Hearing loss is defined as the decrease or total loss in the ability to hear and perceive sounds. Although this is more commonly observed in older adults, it can affect anyone regardless of race, age and sex.

In the 1900s, the very first hearing aid was patented but was not popularly welcomed since most still did not acknowledge hearing loss as an illness. A couple of decades after, people became aware of hearing loss and developed different ways of helping sufferers. Pictures and images are sometimes used to convey message to people who have hearing impairment. Although hearing aids already existed, not everyone can afford them.

As technology grew, so did the opportunity to help people who have hearing impairment. Hearing aids have become more affordable and more effective and several other ways of treating it have also been developed.

The kind of treatment a person suffering from it gets depends on what caused the illness. So to better understand the different treatments, a background on the different causes of the illness would be helpful.

One of the most common causes of hearing loss is genetics. It is a genetic condition that can be passed down from generation to generation. It can be passed down whether it is a dominant trait or recessive trait of the family. In this case, it usually manifests as a congenital defect meaning people have had the condition ever since they were born.

Another cause of hearing impairment is physical trauma. A damaging hit on any part of the ear, whether external or internal, has the possibility to result in this symptom. The same thing can happen if the head gets bumped on a hard surface. The 8th cranial nerve (vestibulocochular), also called the auditory nerve system, can get damaged when the head also gets damaged.

Environmental noise is another cause of hearing loss. Long-term exposure to a noisy environment, such as living near the freeway or the airport, offers a big chance of developing this condition. The use of multimedia devices such as iPods also plays a role to alleviate the symptoms.

Obstruction in the ear way is another possible cause of people losing their ability to hear. Also, taking of ototoxic medications have been known to result in hearing impairment.

Last but not the least, ear infections like otitis media, can also be factors that affect a person's ability to hear. Other illness may also produce the same effects.