Reverse-Slope Hearing Loss: A Journey into Auditory Anomalies

Let's discuss hearing and delve into a few hearing conditions but first, let me give ask a question? Do you think it is possible for a person who had a good hearing problem before going to bed to wake up the following day with difficulty hearing the voices of males but hear the voices of females properly? Or what would you say about a person who can hear very faint sounds, as low as an ant walking in the next block, or the dog whistle but would not hear loud sounds in close proximity?

These puzzling scenarios are indeed possible, and they are attributed to a hearing condition known as Reverse-Slope Hearing Loss (RSHL). It's a condition where the ability to hear low-frequency sounds is compromised, leading to heightened sensitivity to high-pitched sounds. To comprehend this phenomenon, let's first grasp the mechanics of hearing.

Sound waves enter into the ear through the outer ear (Pinna), then they get to the eardrum where the sound vibrates the eardrum and sends this sound wave to the middle ear where it reaches the Ossicles and vibrates them. The vibration reaches the inner ear where the cochlea is. The cochlea is a snail-shaped fluid-filled organ with hair cells at the outer and the inner part of it. When soundwaves reach the cochlea, the hair cells in it ripple and move, thereby sending electrical signals to the brain which interprets the sounds.

In the cochlea, hair cell at the inner part is responsible for low pitch sound information while hair cells at the outer part or base are responsible for receiving high pitch sounds. As we get older, we begin to lose the ability to process high pitch sounds as the hair cells responsible for this action begin to die. People who suffer from Reverse-slope hearing loss are unable to hear deep voices because they are of a low frequency.

Reverse-Slope Hearing Loss manifests in three classifications: Class 1 denotes mild hearing loss in low frequencies, a common occurrence; Class 2 necessitates lower frequencies to be amplified for audibility, with hearing normalization as sound frequencies increase; and Class 3 represents a rare form where low-frequency sounds become inaudible, while heightened sensitivity to high-pitched sounds remains compared to normal hearing.

This hearing condition can be genetic and people who have a hereditary traits have a 50/50 possibility as it is said to be a dominant gene trait. For people who do not have prior family history of Reverse-slope hearing loss, ENT specialist Dr Lin Xiaoqing says that it can be caused by diet and lifestyle habit. She assumes that it is found with people who are busy, fatigue, stressed, overworked, and lose lots of sleep. Reverse-slope hearing loss can also be caused by other conditions such as Cochlear hydrops, or Meniere's disease, Wolfram syndrome or Mondini dysplasia.

WHile the causes of RSHL can be genetic, other common conditions can be otosclerosis (bone overgrowth in the ear), childhood illnesses (measles and chicken pox), ear trauma, blood vessel problem, and so on.

In exploring Reverse-Slope Hearing Loss, we uncover the intricate mechanisms of hearing, the nuances of genetic influence, and the multifaceted factors that can affect our auditory experience. Our ability to perceive sound is an intricate symphony orchestrated by nature's intricate hand, reminding us of the wonders that exist within the unseen intricacies of our bodies. It is important to known that when it comes to hearing, people are not divided into hearing and non-hearing (it is not black or white), but rather into numerous hearing experiences in-between.

Reference