How Hearing Loss Truly Impacts Your Life

Florida Ear Nose Throat

Facial Plastic Surgery Center
877-EAR-NOSE

www.FloridaENT.com

 A whopping 38 million people in America between the ages of 65 and 74 have hearing loss, and it’s no easy feat. The challenge of hearing is difficult, but the impact it has on your daily life runs deeper. From the emotional to the financial well-being, you’ll want to hear this:

The Effects
Studies have associated untreated hearing loss with these effects:

• Irritability, negativism, and anger
• Fatigue, tension, and depression
• Reduced alertness and increased risk of personal safety
• Impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks
• Withdrawal from certain social situations

How, might you ask, does this impact your life? Well, in many ways, your social, personal, and professional life can alter from this health condition. Here’s how:

Education and Employment
The great news is that surveys show no prevalence in employment or education. Despite the effects, individuals function “quite well” and are fully able to perform their daily tasks with no problem. In fact, many people are delaying retirement due to the need for financial stability. However, that does not mean there aren’t times of frustration and difficulty during a certain task - it’s a constant struggle, but it can luckily be fought.

In the Home
The home might be a little bit of a different story, solely because of the effect it has on family and friends. The are emotional ties attached to hearing loss, such as anger and frustration. There needs to be a great deal of understanding in a household if you suspect someone close to you suffers from the effects of hearing loss. Be kind, be gentle, and don’t be afraid to speak slowly and repeat. This should make the change slightly easier to adjust to.

If you or someone you know suffers from hearing loss, learn about audiologic testing.

The doctors at Florida ENT specialize in hearing loss and offer many different resources to you. For more information about hearing aids or hearing loss in general, give us a call at (877) EAR-NOSE today! 

The 5 Types of Audiological Testing

Florida Ear Nose Throat

Facial Plastic Surgery Center

877-EAR-NOSE

www.FloridaENT.com

Do you or someone you love suffer from hearing loss? The best thing you can do to get to the core of the problem is to go for audiologic testing. Through audiologic testing,  you can determine the severity and best treatment. At Florida ENT, we offer a wide range of audiologic testing from the basic diagnostic test to the more advanced examinations.

Audiogram 
Function: An audiogram uses sounds of specific frequencies and intensity levels to determine what a person can hear in each ear.
The sounds are heard through headphones, and the patient is asked to identify each sound and the ear in which it was heard. The sounds become fainter and fainter, ultimately determining the lowest level at which a patient can hear. An audiogram may also include speech in the form of two-syllable words to determine how well a patient can comprehend what is being heard. For results to be considered normal, a patient must be able to hear a normal speaking voice, a whisper and the ticking of a watch.

Tympanometry
Function: Tympanometry examines and diagnoses the middle ear by varying air pressure in the ear canal to see how the ear responds.
A probe is inserted into the ear to change the air pressure, produce a tone and measure the responses. The patient may not speak, move or swallow during the test because doing so can affect ear pressure. Tympanometry measures the functionality of the eardrum (tympanic membrane). Abnormal findings may be the result of fluid in the middle ear, a perforated ear drum or impacted ear wax.

Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response Test
Function: The brainstem auditory evoked response test (BAER) examines brain waves that have been stimulated by a clicking sound in order to evaluate the auditory pathways in the brain. 
Electrodes are placed on the scalp and earlobes, and the patient listens to a clicking noise through headphones. The electrodes record the brain's reaction. The BAER is commonly used to diagnose nervous-system abnormalities and hearing loss in infants and children.

Otoacoustic Emissions Test
Function: Otoacoustic emissions testing (OAE) measures response to sound from the cochlea.
 The hair cells inside the cochlea vibrate in response to sound. The test is performed by inserting a microphone and two speakers into the ear to emit a sound and then record the response signal. The test is often performed on children when hearing loss is a possibility. Absent or very soft response signals may be the result of hearing loss, fluid behind the ears or damage to the cochlea.

Videonystagmography
Function: Videonystagmography (VNG) is a test used to record involuntary eye movement called "nystagmus."
The test generates nystagmus, and the resulting recorded data determines the vestibular ocular reflex. The VNG is a basic balance test used to diagnose patients with symptoms of dizziness. The VNG is actually composed of seven different tests that help to determine whether dizziness results from a dysfunctions of the ear or from a different factor.

For more information on hearing loss, visit our website, or call (877) EAR-NOSE to schedule an appointment!

Types of Audiologic Testing

 Florida Ear Nose Throat

Facial Plastic Surgery Center

877-EAR-NOSE

www.FloridaENT.com

Patients who suffer from hearing loss or suspect they might have another hearing and balance-related condition may benefit from audiologic testing. At Florida ENT, we offer many different types of audiologic testing for any type of hearing or imbalance a patient might be dealing with. The follow are three of the tests we commonly use:

Audiogram
How it works: Uses sounds of specific frequencies and intensity levels to determine what a person can hear in each ear.
This is your typical physician check-up, where a patient hears sounds through headphones. The patient is then asked to identify each sound and in which hear it was heard. The sounds become fainter and farther as the test progresses and the goal is to determine the lowest level at which the patient can hear.

Tympanometry
How it works: Examines and diagnoses the middle ear by varying air pressure in the ear canal to see how the ear responds.   
Tympanometry measures the functionality of the year drum. To avoid affecting ear pressure, patients may not move, speak, or swallow during the test. Any abnormal findings could be fluid in the middle ear or impacted ear wax.

Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response Test
How it works: Examines brain waves that have been stimulated by a clicking sound in order to evaluate the auditory pathways in the brain.
As the patient listens to a clicking noise through headphones, electrodes are placed on the scalp and earlobes. The electrodes record the brain’s reaction and the audiologist will test for diagnose nervous-system abnormalities and hearing loss. The BAER test is commonly used with infants and children.

To learn about other types of audiologic testing, click here.

The doctors at Florida ENT specialize in hearing loss and offer many different resources to you. For more information about hearing aids or hearing loss in general, give us a call at (877) EAR-NOSE today!