• In the U.S., 15 percent of adults over the age of 18, or 37.5 million people, report having trouble hearing.
• Of adults aged 65-74, 25 percent have a disabling hearing loss, and 50 percent of adults over the age of 75 have a disabling hearing loss.
• Of babies born in the U.S., 2-3 of every 1,000 have a detectable hearing loss in at least one ear.
• Of adults aged 20-69 who could benefit from wearing hearing aids, only 16 percent have tried them.
• The average delay between the time someone is affected by hearing loss and when they finally seek treatment is a long 7 years.

Do you suspect you have a hearing loss? Hearing loss can affect anyone and often progresses so gradually, it can be difficult to notice until you experience symptoms.

If you can answer YES to one or more of these questions you might have hearing loss:

1. Do you find that people around you mumble or speak softly?
2. Do you find conversations in restaurants or crowded places difficult?
3. Do you often have to turn up the volume on your TV, radio or phone?
4. Do friends and family members complain that they have to repeat what they say to you?
5. Do you have to look at people’s faces in order to be able to understand what they are saying?
6. Have you noticed that everyday sounds, like the twittering of birds, footsteps or the clock ticking, are gone?

The purpose of a hearing evaluation is to determine not only if you have a hearing loss, but how mild or severe it is. A thorough hearing evaluation can also help define the type of hearing loss you have: conductive, sensorineural or mixed and whether it will respond best to medical treatment or hearing aids.

Prior to your hearing evaluation, the audiologist will take a detailed history of your health. The history helps to identify possible causes of your hearing loss, including medical conditions, trauma as well as history of noise exposure, which can all contribute to hearing decline. The audiologist will also want to discuss how your hearing loss is affecting your daily life. They will want to understand your lifestyle and the types of work, hobbies and social situations that are important to you. Once your hearing health history is complete, the hearing evaluation can begin.

An evaluation of your hearing (audiologic evaluation) is painless and non-invasive. The testing will occur in a quiet, sound-proof room. The audiologist will place soft earphones in your ears as well as a portion of the earphone behind your ear, with wires connected to an instrument called an audiometer that is used to conduct the test.

Once in the booth, you will be asked to listen to tones at different pitches and volumes and push a button or raise your hand when you hear them. The tones will be very quiet, as the test measures the very softest sounds you can hear at each frequency tested. This part of the test is called pure tone audiometry.

Next, the audiologist will play a series of words which you will repeat back to determine the softest level of speech you can understand. The audiologist will then play a series of recorded words at comfortable level which you will be asked to repeat to evaluate how well you can understand them. This portion of the testing is called speech audiometry.

The audiologist will also perform tympanometry and a test of your acoustic reflexes, which will evaluate the function of your middle ear. For these tests, a soft plug that creates pressure changes and generates sounds will be placed in the ear.

Once your audiologic evaluation is complete, the audiologist will then sit with you and review your test results. The audiologist will be able to identify the type and severity of your hearing loss and determine whether treatment via medical intervention (referral to ENT physician) or treatment via amplification (hearing aids) is appropriate.

A VNG test stands for Videonystagmography and tests the vestibular system (balance system) of the inner ear to determine if your dizziness/loss of balance is caused by an inner ear abnormality.

When undergoing the VNG test, you will wear a pair of goggles over your eyes which are used to monitor and record eye movement. You can expect the VNG testing to take approximately 1 hour to complete.

Prior to testing, you will be given a list of restrictions to follow.

Certain medications, such as Vestibular Suppressants, Antihistamines/Decongestants, and Diuretics, must be avoided for 48 hours prior to testing. Other medications such as pain medications, Sedatives, Antidepressants, Tranquilizers, and other recreational drugs must be avoided prior to testing if possible.

You are also asked to limit yourself to a light meal immediately prior to testing, avoid caffeine and alcohol, and not wear contact lenses or mascara during testing. These restrictions will help to ensure accurate and comprehensive test results so proper diagnosis can be made.

There are three main portions to the VNG test:

1. Ocular motor testing - During this portion of the testing you will be asked to follow a light with your eyes. The light will be moving across a bar in front of your, or inside the goggles. The light will be moving quickly in different directions.
2. Positioning/Positional testing - With assistance from the audiologist, you will be asked to move your head and body in a series of positions. This includes head movements up and down, side to side, and body movements sitting up, laying down, and turning on your side. During this part of the test, you may experience dizziness and/or vertigo. This is more likely to occur if your initial symptoms of dizziness are triggered by movement.his part of the test may make you slightly dizzy.
3. Caloric testing - This portion of the testing is done last. You will be laying on your back while cool and warm air is delivered to your ear canal, one at a time, cool in each ear followed by warm in each ear. 
   
   This is a very important part of the test that will stimulate each vestibular system, right ear and left ear, and compare the response between the ears. It helps to determine whether the vestibular organs are functioning properly and whether one system is significantly weaker than the other. 
   
