Deafness (Hearing Loss)

WHAT IS DEAFNESS (HEARING LOSS)?

According to the World Health Organization, Hearing Loss is one of the 6 leading contributors to the global burden of disease.

Deafness or hardness of hearing/ hearing impairment/hearing loss is partial or total inability to hear, which can be sudden or gradual.

It is caused by many factors which can be:

  • Congenital (present at birth)
  • Acquired (comes up later in life)

Deafness is described as mild, moderate and profound depending upon the severity of hearing loss which is expressed in decibels (dB).

Depending upon the cause, it can be temporary or permanent.

Click to read Causes of Deafness (Hearing Loss).

Homeopathy is extremely proficient in treating cases of deafness of varying intensities, types and causes. The key to effective Treatment is to understand the evolution of deafness in the individual and plan treatment accordingly.

WHAT HAPPENS IN DEAFNESS (HEARING LOSS)?

QUICK LOOK

  • Feeling of plugging in ears
  • Difficulty in understanding what people are saying, especially when there is background noise or in a crowd of people
  • Tendency to ask others to speak slowly, clearly and loudly
  • Need to turn up the volume of television or radio

Know more about Symptoms of Deafness (Hearing Loss).

WHAT CAN DEAFNESS LEAD TO?

Ignoring the early warning signs of Deafness can have a deleterious impact on the overall quality of life. The complications manifest more on the emotional and ergonomic (occupational) levels and include:

  • Depression, with feelings of loneliness and frustration
  • Anxiety and low self-esteem
  • Lower grades of employment as compared to others

HOW WELL HOMEOPATHY WORKS IN TREATMENT FOR DEAFNESS (HEARING LOSS)

Homeopathy is a mode of treatment that supports your body's own healing mechanism. A homeopathic remedy is an extremely pure, natural substance which is not only safe and free from side effects, but it will trigger the body to heal itself.

Homeopathic Treatment for Deafness (Hearing Loss) can improve your quality of life. It shall help you gain:

  • Greater self-confidence
  • Closer relationships with loved ones
  • Improved outlook on life

Few Of Our Amazing Remedies Include:

Belladonna: Hearing loss is experienced more on the right side and is accompanied by pain. Humming, roaring and ringing nosies in ears with intolerance to sounds. Hears one's own voice in ears.

Spigelia: Left-sided symptoms with noises in ear of the roaring or buzzing type. Pulsating sensation along with congestion. Tendency to periodic deafness.

Hepar Sulphuricum: Painful earaches, sensitive to wind and touch. Whizzing, throbbing and roaring sounds in ears.

Kali Muriaticum: Block in the Eustachian tube leading to deafness.

How do we hear?

Sound waves enter the ear, go down the ear canal (auditory), and hit the eardrum, which vibrates. The vibrations from eardrum pass to the three bones (ossicles) in the middle ear:

  • Malleus (hammer),
  • Incus (anvil) and
  • Stapes

These ossicles amplify the vibrations, which are then picked up by small hair-like cells in the inner ear. They move as the vibrations hit them, the data is sent through the auditory nerve to the brain. The brain processes the data, which we interpret as sound.

Deafness affects your ability to hear. It may be temporary or permanent. It can be caused by many factors, including injury, disease and genetic defects. Exposure to loud noises is one of the commonest causes of Deafness.

Around 12 in 10,000 children are born with a moderate or greater hearing loss in both ears, and at least other 20 in 10,000 will need hearing aids for long-term hearing loss by the age of 17 years.

Around 1 in 5 teenagers expose themselves regularly to high-decibel noise (such as rock concerts, hearing music at high volume on headphones, etc.) increasing their chances of hearing damage.

This threat can be managed with the help of correctly prescribed homeopathic medicines and regular monitoring through follow-ups.

Homeopathic medicines are rendered safe and free from side effects through the process of potentization, hence they do not pose a threat to anyone, even kids and pregnant women can take the medicines comfortably.

Some people are not able to hear from birth; others suddenly become deaf due to an accident or disease.

Common symptoms of Deafness (Hearing Loss) include:

  • Feeling that the ear is plugged
  • Difficulty in understanding what people are saying, especially when other people are talking or when there is background noise or in a crowd of people
  • Asking others to speak more slowly, clearly and loudly
  • Have to turn up the volume of the television or radio
  • Tinnitus or abnormal sounds in the ear like ringing, roaring, hissing, or buzzing
  • Pain in ear with or without itching or fluid coming out from the ear
  • Feeling of dizziness

Symptoms of Deafness (Hearing Loss) noticed by family members/peers:

If the hearing loss is gradual and has not yet been diagnosed, family members may mistakenly believe that the patient is becoming more distant.

