The sound waves enter through the ear canal to the ear drum causing it to vibrate. This sets the osicles in the middle ear to move. When these sound vibrations reach the hair cells in cochlea, they convert into electric nerve impulses. The cochlear nerve transfers these electric nerve impulses to the brain, where they are perceived as sound.
What does it mean to have a hearing loss? It could mean not hearing the doorbell ring or your spouse calling you from another room.
For those who have loss of hearing, it could mean missing key information in a business meeting or in a classroom.
For those who have no hearing at all, it could mean missing out on the key element of human interaction-communication.
Hearing loss can interfere with the quality of life: restricting your ability to interact with others, causing misunderstandings, heightening stress, and filtering out the wide range of sound experiences that give pleasure and meaning to life.
Hearing loss occurs when a person’s ability to hear is decreased and the auditory system does not work normally.