A fellow of the American Academy ofAudiology, Dr. Karen Major is an expert trained to diagnose, manage and treat hearing and balance problems in adults and children.
Dependent upon one another like the legs ofa tripod, your body’s senses work together to help you maintain a sense of normalcy. When one leg of this tripod is disrupted, problems can arise with your health that can be misunderstood. For instance, balance issues sometimes have symptoms that lead a patient to think they have a vision shortcoming, when in reality the issue stems from a problem in their inner ear.
Recognizing this natural relationship between the senses of the eyes and ears, Dr. Farrell Tyson, a Board-Certified Ophthalmologist known and respected worldwide for his innovative foresight and his advancements of eye care practices, founded CapeCoral Audiology. Located within the Cape Coral Eye Center, patients can resolve their hearing and balance disorders, and their vision problems in the comfortable familiarity of one trusted location.
Hearing and balance problems are not to be taken lightly, and should be diagnosed only by someone who is a degreed professional,expertly schooled in the biology of your body’s personal sound and balance systems. Disorders of these most important senses, such as hearing loss and dizziness, can be caused by many factors, and there are unscrupulous salespeople who will tell you that all you need is a hearing aid. Indeed you may need a hearing aid, however, based on the uniqueness of your hearing loss or balance issues, you may need more than a hearing aid, or the treatment you need may be totally different.
A salesperson in a white lab coat is not always a doctor, and therefore may not be qualified to diagnose the true problem. Using the patient’s medical history, a variety of sophisticated testing methods and state-of-the-art equipment, Dr. Major will determine the exact nature of your hearing or balance problem and recommend the most beneficial treatment.
Dr. Major is an expert you can trust. If you have any questions, please call.
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
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 theenvironment 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.
Most people find these tests extremely interesting as they find out more about the inner workings of their body and how it relates to the world around them.
Tests are painless, and often entertaining, but provide Dr. Major valuable knowledge for diagnosing the cause of your hearing loss or balance problem.
Comprehensive evaluations will begin witha thorough hearing test where you will be placed in a sound booth and wear headphones. Dr. Major will have you repeat words and listen for tones. We will discover if you have hearing loss, and if so, where the problem stems from. You may have additional tests that evaluate your eardrum, middle ear, and cochlea for any problems. This portion of the exam takes about a half hour.
If you have tinnitus, Auditory BrainstemResponse (ABR) and Electrocochleography (EcoG) tests will be conducted to evaluate your 8th nerve function. During these tests you will lie comfortably on a table with earphones and listen to sounds. This portion of the exam also takes about a half hour.
If you suffer from imbalance or dizziness issues, you will have an examination called videonystagmography (VNG). This is the only test that specifically evaluates all of the different parts of the vestibular, orbalance system. You will wear infrared goggles that record your eye movements. You will be asked to follow lights on the wall, similar to an eye exam. Dr. Major will have you assume some simple body positions to determine if these make you dizzy.
The last portion of the VNG involves the introduction of cool and warm air into your ear. This air stimulates your balance system and allows us to determine how this system is working. The test sometimes makes patients feel slightly dizzy, but it lasts only minutes and will subside quickly. In its entirety, the VNG examination takes about an hour.
Upon completion of your testing, Dr. Major will review her findings with you. You will learn about your hearing and balance and if there are any problems. She also may make additional recommendations for referrals, if needed, or other services that may help you.