 

Symptoms of Deafness (Hearing Loss) in Babies Symptoms of Deafness (Hearing Loss) in Toddlers and Children
  • From birth to 4 months, the baby does not turn its head towards a noise
  • By age of 1 year, the baby does not utter a single word
  • Baby is not startled by loud noise
  • Baby responds to you when he/she can see you, but not when you are out of sight and call out their name
  • Language development is seen to be delayed
  • Child keeps saying "What?"
  • Child may watch TV at a really high volume than required
  • Child talks in a very loud voice
  • Child may be inattentive, or irritable
  • When the child speaks, its words are not clear
Congenital Causes of Deafness (Hearing Loss) Acquired Causes of Deafness (Hearing Loss)
  • Infections during pregnancy: Maternal rubella, syphilis, etc.
  • Low birth weight
  • Birth asphyxia: Lack of oxygen at time of birth
  • Ototoxic drugs: Inappropriate use of "ear-unfriendly" drugs during pregnancy, like aminoglycosides, cytotoxic drugs, antimalarials, diuretics, etc.
  • Neonatal jaundice: Severe jaundice in baby right after birth
  • Hearing loss is present at or acquired soon after birth.
  • Illness: Meningitis, measles, mumps, otitis media, etc.
  • Conventional Medications: Antibiotics like gentamicin, erythromycin, etc. and antimalarial medicines
  • Trauma: Head injury, perforation of the eardrum, fractured skull
  • Noise: Excessive noise, including working with noisy machinery, and exposure to loud music, gunfire or explosions
  • Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis)
  • Wax or foreign bodies blocking the ear canal
  • Hearing loss can occur at any age.

 

Functional Impact:

  • The main impact of Deafness/hearing loss is on the person's ability to communicate with others.
  • In children, there is often delay in communication skills (speech and language development).
  • There might be significant impact on academic performance.

Social and Emotional Impact:

  • Isolation and poor self-concept, feeling of loneliness and frustration due to lack of communication skills.

Impact on Family of a child with deafness:

  • Parents initially may feel guilt, denial, anger or shock.
  • When they start to accept and work towards assisting their child with special need, they might feel stressed out, fatigue or helplessness.

 

  • Homeopathic treatment for Deafness (Hearing Loss) offers wonderful solutions in the form of potentized remedies, especially in cases of Sensorineural deafness.
  • The cause of deafness is the most important consideration in Homeopathy. Uprooting the cause will result in relief from symptoms in homeopathic treatment for Deafness (Hearing Loss).
  • When you have any disease or fall ill, your vital force that is your life energy becomes imbalanced. Homeopathic medicines acts positively on your compromised life energy, correct it and bring on a state of health in homeopathic treatment for Deafness (Hearing Loss).
  • Unlike conventional medications which harm the body mechanism by producing side-effects, homeopathic remedy stimulates your life energy to free itself from the disease and recover from the imbalanced state in homeopathic treatment for Deafness (Hearing Loss).
  • Have a look at some of the remedies used in homeopathic treatment for Deafness (Hearing Loss). Each remedy is prescribed after careful case taking and analysis.

Belladonna: Useful in homeopathic treatment for Deafness (Hearing Loss) where hearing loss is experienced more on the right side and is accompanied by pain. Humming, roaring and ringing nosies in ears with intolerance to sounds. Hears one's own voice in ears.

Spigelia: Indicated in homeopathic treatment for Deafness (Hearing Loss) where left-sided symptoms predominate, with noises in ear of the roaring or buzzing type. Pulsating sensation along with congestion. Tendency to periodic deafness.

Hepar Sulphuricum: Painful earaches, sensitive to wind and touch. Whizzing, throbbing and roaring sounds in ears.

Kali Muriaticum: Wonderful remedy in homeopathic treatment for Deafness (Hearing Loss) wherein a block in the Eustachian tube leads to deafness.

  • Homeopathic treatment for Deafness (Hearing Loss) has more than 100 remedies to manage the condition effectively.

