask your doctor if it has any effect on hearing. high-frequency hearing loss can be caused by at least 200 different kinds of medications. Your hearing can even be harmed by high doses of aspirin. To learn if there are options less likely to injure your hearing, consult your doctor. Stay in close touch with your hearing health care provider if you can’t avoid taking a certain medication. Further hearing loss can be prevented by treatment.
  • Your health is important so take good care of it. Your hearing can be injured by smoking. Your hearing can also be injured from poor health due to poor nutrition. Try to take good care of your health in all aspects and this can protect your hearing as well.
  • Putting in hearing protection in noisy environments.A certain indication that your ears might be getting injured is if you have to shout to be heard in a noisy setting. Some instances of times when using ear protection are live music concerts, motorcycles revving, power tools running, and a loud stereo. Noise canceling earphone may not fit in your pocket, but they can be the best option in some scenarios.
  • Seeking out quiet things. Find noise ratings on appliances and choose the quietest products. If it’s difficult to hear your friends at dinner, don’t be afraid to ask the manager to turn the music down.

Treatment For High-Frequency Hearing Loss

Currently, the most effective technique for treating high-frequency hearing loss is hearing aids. And since this is the most common kind of hearing loss, there are various different models a person can pick from. Hearing aids can boost high-pitched sounds so they are crisper to the user. Several models can be configured and your hearing care expert can help fine-tune them to increase your ability to hear those sounds at the right level, immediately addressing the level and extent of the hearing loss. Many hearing aids can be controlled by your phone and come with directional microphones for fine-tuning in circumstances such as business meetings, restaurant dinners, talking on the phone or listening to children.

Make an appointment for a hearing test if you suspect you might have high-frequency hearing loss. Chances are, there are personally-customized answers that can enhance your ability to hear your grandchild’s priceless one-liners.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.

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