Hearing Loss 101
Hearing loss can greatly affect an individual’s quality of life. Initially, the signs of hearing loss may be subtle, but they tend to become more pronounced over time. Common indicators of hearing loss include struggling to understand speech, frequently asking others to repeat themselves, increasing the volume on electronic devices like the TV or radio, avoiding social gatherings, and experiencing ringing or buzzing sensations in the ears. This impairment makes effective communication with loved ones, colleagues, and healthcare professionals more challenging. Furthermore, an increasing amount of research indicates a connection between hearing loss and memory impairment.
Hearing Loss? We can help.
"speech in noise" hearing loss
The terms “hearing” and “listening” have different meanings. Hearing is simply recognizing speech sounds, while listening involves understanding them.
A common hearing test uses tones at different pitches and volumes. Patients signal when they hear a sound, checking their ability to hear different pitches. However, this test doesn’t assess understanding speech in noisy places like parties. To understand speech, it must be louder than background noise, so we test the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
In social gatherings, hearing one person is harder if others are equally loud. As we age, hearing higher frequencies decreases. Just hearing isn’t enough; we must interpret sounds. Amplification devices often boost volume but not SNR. Modern hearing aids improve SNR but still struggle if background noise is loud.
Hearing aid tech has advanced, offering better volume and SNR. Features like directional mics, Bluetooth streaming, and remote microphones help. Improved SNR enhances speech comprehension, making conversations clearer, especially in noisy places.
If considering hearing aids, we can test your speech-in-noise ability with and without them. Today’s tech can significantly improve your hearing experience.
Don't ignore the signs.
Different Types of hearing loss
Conductive Hearing Loss
Conductive hearing loss occurs when there are obstacles in transmitting sound to the inner ear, often due to problems with the outer or middle ear. The good news is that most cases can be treated with medication or surgery. If those aren’t options, hearing aids can be very helpful. Common causes include fluid in the middle ear, ear infections, allergies, ruptured eardrums, too much earwax, benign growths, swimmer’s ear, and foreign objects in the ear.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Sensorineural hearing loss happens when there’s damage to the sensitive hair cells in the cochlea or the auditory nerve, leading to weak nerve signals to the brain and causing hearing problems. This type of hearing loss can result from exposure to loud noises, diseases, genetic factors, aging, head injuries, inner ear issues, or certain medications that harm the ear.
Mixed Hearing Loss
Mixed hearing loss occurs when both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss are present in someone. This can happen due to damage to both the outer or middle ear and the inner ear or auditory nerve. While treatments might improve conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss is usually permanent. Trauma to the ear is often the main cause of mixed hearing loss, although it can also result from a mix of different factors.
Regardless of the type of hearing loss you may be experiencing, we will help you get it resolved. We work directly with our local ENT doctors, so if you think you may have a medical problem, we can get you tested and get the proper care often much sooner than if you called them on your own. We want what is BEST for you and your overall health. In fact, our local ENT doctors often refer their patients to us!