Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

How do I know if I have a hearing loss?
If I have or supect I have a hearing loss, what do I do?
What can I expect from an audiological evaluation evaluation?

Question -How do I know if I have a hearing loss?
Answer - Hearing loss can occur gradually over a long period of time, or hearing loss may occur so gradually that the progress is unnoticed. Ofen, hearing loss will be detected by family members before the patient admits to having hearing problems.

Early systems of hearing loss include:
1. increased ringing in the ears (tinnitus);
2. a plugged up or stopped up sensation in the ear;
3. lightheadedness or balance disorders;
4. an inability to tell where a sound is coming from; and
5. occasionally, an intolerance to moderately loud noises, particularly those found in loud music.

Question - If I have or supect I have a hearing loss, what do I do?
Answer - If you suspect hearing loss, the most effective first step would be to consult with an audiologist.

Some studies suggest that 85% of all hearing loss does not involve medical problems. A physician or otolaryngoloist can look into the ear canal but they rely on the workup of the audiologist to tell them what is going on behind the eardrum.

The audiologist is trained to identify landmarks in the external ear canal.

The audiologist is trained to effectively and safely remove ear wax and other foreign objects.

The audiologist is trained to identify pathologies in the ear canal that require medical evaluation and are ethically bound to refer these problems to the appropriate physician.

Question - What can I expect from an audiological evaluation?
Answer - The audiologist is trained to complete a total assessment of the hearing mechanism.

A completed history form will determine 1) conditions at birth or during the adolescent years that could have an impact on hearing 2)the patient's exposure to workplace noise 3) medications taken for various pathologies 4) past surgeries and 5) family traits and hereditary anomalies.
During this period, the audiologist will also try to determine the overall needs of the patient including their own perception of the problem.

Following a thorough history, the audiologist will examine the OUTER ear with an otoscope or video otoscope. The audiologist can observe any damage caused by Q tip use, trauma or chronic infection. The audiologist can also observe the condition of the tympanic membrane.

The first step in the hearing test battery is tympanometry. This is a painless procedure that measures the condition of the MIDDLE ear. This test will tell the audiologist 1) if the eardrum is moving freely, 2)if the bones in the MIDDLE ear are intact and functional, and 3) ensure that the air pressure in the MIDDLE ear cleft is equal to the atmospheric pressure. The audiologist can also perform an acoustic reflex, a voluntary response of the hearing mechanism which serves to protect the ear from damage by loud noise exposure.

Once the integrity of the MIDDLE ear has been determined, the audiologist will perform a pure tone test, the patient's response to very soft tones simulating notes on a piano. This test will help the audiologist to map the responses to the hearing mechanism, particularly the sensory mechanism of the INNER ear. During this test, speech stimulus will also be used, either by the tester's voice or by tape recorded lists. This test will help the audiologist to determine the ability of the hearing mechanism to integrate and understand the speech signal. Occasionally, the audiologist will find it necessary to introduce background noise into the test procedure. This will give the audiologist a better understanding of the patient's auditory nerve system to discriminate voices in the presence of this background noise.

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