In our world of sound and how it contributes to communication, it is important to have every child’s hearing tested at birth and then screened though elementary school age. We learn to communicate during the early years and if there is even the slightest interruption in the auditory signal going to the brain, the outcome can be significant. Research has shown that hearing loss occurs in 1.7 per 1,000 babies. Our primary means of learning speech and language is passively. This means as … [Read more...] about Testing Babies’ Hearing
Trinity Hearing Center
Using VR in Tinnitus Management
The second most frequent request I receive from patients, after improved hearing, is to make their tinnitus go away. While tinnitus is not dangerous, it can certainly diminish sufferers’ quality of life. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for tinnitus. Instead, the focus is on mitigating the impact on daily life. Studies show that amplification, sound therapy, dietary modifications and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are all effective forms of tinnitus management. But are there any new … [Read more...] about Using VR in Tinnitus Management
Understanding Your Results
The first step on any hearing health journey is undergoing an examination. This exam provides you and the audiologist an understanding of your current state of hearing and allows for proper recommendations to be made. The findings are presented in a report called an audiogram. An audiogram contains both a written section and a graph. While the audiologist does review the audiogram during the appointment, it can sometimes be difficult to remember or fully grasp how to interpret your results. … [Read more...] about Understanding Your Results
Making Sure Hearing Aids Work for You
As audiologists, our main goal is always to improve our patient’s safety and quality of life. Typically, this is done through the fitting of hearing aids. Surveys have shown that one major barrier to accessing hearing aids is cost. In an effort to help address this barrier, Congress recently granted permission for hearing devices to be sold over the counter. Now it can be even more challenging for patients to know which option best suits their needs. Fortunately, you do not have to figure it out … [Read more...] about Making Sure Hearing Aids Work for You
Exploring the Lyric Hearing Aid
The Lyric is a hearing aid that is housed inside the ear canal for extended periods of time. No need to change a battery or put the hearing aid in a recharging device at night. All you need to do is go to your audiologist and ask to try a pair of them for free! Discreet Amplification The most amazing benefit of wearing the Lyric is that you are a “normal” person. You do not have to be careful with your hearing aids around the house so the dog or cat does not eat them when you take them … [Read more...] about Exploring the Lyric Hearing Aid
Understanding the Audiogram
An audiogram is a graph that records the way a person responds to specific sounds called pure tones. The audiologist measures hearing threshold at the pure tone of each frequency. Hearing threshold is the intensity at which a pure tone is barely detected 50 percent of the time. Understanding Frequency Various frequencies or pitches are measured to determine how you hear at each area of the hearing organ. During a hearing test, the frequencies used in speech and in common everyday sounds … [Read more...] about Understanding the Audiogram
Understanding the Hearing Aid Journey
Do you miss hearing the sounds of the birds? Are the voices of your grandchildren becoming increasingly difficult to understand? Do you find yourself constantly turning up the TV or radio just to make out what’s being said? Hearing loss is a normal part of growing older, and it can be very scary. It doesn’t have to be. The process of getting hearing aids is painless, and an audiologist will work their hardest to help improve your quality of life and allow you to interact with the world around … [Read more...] about Understanding the Hearing Aid Journey
How Viruses May Cause Hearing Loss
Hearing loss, including its causes, has been a topic of study since before the birth of audiology as a profession just after WWII. Hearing loss has been documented in Egyptian literature as early as 1550 B.C. An ancient medical journal describes a remedy for “ear that hears badly,” which included injecting olive oil, red lead, ant eggs and bat wings, among other substances into the ears! In Ancient Greece, there are mentions of hearing loss as early as the 10th century. Today, we understand more … [Read more...] about How Viruses May Cause Hearing Loss
Understanding the Total Package of Hearing Aid Purchases
When a person purchases hearing aids, they are making an investment in their lifestyle. Hearing aids are able to expand friendships, close relationships and even the non-social activities you engage in. I have been told by many patients hearing aids changed their life! Musicians are amazed that they are able to hear the parts of music (and their own voice while singing) better than they could have imagined. So, what is the difference between a purchase of stock internet hearing aids and hearing … [Read more...] about Understanding the Total Package of Hearing Aid Purchases
What Happens When Hearing Loss Occurs in One Ear?
Hearing loss presents itself in a unique manner in each individual. Barring hereditary losses, each occurrence will be slightly varied. Some people will have a sensory loss, while others are conductive. Some will occur at birth, while others do not appear until late in life. One aspect that is sometimes glossed over is whether the hearing loss is bilateral or unilateral. Bilateral means the loss occurs in both ears, whereas unilateral is just one ear. Since the majority of hearing losses are … [Read more...] about What Happens When Hearing Loss Occurs in One Ear?