Hear and Now Blog

How to Treat Temporary Hearing Loss

Leslie Soiles — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:32:00 GMT

It is quite difficult to find an appropriate treatment for temporary hearing loss, especially if the underlying cause remains unknown. There are many possible issues that may lead to this condition; therefore, it is absolutely necessary for specialist to identify these factors before any necessary treatment can be implemented and applied. Nevertheless, it is important to note that not all hearing loss problems can be corrected. Some may be irreversible and the only alternative is for them to wear appropriate hearing aids.

The initial step in helping stop temporary hearing loss is to set-up an appointment with an audiologist. She will inquire several questions pertaining to your current health status and hearing problems. In some case, she may even request your full health history. This is necessary so she can properly evaluate your condition. You are expected to respond honestly to all of these queries so she can recommend the most appropriate solution for your condition.

Tinnitis is the condition characterized by the ringing sensation in the ears. This may be due to exposure to loud noises resulting to an over stimulated ear. It is recommended that patients with this condition refrain from getting near loud noises. This will give the ear appropriate time to relax and recover. If this is unavoidable, the only solution left is for the patient to wear protective earplugs or earmuffs. This will help lower the sound volume reaching the eardrum and inner ear of the patient; thus, reducing the risk of over stimulating the ear.

Studies show that the major causes of temporary hearing loss include exposure to loud noise and impacted earwax. Audiologists stress the importance of educating children to refrain from listening to excessively loud music and radios because their ears may soon suffer from these types of abuses. Some of the cases of hearing loss may not require any treatment, but it is still better to bring the patient to an audiologist for a proper ear care and maintenance session. This should regularly be scheduled as part of your initiative to guarantee healthy hearing.

How to Choose the Right Hearing Center

Leslie Soiles — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:15:00 GMT

Choosing the right hearing center will save you from a lot of ear problems in the future. It is not that difficult, especially if you know the features you expect to find from it. Begin by inquiring about the following questions:

Does it have a licensed, certified, and experienced hearing aid specialist or audiologist in its list?
Does she make referrals for medical evaluations so medical or surgical treatment can be ruled out?
Does she have efficient communication skills that will effectively convey hearing aid choices if the need arises?
Will she be honest enough to inform me of my hearing condition including the possibility of having to bear hearing loss problems?
Will she be open and discuss lifestyle, budget, and manual dexterity concerns associated with my hearing loss problem?
Will there be enough models of hearing aids coming from different manufacturers or will it be monopolized by a single company?
Will I be taught on how to wear and care for these hearing aids, including its adjustment procedures?
Will I be offered trial periods, warranties, or any type of loss and damage protection?
Will I be given follow-up care for my hearing aid fitting every six months?
Will the hearing center be open five days a week with an available audiologist who can assist me for possible emergency care?

If the hearing center you are currently in, answers yes to all of these questions then you can sleep soundly. It has the best features any center for hearing should have. You have made the right choice in selecting their services. However, if most of the answers are a no, then you may consider finding a better center for your hearing needs.

Do not sacrifice the health of your ear with a hearing center that will barely provide the needs that you expect to receive. Ask your family, friends, and colleagues for possible recommendations and choose a better center for you and your family.

How to Clean Your Ears (Safely!)

Leslie Soiles — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:30:00 GMT

It is important that you know how to clean your ears safely, because it will help you avoid impacted earwax discomforts like muffled hearing, tugging on the ear, annoying pain in the ear, itching on the ear, irritability, vertigo, stuffy nose, sore throat, lack of appetite, fever, and even tinnitus. The first thing you should know are the things that you should avoid when cleaning your ears:

Cotton-Tipped Swabs (Q-Tips) This is one of the most common mistakes in cleaning our ears. You may use cotton-tipped swabs to clean the outer ear but not the outer ear canal. Q-tips are bad for ears because it will only push the earwax down until it completely plugs it.
Sharp Pointed Objects You should never attempt to insert sharp pointed objects in the ear as an attempt to loosen the impacted earwax, eat will only result to more complications. The ear is a very sensitive sense organ; therefore, it should be treated with absolute caution.
Ear Candling Technique This is a popular ancient techniques used in cleaning the ears; but specialists do not recommend this because the burning wax may drip into the ear canal and produce more complications.
Home Remedies There may be over-the-counter wax dissolving agents that may attract your attention, but it is best that you do not take the risk of using these. It is always safer to allow a professional to look into you ear and let him do the cleaning for you.

