Frequently Asked Questions On Hearing Impaired
Yes, hearing loss can be inherited. Hearing impairment are caused by both dominant gene and recessive genes. If even one parent has the dominant gene for deafness, it will pass across generations and show up in the offspring. If the recessive gene is the one for deafness, then it will not be so dominant and will be effective only if it is passed down to the offspring from both parents.
Illnesses like measles, meningitis and mumps can have a bearing on the hearing. For example, a severe case of measles may damage auditory nerve while in some cases of meningitis, there may be damage to the auditory nerve or the cochlea. Similarly, women who drink alcohol in excess during pregnancy, are taking the risk of delivering a baby with a hearing loss of up to 64 per cent.
The degree of loudness is measured in decibels. The hearing loss may be mild, moderate, severe or profound. If it is mild, the decible range is between 25 and 40 for adults and between 20 and 40 for children. Those with moderate loss show a decibel range between 41 and 55; moderately severe between 56 and 70 decibels, severe between 71 and 90 decibels and profound between 90 or more decibels.
