Hearing Loss

Addressing your hearing loss has many advantages

• Improved confidence
• Slow down cognitive decline
• Improved emotional and physical health
• Reduced listening effort
• Improved communication in relationships
• Reduced mental stress
• Increase your earning power
• Improve your fall risk
• Reduce annoyance related to tinnitus
• Decreased incidence of depression

The ear is the most efficient, and at the same time, the most sensitive sensory organ of human beings. Our perception of the world is strongly influenced by visual stimuli, which is why we often underestimate the role of our ears.

• Distinction: Our ears can distinguish up to 400,000 different sounds. They process twice as many impressions as our eyes; about 50 per second.
• Warning System: Our hearing is on alert 24 hours a day, even when we sleep.
• First Hearing Experiences: Babies can hear 16 weeks after conception. After birth they immediately recognize their mother by her voice.
• Hair cells: The inner ear contains about 3,000 inner and 12,000 outer hair cells. They are extremely sensitive and can be destroyed by noise, causing irreparable hearing loss.

We can protect our hearing if we handle it with care

• Wear ear plugs at concerts, in recreational spaces with high noise levels.
• Take breaks from acoustic activity by switching off constant background noise (TV and radio).
• At the first signs of a hearing loss, tinnitus, or acute ear related discomfort, immediately consult an ENT or audiologist.

Hearing loss is the most prevalent chronic health condition experienced by males 75 and older. Source: National Academy on an Aging Society

• 1 in 3 people over age 60 have hearing loss.
• 1 in 5 teenagers have some type of hearing loss
• 1 in 14 Generation Xers already have hearing loss
• 1 in 6 baby boomers have hearing loss
• 74% of adults get their eyes examined every 2 years.
• 62% of adults visit a dentist each year.
• Only 23% of adults receive hearing screenings during physical exams.

Core services we offer

At your first appointment, your audiologist or hearing instrument specialist will do a full case history to help determine the source of your hearing loss or tinnitus. A full diagnostic hearing evaluation will assess your hearing ability. Further testing and questionnaires will determine how your auditory condition affects your quality of life. These assessments are selected based on your needs. We will discuss your test results and recommendations for treatment.

Due to the different sources that may cause hearing loss or tinnitus, some conditions may require management or treatment by outside professionals. Some hearing disorders are temporary and require immediate medical attention. Your audiologist or hearing instrument specialist will follow the recommended protocol to help guide you through possible forms of relief and whether further medical attention is warranted.

Hyperacusis

Hyperacusis is the abnormal sensitivity to sound. In other words, environmental sounds that would otherwise be normal are not tolerated well and are very loud or uncomfortable. Hyperacusis is not the sensitivity to very loud or loud sounds, however. Individuals with Hyperacusis may find everyday sounds like a car engine, paper rustling, or even louder conversation as being so intolerable that these situations are avoided.

According to The Hyperacusis Network, approximately 1 in 50,000 experience Hyperacusis. It can occur in those with hearing loss as well as those with normal hearing. Moreover, those with Hyperacusis often have Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears. Several diseases or disorders are linked to Hyperacusis, such as Meniere’s Disease, Autism, or Bell’s Palsy. Hyperacusis may also result from exposure to loud or unsafe noises.

In some cases, the issue of sensitivity may go away on its own. In others, treatment such as desensitization may be useful to help build up tolerance to bothersome sounds.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is hearing loss that is caused by exposure to hazardous noise suddenly or for extended periods of time.

Those most at risk for NIHL include those whose job has exposure to hazardous noise.

For Example

• Factory workers
• Construction workers
• Farmers
• Musicians

Additionally, those with loud hobbies, such as lawn mowing, playing recreational music, attending concerts, hunting, or working with power tools may experience NIHL.

Symptoms may include sensitivity to everyday sounds (Hyperacusis), difficulty hearing, or ringing or noises in the ears (Tinnitus). Results are confirmed on a full hearing evaluation, where a “notch” is noted at specific frequencies of the hearing test. The prevalence of NIHL has increased in recent years, where the exposure of loud music through headphones or earbuds has become more frequent, especially in teenagers and young adults. Staying informed about hazardous noise and hearing protection can help prevent Noise-Induced Hearing Loss across the lifespan.