Since no one can physically look into their own ear, it is highly recommended that you go and visit a professional who can perform the cleaning for you. Primary care physicians, audiologists and otolaryngologists are all equipped to manage earwax. Expect that she will use either one of the following methods:

Use of Suction Device The ear specialist or audiologist may use a suction device and manually remove the impacted earwax. She may also apply cerumenolytic agents like saline, water or other solution to soften the earwax.
Ear Syringing or Ear Irrigation The primary care physician will make use of cerumenolytic agents and wait for two to three minutes before using the syringe in order to remove the impacted earwax. The process may be repeated until the ear is completely drained from it.

Those who wear hearing aids are reminded to see their audiologist every six or twelve months for their routine cleaning.

This professional method on how to clean your ears should be strictly followed because these individuals are more prone to ear infection and impacted-wax complications.

Are Q-Tips Bad for Ears? Yes!

Leslie Soiles — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:21:00 GMT

Cerumen, commonly known as ear wax, is formed in the ear canal by specialized cells. Unbeknownst to many people, ear wax is actually beneficial to you - it moisturizes the ear canal and protects it from germs. The formation of ear wax is designed to protect the ear and should not be removed with a Q-Tip. You should not use Q-Tips to remove ear wax because you are removing a substance that protects your ears from germs, which in turn could lead to more germs entering your ear canal.

Ear wax is typically self cleaning. When water naturally enters the ears during showers, the excess wax will gently loosen and fall out on its own while you are asleep. Thus, a cotton swab, or Q-Tip is not really necessary. So are cotton swabs or Q-Tips bad for ears? Yes. Cleaning your ears with a Q-Tip can actually do more harm to your ears than it can to benefit them. Using a Q-Tip to remove ear wax can further impact the ear wax in your ear canal, making it more difficult for it remove itself naturally. What's worse, if you clean your ears with a Q-Tip, you run the risk of puncturing your eardrum. The ear drum is easily accessible with a Q-tip, and if punctured, can be a very painful experience and will cause your ear to leak fluid. A punctured eardrum will heal on its own, but over time can lead to conductive hearing loss.

Some people produce ear wax at a much faster rate than others. It can cause temporary hearing loss when 80% of the ear canal is blocked. This may be a result of an excess of ear wax due to impacting caused by using a Q-Tip in an attempt to remove it. If you are experiencing a heavy buildup of wax or dirt in your ears, contact your medical professional for assistance. You should never stick anything into your ear canal, including your own fingers. As a rule of thumb, if you aren't sure if what you are doing is safe, contact a health professional. Also, if you wear a hearing aid, you should be regularly examined by a medical professional for impaction that can cause feedback in your device, limit hearing, and cause damage to hearing aids.

Now that you are aware of what ear wax is, where it comes from, and why it is beneficial to your health, you should not attempt to remove it with a Q-Tip. Q-Tips are bad for ears and should never be used to remove ear wax!

© New England Hearing Instruments, All Rights Reserved.
To learn more about the types of hearing loss and what can be done about it, watch our award-winning educational video.

Ipods and Hearing Loss

Leslie Soiles — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:07:00 GMT

Do you enjoy music? Most people do, but you certainly don't want to sacrifice your hearing for your love of music. iPod's and MP3 players can do just that. Research indicates that iPods and hearing loss may be related, especially if used for long periods of time. Great technology, but at what price?

By keeping the volume to under eighty decibels, it is possible to use these items safely. iPods and MP3 players can produce sounds over 115 decibels, leading to permanent hearing loss.

Some people, especially teens, tend to listen to their iPods or MP3 players constantly. Both of these devices can store enough music to play for several days and have batteries that can last for more than twelve hours at a time. Don't be someone that goes around with their earphones or earbuds in all day. If you are, you are risking cumulative damage to your hearing.

Here are a few suggestions to minimize damage to yourself or someone you care about:

MP3 users can upgrade to earphones that block out background noise.
Limit the time you listen at high volumes: give your ears time to recover.
Keep the volume to an acceptable level, under 80 decibels.
Parents, talk to your children about the potential of hearing loss, which can be irreversible.
When talking to your children, have documented research to back you up.
Watch for warning signs of hearing loss: ringing in the ears or difficulty hearing at any time.

Enjoy your iPod/MP3 player responsibly, and remember iPods and hearing loss can go together!

3 Reasons to NOT Get Hearing Aids...

Leslie Soiles — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:32:00 GMT

Let’s face it —no one wants to get a hearing aid. In fact, when you read the title of this article, did you think you could find a reason to not get a hearing aid? Probably. The reason for this feeling is probably due to one of three common misconceptions about hearing aids.

