Hearing loss is something that most people are familiar with to some extent. You may have heard about mild or profound types of hearing loss. However, one type of hearing loss most people aren't familiar with is cookie-bite hearing loss.

What is Cookie-Bite Hearing Loss?

Professional audiologists determine cookie-bite hearing loss by an audiogram that produces results in a bell or U shape. This type of hearing impairment consists of mid-range frequency hearing loss. It's typically a result of damage to the inner ear or nerve and is categorized as sensorineural hearing loss.

For patients with cookie-bite hearing loss, you'll have difficulty hearing sounds in the mid-range frequencies between 500 and 2,000 Hertz. For reference, music and speech sounds are within this frequency range.

Apart from the issue with this frequency range, there are no other notable defects in your hearing. You'll be able to hear the high-frequency sounds of birds chirping and the low-frequency sounds of thunder.

Cause and Symptoms

Cookie-bite hearing loss is typically the result of a genetic condition. It may occur at birth or gradually develop over time. Besides genetics, only a rare tumor known as an acoustic neuroma can cause this specific type of hearing loss in patients.

The most common symptoms that patients with cookie-bite hearing loss experience are:

• Difficulty hearing in crowded and social situations
• Reduced perception of music, speech, and environmental sounds
• Constantly raising the volume of electronics

Those who develop cookie-bite hearing loss later in life will notice that their hearing worsens over time. Delaying treatment can make it more difficult to interact in daily life and inadvertently cause you to withdraw from social situations. It's best to seek treatment from one of our experienced audiologists sooner rather than later.

What Treatment Options are Available?

Typically, cookie-bite hearing loss is treated with a combination of methods. First, hearing aids can help restore the loudness of those mid-frequency ranges you're struggling to hear. One of our experienced audiologists can help you to weed through the many hearing aid options out there to find the best ones to fit your hearing needs.

Another treatment that will likely be provided is adaptation. You'll be given information on how to adapt to different situations to better improve your ability to fully understand the conversations going on around you. A great example of an adaptation technique is to move closer to the person speaking and make sure that you face them.

Call Us Today

If you're experiencing a problem with your hearing, then contact us at Beltone Dallas Fort Worth. Let our helpful hearing care specialists assist you in getting the help that you need to enhance your hearing.

Resources:
https://hoffmannaudiology.com/blog/cookie-bite-hearing-loss-what-you-need-to-know