   The air or water will stay in your ear for about 1 minute each time. Once it is removed, your eye movements will be recorded for an additional minute. It is important keep your eyes open in order to avoid the need for repeat testing. During this portion of the test, it is likely that you will experience dizziness and vertigo. This will only remain for a few minutes following each ear stimulation. It is normal to be dizzy during caloric testing.

Once your VNG testing is complete, the audiologist or ENT physician will review the findings which will help determine if the dizziness is caused by an inner ear abnormality. If the test results clearly indicate an inner ear issue, diagnosis can be made and treatment options will be recommended.

If results indicate normal or inconclusive results, alternative tests may be recommended to determine the cause of the dizziness.

Tinnitus is the perception of sound when no actual external noise is present. While it is commonly referred to as “ringing in the ears,” tinnitus can manifest many different perceptions of sound, including buzzing, hissing, whistling, swooshing, and clicking. In some rare cases, tinnitus patients report hearing music. Tinnitus can be both an acute (temporary) condition or a chronic (ongoing) health malady. Millions of Americans experience tinnitus, often to a debilitating degree, making it one of the most common health conditions in the country.

A tinnitus evaluation begins with a thorough interview which will document the history and impact of your tinnitus. Next an audiologic evaluation will be performed to identify if a hearing loss is present, and if so the type and severity, as 90% of tinnitus cases occur with hearing loss. Otoacoustic emission testing is also conducted which evaluates the presence and function of outer hair cells in the cochlea. The audiologist will then evaluate the tinnitus itself, by measuring the pitch and intensity of the sound in your ears, and then measuring the maskability and residual inhibition of the tinnitus.

Once these measures are collected, the audiologist can then review the findings and make recommendations to help alleviate the symptoms associated with your tinnitus as much as possible. These may include: Counseling, Acoustic sound therapies such as Amplification/hearing aids, Combination instruments, Sound Generators, Neuromonics or Custom Musician’s Plugs.

Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) are quiet sounds that occur in your inner ear. OAE Testing is used to determine the health of the hair cells that generate these emissions. OAE testing is very useful when evaluating young children or adults not able to participate in traditional audiologic evaluation methods. OAEs are also used to monitor for a number of different conditions, but one very helpful purpose is to monitor your hearing if you are taking a medication that can cause hearing loss. 

A lot of the time, the hearing loss caused by medications is gradual and not easy to track — it can start without you really experiencing any hearing problems. However, the loss can build. OAEs can be affected before you start to have any obvious hearing loss. OAE testing is also included as part of an evaluation for tinnitus, or ringing in the ears.

All digital hearing aids contain at least one microphone to pick up sound, a computer chip that amplifies and processes sound, a speaker that sends the signal to your ear and a battery for power. These components are the “guts” of the hearing aid, and they are packaged into several different styles of hearing aids. When you consult with a hearing care professional, they will consider many factors and help guide you toward the best hearing aid style for you.

Hearing aids can be classified into two main groups: behind-the-ear (BTE) styles and in-the-ear (ITE) styles. Within each group are several different sizes.

We dispense and work with hearing aids from all major companies including: GN ReSound, Oticon, Phonak, Siemens, as well as many others.

We also provide swim plugs, noise protections plugs, and musician's ear plugs.

After evaluating your hearing, the audiologist will be able to determine if hearing aids are appropriate for your hearing loss. The audiologist will spend time discussing your general lifestyle and difficulties you experience as a result of your hearing loss. This information is critical to understand the types of places and listening environments you frequent to determine the range of sound settings and technological features appropriate for your lifestyle Different styles of hearing aids, technology levels and cost will be discussed to help select the most appropriate style and level of technology to best suit your listening needs.

At your hearing aid fitting appointment, the audiologist will spend time verifying your hearing aid settings, as well as making sure you are comfortable handling your new hearing aids on a daily basis. First, the audiologist will program your hearing aids based on the hearing levels identified during your audiologic evaluation. Next, the audiologist will verify that the hearing aids are providing the correct amount of amplification by doing Real Ear Measures. 

Real Ear Measures allow the audiologist to know how loud sounds are in your ear canal. Proper verification of your hearing aid settings is integral to a successful hearing aid fitting. If these measures are not completed, then the audiologist will not know whether your hearing aids are programmed properly. Real Ear Measures ensure that you are getting the appropriate amount of amplification in accordance with the severity of your hearing loss. 

Once the hearing aids are programmed, your audiologist will then review the care and maintenance of the hearing aids. Tasks, like inserting the hearing aids and changing the batteries, will be practiced in the office.

It is important to keep up with the routine care and maintenance of your hearing aid, but even with perfect upkeep, hearing aids over time can break down. Considering their size, intricacy and typical conditions of use, hearing aids are durable. However, they are not indestructible. They can be damaged by moisture, impact (dropping or crushing), wax build up in the loudspeaker, etc. 

Like any electronic device, parts eventually wear out and need to be replaced. Hearing aids come standard with a warranty through the manufacturer for repair and loss and damage. After the warranty has expired, hearing aids can often be repaired and many times issued a new warranty. If your hearing aids are not functioning properly, contact us to discuss repair or replacement.