Reasons to NOT get Hearing Aids:

Hearing instruments are unattractive and uncomfortable.
You probably feel this way because the hearing aids you do see in public are actually older generations of hearing aids that are very conspicuous. Those styles are truly outdated in appearance and comfort level. You don’t want to be seen wearing something like that, and you don’t have to! If you picture yourself in your grandmother’s or grandfather’s huge hearing aid, put those thoughts out of your mind. Technology has advanced so far that those models are a thing of the past. New advancements can give you a hearing instrument that is so well concealed that most people will never see them. New hearing aids are much smaller and can blend in with your hair or skin color. They are also much more comfortable than previous out-dated models because they are so light. However, you don’t have to compromise with sound quality—they deliver divine, vibrant sound.
Hearing instruments are just amplifiers.
Most versions of outdated hearing devices did actually just increase the volume of every sound. Not so, today. The new, innovative models of today work by sharpening the focus of what you hear. The latest models incorporate the latest breakthroughs in microprocessor designs, audio signal processing technology and new materials. The newer versions make competing noises less distracting, make it easier to understand and respond to a soft, high-pitched voice, such as a child or an elderly person because they work to help your brain recognize natural speech cues. Some brands even use Bluetooth technology to let you stream from a TV, phone, computer, or other Bluetooth device, for an exceptional hearing experience. This new technology works with your brain to help you hear more naturally, even in difficult hearing situations.
Hearing instruments are not for me—at least, not yet.
You may feel that because your hearing loss is slight, you will wait until it gets worse. This is not a good idea, because you are putting a strain on yourself, family, friends, and colleagues. Also, you may be missing out on a lot more than you think. In addition, your hearing condition may be easily corrected if you seek help early.

There is only one way to find out for sure how impaired your hearing really is—visit a hearing professional to get a hearing evaluation. You may find that you can reclaim your life—the life you had before hearing loss took over. The people who care about you will be so glad that you did.

So, as you have found out, there are no reasons to not get hearing aids!

When Should I Have a Hearing Test?

Leslie Soiles — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:17:00 GMT

It’s very easy to deceive yourself when you know something is not quite right with your body. It’s easy to think, “This is something that will go away.” Unfortunately, that is not usually true with hearing loss. Ignoring the problem will not help, and your hearing loss will probably get worse, especially if it is age-related hearing loss. This is contrary to the old adage, “What you don’t know, won’t hurt you.” What you don’t know can hurt you!

The reason for your hearing loss can range from “easy to correct” to “something much more complex.” That’s why it’s best to get a hearing assessment at the first sign of a problem. Maybe those signs are simple things, like having to turn the TV sound up to hear well, when the sound is fine for everyone else. Maybe it’s as simple as not catching someone’s name when they introduce themselves. Could it be you don’t hear your spouse calling from the next room, even if there is no other sound to distract you? With all of these scenarios, it's easy to make up excuses for not hearing. Perhaps you tell yourself, “I like to listen to the TV louder than most.” You might say the person was mumbling when he/she introduced themselves. Or, I was engrossed in a book when my spouse called my name. See how easy it is to make excuses. You may be suffering from a slight decline right now, and you’re not even aware of it, because you’ve found ways to compensate and adapt. Your brain can be good at continuing to adapt, but straining to listen tends to diminish the parts of your life that matters the most. You're not doing yourself or your family and friends any favors by ignoring the problem.

By coping and adapting, you feel like you’re getting by. You may be getting by, but what are you missing?

The whispered words of “I love you” from a child, grandchild, or spouse. “Good job” from a co-worker. How about the beautiful music of a songbird? These are things that make life great — things that you don’t want to lose. If you’re quite honest with yourself, you don’t know what you’ve missed. Why lose out on precious moments that you can’t get back, when a simple hearing test may solve your problem.

Don’t assume the worst and feel that you have to go through the rest of your life feeling inadequate. There is help for people with hearing loss: a wonderful array of modern hearing solutions that can make it easier to break through the wall of isolation and focus on what’s important. Modern hearing technology can help bring back a fuller and more vibrant family and social life, and more rewarding listening experiences. Today’s state-of-the-art types of hearing aids are super tiny, ultra sleek, high performance hearing devices. High-speed sound processing chips allow you to differentiate sounds better, so you’ll be able to understand and participate more, even in difficult listening situations.

Don’t let a simple hearing test stand between you and a new life. A hearing test by a hearing professional is quick, simple, and painless. Forget about the look and technology of older hearing devices; you don’t have to suffer through that. You deserve a rich and rewarding life, and it is out there waiting for you.

Take the first step—get a hearing test.

