deafness and myopia syndrome

Deafness and myopia syndrome is a disorder that causes problems with both hearing and vision. People with this disorder have moderate to profound hearing loss in both ears that may worsen over time. The hearing loss may be described as sensorineural, meaning that it is related to changes in the , or it may be caused by auditory neuropathy, which is a problem with the transmission of sound (auditory) signals from the inner ear to the brain. The hearing loss is either present at birth (congenital) or begins in infancy, before the child learns to speak (prelingual).

Affected individuals also have severe nearsightedness (high ). These individuals are able to see nearby objects clearly, but objects that are farther away appear blurry. The myopia is usually diagnosed by early childhood.

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Illustration of two types of hearing aids

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

Devices for hearing loss

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Hearing Aids is theNational Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

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Summary

A hearing aid is a small electronic device that you wear in or behind your ear. It makes some sounds louder. A hearing aid can help people hear more in both quiet and noisy situations.

Hearing aids help people who have hearing loss from damage to the small sensory cells in the inner ear. The damage can occur as a result of disease, aging, or injury from noise or certain medicines. Only about one out of five people who would benefit from a hearing aid actually uses one. If you think a hearing aid could help you, visit your doctor.

There are different kinds of hearing aids. They differ by size, their placement on or inside the ear, and how much they amplify sound. The hearing aid that will work best for you depends on what kind of hearing loss you have, and how severe it is.

NIH: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

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Hearing Aids (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)Available in Spanish
Types of Hearing Aids (Food and Drug Administration)