DEAFNESS: 1Acon, 2Agar, 1Agra, 1All-s, 1Alum, 1Am-c, 2Ambr, 2Anac, 1Ant-c, 1Ant-t, 2Arg-n, 1Arn, 1Ars, 2Ars-i, 1Asaf, 2Asar, 1Aur, 1Aur-ar, 2Aur-m, 2Aur-s, 1Bac, 1Bar-c, 2Bar-m, 3Bell, 1Bor, 1Bry, 1Caj, 1Calad, 2Calc, 1Calen, 1Cann-s, 1Caps, 2Carb-v, 2Carbn-s, 1Carl, 3Caust, 1Cham, 1Cheir, 1Chel, 1Chen-a, 1Chin, 1Chin-s, 1Chin-sal, 1Chlor, 2Cic, 1Cob-n, 1Coca, 1Cocc, 1Colch, 1Con, 1Cortico, 1Croc, 1Crot-c, 1Croto-t, 1Cupr, 1Dig, 1Dros, 1Dulc, 2Elaps, 1Ferr-pic, 1Gels, 2Glon, 2Graph, 1Gua, 3Hep, 1Hydr-ac, 2Hyos, 1Ip, 1Jatr, 1Kali-ar, 1Kali-bi, 1Kali-c, 1Kali-cy, 2Kali-m, 2Kali-n, 1Kali-p, 1Kali-s, 1Kreos, 1Lach, 1Lachn, 1Lap-c-b, 1Laur, 1Led, 1Lob, 1Lob-e, 3Lyc, 2Lyss, 1M-arct, 1Mag-c, 1Mag-m, 1Mang, 1Med, 1Meny, 1Merc, 1Merc-c, 1Merc-d, 1Mez, 1Mosch, 1Mur-ac, 1Nat-c, 1Nat-m, 1Nat-p, 1Nat-s, 1Nicc, 1Nit-ac, 1Oena, 1Ol-an, 1Olnd, 1Peti, 1Petr, 1Ph-ac, 1Phos, 1Piloc, 2Plat, 1Plb, 1Psor, 2Puls, 1Puls-n, 1Raph, 1Rheum, 1Rhod, 1Rhus-t, 1Sabad, 1Salin, 1Sang, 1Sanguin-n, 1Scroph-n, 2Sec, 1Sep, 1Sil, 1Solid, 1Sphing, 3Spig, 1Spong, 1Stann, 2Stram, 3Sulph, 2Syc-co, 1Syph, 1Tell, 1Ther, 2Thiosin, 1Thymol, 1Ulm, 1Vario, 1Verat, 3Verb, 1Vib-t, 1Vip, 1Visc, 1Zinc

TYPHOID, FEVER, Deafness: 1Apis, 2Arn, 1Ars, 1Bell, 2Bry, 1Carb-v, 1Chlor, 2Hyos, 1Lach, 1Lachn, 1Merc, 2Nit-s-d, 2Ph-ac, 3Phos, 1Psor, 1Sec, 1Stram, 2Sulph, 2Verat

DEAFNESS, Discharge, with, from ear: 1Am-m, 1Bor, 2Caust, 3Hep, 2Lyc, 2Merc, 3Puls

 

The remedy abbreviations with

  • 4 marks- most effective,
  • 3 marks- quite effective,
  • 2 marks- less effective,
  • 1 mark- least effective

 

DO'S

  • The best way is to limit your exposure to loud noises. While traveling in train, bus or car, one tends to increase the phone's or music player's volume due to background noises. Try substituting reading over listening music in these circumstances.
  • Dry your ears after bathing, but do not use any sharp object to clean them.
  • Wear earplugs in noisy environments, like in presence of power tools like saws and drills, at motor racing events, or if you live near a building under construction, etc. Earplugs can reduce noise by 15 to 30 decibels.

DON'TS

  • Don't to clean your ears by poking anything sharp into ear canals like a hairpin, matchstick, etc. You may injure the delicate skin, or impact earwax.
  • Reduce the risk of ear infections by treating upper respiratory tract infections promptly.
  • Avoid swimming in dirty water.
  • not give your child toys that make loud noises. They increase the risk for hearing loss.

 

NUTRIENT ACTION IN BODY FOOD SOURCES
Omega 3 fats Strengthen blood vessels of ear's sensory system Flaxseeds, walnuts, salmon, beef, soybeans, tofu, cauliflower. Fish is the best source.
Folic Acid Reduces the number of free radicals that circulate in the body that can damage nerve tissue of inner ears Spinach, asparagus, beans, broccoli, eggs, liver or nuts,
Magnesium Protects against noise-induced hearing loss Bananas, potatoes, artichokes or broccoli
Zinc Increases inner ear's resistance to age-related hearing loss Dark chocolate or oysters
Vitamin C, E Strengthen overall immune system Oranges, lime, lemon, bell peppers

 

Avoid intake of alcohol and caffeine.