Hearing: the sense by which sound is perceived (Collins)

To Listen: to concentrate on hearing something

Hearing Loss: lessened or loss of hearing sensitivity caused by disease or damage to one or more parts of one or both ears.

A hearing test will detect any loss in hearing and the nature of it

A loss in hearing can often be remedied, if the hearing-impaired person receives the right type of treatment or the correct hearing aid in time.

A simple course of action can help you soon determine if there is indeed a problem…….

ANATOMY
The human ear is a precisely tuned system with a sensitivity and range that easily outperforms the most elaborate sound system ever manufactured. The ear contains many physiological mechanisms, and a breakdown or disruption in any of these can result in hearing difficulties. The ear is made up of three different parts :

The outer ear:
The shape of the outer ear helps to collect the sound waves and direct them through the auditory canal to the eardrum.

The middle ear:
Contains the eardrum and three tiny bones: the Hammer, Anvil and Stirrup (also called the malleus, Incus and Stapes). These amplify the sound waves.

The inner ear:
Sound waves are changed into electrical impulses by the cochlea. There are tiny sensory cells along the entire length of the fluid-filled cochlea. The cochlea transmits the message via the nerve fibers to the area of the brain in charge of processing and interpreting what we hear.