Case History :
Your appointment will begin with a case history. During this time, the specialist will ask you questions about your hearing, noise exposure, communication issues, and medically related issues such as tinnitus and dizziness. It’s to determine where you have trouble hearing.
Ear Check : The specialist will check for excessive ear wax, blockages, or any problems with your ears that may require further evaluation by a physician.
Hearing Evaluation : A comprehensive audio-logical evaluation will be performed in a soundproof booth. Above all, this allows the audiologist to determine the degree and type of hearing loss.
Your Hearing : The human ear is the most complex sensory organ in the human body. Yet, its complexity is not appreciated because all we can see of it is the external ear, which is used more often to keep eyeglasses from sliding down our faces and to decorate with jewelry. Also, The basic function of the ear is to take sound waves, which are atom-sized variations in air pressure, and eventually convert them into nerve impulses which our brain can process. Finally, To accomplish this, the ear has an extraordinarily sophisticated system encased inside the temporal bone of our skull.
Hearing Loss :
Hearing loss is perhaps the most common disability in people. Yet, it’s the one that’s most likely to go without treatment for a long period, until it reaches such a degree of impairment that work or social functioning becomes a serious concern. Hearing loss, of course, can be present at any age, from birth on. It is estimated that over 33 million people in the U.S. have hearing issues requiring some form of assistance. However, only about 10-15% of that group seeks solutions for hearing loss. Hearing problems can result from many different causes. One cause can be as minor as earwax (cerumen) blocking the ear cannel. In extreme situations, hearing loss may be caused by a tumor (usually benign) on the hearing nerve. But more often than not, hearing loss can stem from many other causes, some present at birth, most occurring later in life.
Types Of Hearing Loss :
Some types of hearing loss result from interference with delivering sound energy to the inner ear. This is usually referred to as a conductive loss and can be treated medically or surgically. Such treatments may include simply removing impacted cerumen from the ear canal, treating ear infections with medications, or surgical intervention to treat otosclerosis, a condition resulting from excessive bony growth in the middle ear. The most common type of hearing loss is called a sensory hearing loss (incorrectly called “nerve deafness” or “nerve loss”).
This type of hearing loss results from permanent damage to the inner ear, causing the loss of many of the thousands of tiny hair cells that convert sound waves into the information sent along the hearing nerve to the brain. The nerve fibers are usually intact, but there is nothing to activate them. About 85% of people with hearing loss have sensory hearing loss. While there is no medical or surgical treatment, these people can benefit from hearing devices. When the degree of hearing loss reaches the profound level, where an individual might be classified as truly deaf, a cochlear implant, a device that stimulates the hearing nerve with tiny electrical currents, is often an option. Ear surgeons install a cochlear implant and through audio-logical rehabilitation, implant users can often reach high levels of success.
