Hearing Loss/Hearing Aids - Palm Beach County, FL

Hearing Loss/Hearing Aids - Palm Beach County

Hearing Loss

Causes of Hearing Loss

Age heredity, drugs, diseases, injury of constant subjection to loud noises can cause hearing loss. The gradual loss of hearing loss of hearing that occurs as you age (presbycusis) is a common condition. An estimated one-third of Americans older than 65 and one-half of those older than 75 have some degree of hearing impairment. Other factors, such as excessive earwax, can prevent your ears from conducting sounds as well as they should. For more information about hearing loss, consult with your physician or a local audiologist

Types of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss can be mild, moderate, severe, or profound. There are four general classifications of hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss may be permanent or temporary and is produced by injury to or problems with the bones, eardrum, and membranes that conduct sound from the outer ear through the middle ear to the inner ear. Often this type of hearing loss is medically treatable with medication and/or surgery. Sensor neural hearing loss is the result of problems structures of the inner ear and/or the main auditory nerve that conducts sound messages to the brain. This is often called "nerve deafness" which usually affects the ability to understand particularly in difficult listening situations. Most often, this type of loss is permanent and managed through the use of hearing aids, assistive listening devices, and aural rehabilitation counseling. Mixed hearing loss is a combination of the conductive and sensor neural hearing loss types. Central hearing loss is often seen in elderly persons and is characterized by reduced central auditory processing abilities (difficulty making efficient use of the sounds we hear). A person with a central hearing loss may have trouble understanding speech even if their hearing is within the normal range,

Determining Hearing Loss

Determining the proper treatment for your hearing loss requires thorough testing by an audiologist and a consultation with your physician. The Food and Drug Administration recommends that you have your ears examined by a licensed physician. Ear examinations are universally recommended by the medical community to ensure there are no underlying diseases or medical problems causing the hearing loss. A hearing loss may be a symptom of another medical problem that needs a doctor's attention. The cause and severity of hearing loss varies widely from person to person. A battery of test is normally done with the use of sophisticated audiometric instruments and computer technology. The usual tests involve the use of pure tones presented through earphones. Pure tones presented with a bone oscillator, speech discrimination tests with earphones. These tests ran be complicated and should be done by an audiologist, who is trained to determine the type and severity of the hearing loss as well as provide appropriate referrals for medical examinations by physicians and recommendations for non medical treatment.

What is an Audiologist?

An audiologist is a hearing health care professional who has graduate level university training and certification in the evaluation and non medical treatment of hearing, balance, auditory processing, and related disorders. Audiologists assess the nature, extent and effect of all types of problems related to auditory system function. Audiologists recommend and provide non medical treatment, which may include amplification (hearing aids or other assistive listening devices) and aural rehabilitation programs. Audiologists use specialized test to evaluate the balance system of the inner ear (vestibular system). Commonly, audiologists coordinate your care with your physician, providing appropriate medical referrals and discussion of test results and treatment recommendations.

Hearing Loss and Older Adults

Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. Hearing problems can make it difficult to enjoy talking with friends and family. The person with a hearing impairment may have trouble understanding a doctor's advice, responding to warnings, or hear doorbells and alarms. Hearing loss can be frustrating, embarrassing and even dangerous.

Do I Have a hearing Problem?

Ask yourself the following questions. If you answer "yes" to 3 or more of the questions you could have a hearing problem and should consult with your doctor or an audiologist about getting a hearing evaluation.

Do I have a problem hearing on the phone?
Do I have trouble hearing when there is noise in the background?
Is it hard for me to follow a conversation when two or more people talk at once?
Do I have to strain to understand a conversation?
Do many people I talk to seem to mumble (or not speak clearly)?
Do I misunderstand what others are saying and respond inappropriately?
Do I often ask people to repeat themselves?
Do I have trouble understanding the speech of women and children?
Do people complain that I turn the TV volume up to high?
Do I hear a ringing, roaring or hissing sound in my ears a lot?
Do some sounds seem too loud?

Ear infections and dizziness are also signs you need to be checked. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, see a professional audiologist or consult your physician. An audiologist can design an individualized aural rehabilitation program to address your communication needs. The program may or may not include the fitting of hearing aids.

Hearing Aids

More then 28 million Americans suffer from some type of hearing impairment. Fortunately, many of these people can benefit from the use of a hearing aid. However, hearing aids may not be appropriate for everyone. Those who can be helped need to be carefully fitted. A hearing aid is an electronic, battery-operated device that amplifies and changes sound to allow for improved communication. Hearing aids receive sound through a microphone, which then converts the sound waves to electrical signals. The amplifier increases the loudness of the signals and then sends the sound to the ear through a speaker.

