Hearing Loss
Types and causes of hearing loss are varied. Hearing loss can be categorized in one of the following types:
Sensorineural - Hearing loss due to damage to the cochlea or nerve in the inner ear. This is the most common type of hearing loss and is often referred to as nerve deafness. This type of hearing loss is usually permanent and does not improve with medical treatment. Hearing aid amplification for sensorineural loss is generally beneficial in improving communication ability.
Causes -Sensorineural loss may be the result of serious illness, diseases of the ear, ototoxic medications, congenital causes, heredity, injury or exposure to excessively loud noises.
Conductive - Hearing loss occurs when sound transmission is blocked in the outer or middle ear and does not reach the inner ear. Conductive losses are often temporary and may be reversed by medical or surgical intervention. Hearing aid amplification for conductive loss may be appropriate if medical treatment or surgery is not recommended.
Causes- Conductive loss is common in children with ear infections. This type of loss may be the result of ear malformations, injury, excessive earwax accumulation, or presence of a foreign object in the auditory canal.
How We Hear
The Outer Ear - includes the visible part of the ear (pinna) and the ear canal. Sound is collected by the outer ear and travels down the ear canal.
The Middle ear - includes the air filled cavity containing the eardrum and three tiny bones commonly called the hammer (malleus), anvil (incus) and stirrup (stapes). Sound vibrates the eardrum and is mechanically conducted through the middle ear to the inner ear.
The Inner ear - includes the snail-shaped structure called the cochlea where the wave-like motion of microscopic hairs inside this fluid filled bony labyrinth converts sound to electrical impulses. These are sent by the auditory nerve to the brain to interpret as the sounds we hear - speech, music, noise, and sounds of nature.
Help is Available
If you suspect you have a hearing loss, call our office, 248-0933, to schedule an audiological evaluation. Our audiologists will expertly assess your hearing and recommend an appropriate course of action. The audiologist may suggest referral for medical intervention. Or, the audiologist may recommendation hearing aid amplification in order to improve communication ability.
Services Available
Audiological Services Available - Children & Adults Comprehensive Hearing Evaluation:
Adult
Pure-tone Air and Bone: This test identifies individual thresholds (softest sound your can hear) at different frequencies (pitches). This is done using headphones or ear inserts as well as with a bone vibrator placed on the bone behind the ear. This helps us identify the location of any hearing loss (i.e.: outer ear versus inner ear).
Speech
The ability to hear and understand words is evaluated in each ear individually. This is helpful in identifying problems with speech processing that may indicate dysfunction along the nerve pathway of hearing.
Immittance
This test measures the general function of the middle ear. This is done by placing an insert probe in the ear and measuring the movement of the eardrum in response to changing the pressure in the ear canal.
The machine produces a graph that represents the volume of the ear canal, the pressure of the middle ear (behind the ear drum), and the amount of eardrum movement from the pressure changes. This test is very helpful in identifying fluid in the middle ear, a hole in the eardrum, or a variety of different diseases in the middle ear.
Tinnitus Evaluation
Tinnitus is a noise in the ears or head that is frequently described as a ringing, buzzing, humming, or hissing sound. It can be a common sensation for individuals with some level of hearing loss.
A complete tinnitus evaluation usually involves all of the above tests. Additionally, a detailed case history and questionnaire is completed and reviewed to identify its precise severity and effects on daily life. Additional measurements may include: loudness discomfort levels, pitch and loudness match of the perceived tinnitus, and the minimum amount of other sounds that can mask or cover-up the tinnitus.
All these tests are helpful in identifying the overall severity of the tinnitus, the potential cause of the tinnitus and to formulate an appropriate course of treatment. Tinnitus is very complex and may be caused by multiple locations in the ear or central nervous system. Officially there is no reliable cure for all types of tinnitus. However, there are certain medical and therapeutic interventions that may be very helpful in reducing the effects of the tinnitus on daily life. Some of these treatment options may include medical treatment, hearing aids, masking or sound generating devices, and/or habituation therapy.
Pediatric
For young children who will not allow headphone placement over the ears or give traditional response to sounds, speakers in the sound room are used. The use of different observations (i.e.: looking at a toy that lights up or dropping a block in a bucket) are used to identify when the child hears the different sounds. Picture cards are also used to help identify the child's recognition and understanding of certain words. These methods are used together with immittance and otoacoustic emissions to obtain as much information as possible on the child's hearing. If additional information is needed, the appropriate referral for specialized testing or evaluation will be given.
Otoacoustic Emissions
This is a specialized test that measures sounds produced by the inner ear that are a by-product of sending a sound into the ear. These sounds are measured in the ear canal with a tiny microphone. The sounds are by- products of a healthy ear and usually indicate hearing within or near normal levels. It is not technically a test of hearing, but it provides a good picture of the general function of the inner ear system.
A small earplug is placed in the ear canal and the computer plays a variety of different sounds and listens for the response from the inner ear. The responses for different frequencies are measured and recorded by the computer. This test is particularly useful in evaluating small children as well as in adults.