High Frequency Hearing Loss: What You Need to Know and Treatment

High-frequency hearing loss is one of the most common types of hearing loss, causing people to have problems hearing high-pitched sounds. It can affect anyone of any age, but is more common in older adults with age-related hearing loss, as well as those who live and work in noisy environments.

1. Symptoms of High-Frequency Hearing Loss

If you experience the following signs, it is very likely that you or someone you know has high-frequency hearing loss:

• Struggle to hear some high-frequency consonants (like s, ch, th, or ph) or sounds like doorbells, devices beeping

• Feeling muffled, especially when using the phone, watching TV, or in noisy environments

• Hearing voices but not understanding them, harder to hear women's and children's voices, and birds singing

2. Causes of High-Frequency Hearing Loss

High-frequency hearing loss occurs when the tiny hair-like sensory hearing cells in your cochlea (inner ear) are damaged.These hair cells, called stereocilia, are responsible for translating the sounds your ears collect into electrical impulses, which your brain eventually interprets as recognizable sound.

Some causes of high-frequency hearing loss include:

Aging

Age-related hearing loss happens very gradually, and you may not notice it until it is severe. One of the first signs is difficulty understanding speech in a noisy environment.

Noise

Noise-induced hearing damage can occur from exposure to noise louder than 85 decibels at one time or build up over time.

Genetics

If your relatives have high-frequency hearing loss, you may also be at risk of developing it due to genetics.

Medications

Certain medications can damage hearing, such as salicylates (aspirin) when taken in large quantities, drugs used in chemotherapy treatments, and aminoglycoside antibiotics.

Diseases

One of the diseases that affects hearing is Meniere's disease - an inner ear disorder that often occurs between the ages of 30 and 50, causing symptoms such as hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo or intense dizziness.Especially if the disease worsens, it can cause low-frequency hearing loss.

3. Treatment for High-Frequency Hearing Loss

Since hearing loss cannot be fully restored once it has occurred, using hearing aids is the best treatment option for those affected.

At Stella, we offer a wide range of hearing aids suitable for treating high-frequency hearing loss, especially the new A1-Z1 series from Sonic.These devices feature the most advanced Smart Noise Reduction and frequency shifting technology, allowing users to clearly hear sounds in the high-frequency range.

When you visit Stella, you’ll receive a free hearing test and personalized consultation from a Korean audiology expert with over 20 years of experience, along with our dedicated staff.We provide advice, recommend suitable hearing aid models, and you can try on the latest hearing aids from four leading global hearing aid brands: Sonic (USA), Nuear (USA), Vista (Switzerland), and Audio Service (Germany).

4. Conclusion

High-frequency hearing loss is one of the most common types of hearing impairment, especially among older adults.Using hearing aids with frequency shifting and customizable frequency settings tailored to each ear is currently the most effective treatment.