Technology Options for Hearing Aids

There are several types of hearing aid instrument technology currently available. Conventional/Analog technology is found in a standard hearing aid with basic circuitry, which is not digital. The audiologist determines the volume and other specifications you need in your hearing aid and then a laboratory builds the hearing aid to meet those specifications. There is some flexibility so that the audiologist can make some additional adjustments. The hearing aid has options such as power, telephone switch, and compression to help suit the wearer's needs. There are also Digitally Programmable hearing aids, which use a combination of analog and digital technology. The audiologist can use a computer to custom program the hearing aid for the wearer. In this way, the hearing aid can respond differently to changes in several different types of listening environments. The hearing aid can be reprogrammed if the wearer experiences changes in his/hers hearing or changes in listening needs. The volume control can be manual or preset and a remote control; can change the hearing aid to different programs. It is important to remember this type of hearing aid contains digital circuitry for programming the hearing aid, but does not digitally process the incoming sound. Digital hearing aids, on the other hand, are completely computer based, with digital sound processing. The hearing aid needs no remote or manual controls, and adjust to different listening environments automatically. This type of hearing aid offers many different programs for different listening needs, with the widest range of possibilities. This is typically the most expensive type of hearing aid. An audiologist can explain the technology and the benefits of each type to you in more detail.

Hearing Aid Styles

There are 4 basic style hearing aids.

In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids fit completely in the outer ear and are used for mild to severe hearing loss. The case, which holds the components, is made of hard plastic.

In-The-Canal (ITC) hearing aids fit into the ear canal. They are customized to fit the size and shape of the ear canal and are used for mild to moderately severe hearing loss.

Completely - In - the- Canal hearing aids are largely concealed in the ear canal and are used for mild to moderate hearing loss.

Behind-the-Ear Hearing aids are worn behind the ear and are connected to a plastic ear mold that fits inside the outer ear. The components of the hearing aid are located within the case behind the ear and sound travels from the hearing aid, through the ear mold, into the ear.

Although many people wear and enjoy the ITC and CIC hearing aids, they are not recommended for individuals with sever hearing loss. Because of their small size, they may be difficult for some people to insert, adjust and remove and they may not be able to hold additional devices, such as a telecoil. These small hearing aids are also more susceptible to damage from earwax or ear drainage.

Surgical Restoration of Hearing

Research is ongoing to restore hearing through different surgical procedures. One of the procedures that have been a success is the cochlear implant. During that procedure, electrodes are implanted in the inner ear to bypass the damaged part of the ear and stimulate the auditory nerve. The operation has been performed successfully on children and adults. The implant does not allow people to hear as if they had no hearing problems, but it does help the person to distinguish different sounds and voices. For more information this surgical technique or other new surgical developments, please contact a physician in your area.

Aural Rehabilitation

People with hearing loss often think that by simply getting a hearing aid or other listening devices, they will be able to solve all of their communication difficulties. Although hearing aids are certainly the most important first step in helping someone with hearing loss, it is not the only step. Aural rehabilitation is also an integral part of the hearing aid process because it focuses on how to get the maximum benefits of improved communication with your hearing aid. Even with hearing aids, people can continue to run into some listening difficulties. An aural rehabilitation program can include:

Instruction in the care of maintenance of hearing aids and other assistive listening devices

Working with you to assess the benefit provided by your hearing aids, both in the controlled environment of the test room and during your daily activities at home, work, or at school

Helping you learn how to handle communications breakdowns with the most success

Speech reading instruction

Showing you how your hearing loss will affect speech and other sounds

Teaching you how to hear better in "less than ideal" listening environments, like noisy restaurants

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a noise in the ears or head, frequently described as ringing, buzzing, humming, or hissing sounds. The conditions may or may not be accompanied by hearing loss. According to the American Tinnitus Association, approximately 50 million Americans experience Tinnitus. However, for 12 million of these cases, tinnitus can have debilitating effects. Some common effects include difficulty sleeping and concentrating, which in turn can affect work as well as recreational and social activities. In cases where tinnitus is severe enough to interface with your daily activities, Tinnitus Retraining Therapy may be an appropriate treatment. A specially trained audiologist can provide this therapy. Tinnitus can be a symptom of hearing loss or other health problems. Please consult with your physician or an audiologist for more information about tinnitus.

Dizziness and Balance Disorders

Many people find themselves experiencing dizziness, loss of balance, or feelings of lightheadedness for no apparent reason. These problems become more and more common as we age. While we all may have momentary bouts of dizziness or feel lightheaded or unsteady on our feet, a prolonged period of these conditions can signal something more serious. The primary system responsible for helping maintain equilibrium is the vestibular system, located in the inner ear. Often dizziness and balance problems result when there is some kind of change in the vestibular system. An audiologist can perform specialized, sophisticated tests to assess the inner ear balance system and, working with your physician, can help to diagnose the underlying cause of the problem and determine appropriate treatment.

Back to the top

This educational content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, home improvement or health advice. Content on this page is provided by Ask The Experts and not the featured advertiser.