Contents

Disclaimer

Oxford University Press makes no representation, express or implied, that the drug dosages in this book are correct. Readers must therefore always check the product information and clinical procedures with the most up to date published product information and data sheets provided by the manufacturers and the most recent codes of conduct and safety regulations. The authors and the publishers do not accept responsibility or legal liability for any errors in the text or for the misuse or misapplication of material in this work. Except where otherwise stated, drug dosages and recommendations are for the non-pregnant adult who is not breastfeeding.

Show Summary Details
Page of

Hearing loss 

Hearing loss
Chapter:
Hearing loss
Author(s):

Linda Luxon

DOI:
10.1093/med/9780198746690.003.0583
Page of

PRINTED FROM OXFORD MEDICINE ONLINE (www.oxfordmedicine.com). © Oxford University Press, 2021. All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of a title in Oxford Medicine Online for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice).

date: 28 February 2021

The World Health Organization has estimated that 360 million people worldwide are affected by disabling hearing loss, making hearing impairment—the hidden handicap frequently overlooked by all clinicians—the most common sensory impairment. Most of those affected are in low- and middle-income countries, but 17% of the adult population in the United Kingdom are affected, with three-quarters being over 60 years of age. Causes may relate to cochlear, neurological, general medical, or iatrogenic pathology, with half of all cases being preventable by primary prevention.

Clinical examination includes visual inspection of the anatomy of the external ear and tympanic membrane, and tuning-fork tests, which may distinguish conductive from sensorineural hearing loss.

Access to the complete content on Oxford Medicine Online requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts for each book and chapter without a subscription.

Please subscribe or login to access full text content.

If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.

For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.