Audiology 2

 Who, What & Why of Audiology

• Who Needs Evaluations and When?
• Understanding Hearing Loss
  
  

Who Needs Evaluations & When?

It is not uncommon for people with mild to moderate hearing loss to be unaware of their problem. While it can be caused by many factors, hearing loss often sneaks up on you; the change is usually gradual and almost always painless. Hearing loss has no physical warning signs, except, in some cases, a ringing in the ear(s). People who are at risk for hearing loss should get regular exams.

These include, but are not limited to:

• Children or Adults with a family history of hearing loss or deafness

• People with Diabetes

• Those whose occupations expose them to loud or high pitched noises, such as dentists, musicians, mechanics and construction workers

• Children or adults with a history of ear infections

• Anyone with ringing in their ears

• Anyone who loses their balance, suffers from dizziness, or experiences vertigo

• Individuals who have undergone   chemotherapy, radiation, or have taken ototoxic drugs such as mycins, quinines, Lasix, diuretics and high-dose antibiotics
  
  

   

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Understanding Hearing Loss

What affects our hearing in different parts of the ear?

In the outer ear

The outer ear includes the auricle, the part of the ear that others see, the auditory canal and the eardrum. Together these channel sounds from the  environment into the auditory system. The auricle helps to gather the sound waves and the auditory canal then directs them to the eardrum.

Hearing loss can occur when this part of the ear has accumulated excessive wax or has an infection, such as swimmers ear.

In the middle ear

The smallest bones in the human body, the malleus, incus and stapes, are found in the middle ear. On one side, they are connected to the eardrum; on the other side, to the thin membrane-covered opening leading to the cochlea. Next to this is the Eustachian tube, which equalizes the air pressure in the middle ear, and connects the middle ear to the throat.

Problems in the middle ear, such as infection, fluid, a calcification around the stapes limiting its ability to move, or a perforated eardrum can cause hearing loss. Many of these problems can be successfully treated with medications or surgery. If not, a hearing device can help considerably.

In the inner ear

In the inner ear where sound is processed, it is the cochlea which changes sound waves to messages the brain understands. Shaped similar to a Nautilus sea shell, the cochlea is filled with fluid, and is lined with tiny hair cells that bend with the sound waves, triggering a chemical response which activates the corresponding nerve endings.

Excessive exposure to noise, head injuries, certain medications, and the natural process of aging causes the hair cells to deteriorate, resulting in the decreased transfer of sound signals to the brain.

Hearing loss from the inner ear (sensori-neural hearing loss) drastically reduces the ability to understand speech, mainly affecting high frequency sounds such as “s,” “f,” “sh,” “t.” This is why a person with this type of hearing loss will often say they can hear, but don’t understand what’s being said.

At this point in time, there is no reversing this damage, and the only treatment for hearing loss of this kind is a hearing device.


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More Topics

• Why An Audiologist?
• Why Cape Coral Audiology?
  
• What to Expect During You Appointment