Answers

A hearing aid does not make your hearing worse, nor does it make you dependent on it. Rather, once you realize what you were not hearing, you do not like to be without the hearing aid or it feels like you are missing a lot of information. When this occurs, we know we have done a good job.

You should probably see an audiologist if any of the following sounds familiar:

	I use “huh” or “what” more then before.
	I ask others to repeat themselves.
	I misunderstand what others say.
	The radio or TV is louder than for other family members.
	I avoid participation with others and withdraw because I cannot hear them as well.
	I have trouble hearing in noisy places.
	It is more difficult to hear children and women than men.
	I have ringing in my ears.
	Loud sounds are bothersome.
	One ear hears differently from another.
	There is a long family history of hearing loss.
	It sounds as if everyone is mumbling.

Everyone who receives a complete evaluation will not need a hearing aid. We can identify problems that require medical attention and make appropriate referrals. Strategies to overcome minor difficulties may be discussed. If a hearing aid is the best solution, we can certainly provide you with the most appropriate amplification device for your hearing needs and lifestyle needs. Other assistive listening devices may be recommended as well for specific listening situations. Many of these work for large room and group situations such as theater, movies, religious services. There are others for use with the telephone. Still others are available as alerting devices for doorbells, fire alarms, alarm clocks, etc.

There are many styles of hearing aids available in varying sizes, technology, and prices. You and your audiologist will be able to select the one most appropriate for your needs.

In general you should notice than many sound that you were missing will now be audible, however, like a person with normal hearing, you will not hear perfectly. Your hearing in quiet should be improved. You may hear sounds you forgot was normal in everyday life. It will take a while to relearn these sounds and “ignore” them like everyone else.

It is perfectly normal to miss sounds when someone doesn’t face you while speaking to you, when someone is trying to speak to you from another room, or at a party with lots of noise. Remember, everyone misses words in those situations.

Sounds may seem exaggerated but remember, your brain needs to become reaccustomed to the sounds it has been missing. After 2 – 3 weeks, most people become accustomed to the environmental sounds as well as other sounds and now ask us to have their hearing aids turned up a little.

Not everyone must wear 2 hearing aids when both ears hear the same but there are a number of reasons why 2 are superior to one.

	There is improved hearing in noise.
	There is improved hearing in general as if only one hearing aid is used, there may be as much as a 20 decibel reduction by the time it gets to the ear with the hearing aid.
	There is an improved sense of direction.
	There is research that suggests there can be changes in the way your brain processes sound when it is not getting the sound. Providing the sound may be important in preserving your hearing potential. This does not happen to everyone and there is also evidence that the brain can be retrained to “hear” once an aid is placed on that ear.
	If the hearing loss is only in one ear, if there is a chronic middle ear disorder, if there is a significant difference in word recognition between ears, if there is any other medical problem, then a hearing aid on one side might be the best choice.

There are many special features on hearing aids, especially the digital hearing aids. Some may have remote controls, some have directional microphones for better listening in noise, some have multiple programs, some have telephone coils, etc. Sit down with your audiologist to discuss what might be best for your needs.

Tests Which You May Have

Air Conduction: This evaluates all parts of the ear (the outer, middle, and inner ear as well as the hearing nerve). The patient is asked to respond to sounds delivered through a headphone or a soft foam earplug called an insert phone.

Bone Conduction: This test only evaluates the inner ear and the hearing nerve. A small bone vibrator is placed on the mastoid (the bone behind your ear) and the patient is asked to respond to the sound.

Through these tests, we can determine if the problem is in the nerve, in the middle ear, or a combination of both.

Speech Reception and Discrimination: The speech tests confirm the air conduction test and allow us, in the case of nerve hearing loss, to determine how well a person can distinguish words presented at comfortable levels.

Tympanometry: This test looks at how the eardrum moves. A small, soft tip is place in the ear in an airtight seal and the pressure varied. This is helpful for finding middle ear problems and perforations of the eardrum.

Acoustic reflexes: Loud beeps are administered through an insert phone and the presence or absence of the reflex is measured. This can help in determining type of hearing loss and severity of hearing loss.

Acoustic reflex decay: This test allows us to determine the ability to maintain a reflex for 10 seconds. If the ear is unable to accomplish this, further investigation may be recommended.

Sound field testing: This is performed through speakers in the sound booth. It is used with very young children and to test performance with hearing aids.

Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE): This is the latest in tests. It is helpful in the very young to determine if there is hearing. It also tests for auditory neuropathy.

Auditory Brainstem Response Audiometry (ABR): In this test, electrodes are placed around the head and headphones or insert phones are used to deliver a click to the ear. This test is helpful for determining hearing of babies as well as determining other abnormalities.

Electronystagmogram (ENG) : This is a test for dizziness. Electrodes are placed around the eyes and forehead and a series of subtests performed to determine, if possible, the cause of dizziness.

For helpful links to other audiology web sites, click here.

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