Perceptive deafness in adults.

Perceptive or sensorineural deafness occurs as the result of disorders of the cochlea or auditory nerve. The development of perceptive deafness during adult life can create many problems for both the sufferers and their families. At work it may seriously impair efficiency or even make a change of occupation necessary. Social and domestic life are also affected to a varying degree. Many severely affected individuals become withdrawn, no longer making the effort to communicate with others. This is only in part due to the difficulty they experience in taking part in a conversation; to some measure it is due to the lack of patience and understanding shown to them by the hearing public. Not all patients consult their doctors specifically about their hearing loss. In some instances it is the associated tinnitus or less frequently vertigo which makes them seek advice. Quite often it is the family which is more concerned, the patient barely recognizing that there is a problem.