Types of Hearing Loss: Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Leslie Soiles — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:17:00 GMT

There is an old Argentine proverb—“Who Speaks, sows; Who listens, reaps.”
If you listen to others, as you should, you will definitely reap; it doesn’t matter what age you are. However, you all know that’s not always possible. Life happens. You age and changes occur to your body as you age. You gain some things — like wisdom. Unfortunately, you lose some things also; possibly your hearing.

Sensorineural hearing loss is one of the basic types of hearing loss. (see also Conductive Hearing Loss) This can occur when there is damage to the hair cells or nerves that sense sound waves. These hair cells or nerves are located in the inner ear. The movements of these hair cells are transformed into electric impulses that travel along the auditory nerve to the brain. Then, the brain decodes and interprets the electronic impulses, turning a stream of speech sounds into separate, recognizable words.

When something happens to damage your inner ear interrupting the natural order of how sound occurs, your hearing is impaired. You can hear people speaking, but it may seem to you that they are mumbling. Sensorineural hearing loss can result from the following:

Presbycusis- age-related hearing loss that is caused by wear and tear to the hair cells of the cochlea
Acoustic trauma – this results from prolonged exposure to loud noise; it causes the hair cells on the cochlea to become less sensitive
Barotrauma (pressure trauma) or ear squeeze – usually seen in divers
Head trauma – A fracture of the temporal bone can disrupt the nerves of the auditory system
Certain drugs or antibiotics

Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss.

More than ninety per cent of all hearing instrument wearers have sensorineural hearing loss, and this type of hearing loss commonly occurs in the later decades of life. Unfortunately, usually there is no medical way to correct this problem, but hearing devices often help. Consult your hearing specialist and together determine your best course of action.

© New England Hearing Instruments, All Rights Reserved.
To learn more about the types of hearing loss and what can be done about it, watch our award-winning educational video.

Types of Hearing Loss: Conductive Hearing Loss

Leslie Soiles — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:31:00 GMT

To understand the meaning of conductive hearing loss it is necessary to understand some of the anatomy of the ear. Conductive hearing loss occurs in the ear canal, which is approx. 35 mm or 1.4 inches long, and is attached to the outer ear. At the end of the ear canal is the eardrum, which vibrates when sound waves touch it. The ossicles, or three tiny bones, pick up the vibrations. The eardrum and the ossicles make up the middle ear, in which conductive hearing loss may also occur.

Problems can occur when sound waves do not transmit normally through the ear canal and/or middle ear to the inner ear. Some of the most common causes of conductive hearing loss can be:

Buildup of wax in the ear canal
Blood collection in the ear canal
Foreign body in the ear canal

Not only are these the most common problems, but also they are the easiest to fix. Other causes can be:

Direct trauma to the ear
Middle-ear infections
Damaged or defective ossicles
Dislocated ossicle (usually from trauma)
Fluid in the middle ear (common in children)
Otosclerosis (usually requires surgery)

The main symptom for conductive hearing loss is a feeling that your ears seem to feel full or plugged. (See also Sensorineural Hearing Loss) In most cases, conductive hearing loss can be medically or surgically treated. If for some reason medical or surgical treatments are not appropriate for you, hearing aids should greatly improve your situation. Remember, you are unique and your hearing loss may require a unique solution. Of course, that is for you and your doctor to decide.

Seek medical attention at the first sign of hearing loss. Fast medical attention can save your hearing or diminish your hearing loss.

To learn more about the types of hearing loss and what can be done about it, watch our award-winning educational video.

Hearing Loss Causes

Leslie Soiles — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:01:00 GMT

The ability to hear is one of your greatest senses. Without it, or if it is diminished in some way, it is extremely difficult to maintain connections with our families, friends, co-workers, et al. Everyone appreciates a good listener. There is a Chinese proverb that aptly applies to good listeners: “To listen well, is as powerful a means of influence as to talk well, and is essential to all true conversation.” So true!

It’s a great and wonderful decision to try to get your hearing problems corrected. This can truly make a HUGE impact on your life.

If you are seeking help for your hearing problem, I'm sure you are looking for hearing loss causes. Naturally, when you have a medical problem you want to know what caused the problem; there are two most common reasons. Your doctor may or may not be able to tell you with great certainty the reason for your hearing loss, but your history coupled with the results of your hearing evaluations will provide your doctor with a greater understanding of your particular case. You are unique and your hearing loss causes may be unique.

Most hearing loss causes fall into two categories:

Age-Induced Hearing Loss

The most common type of hearing loss is called presbycusis, or age-induced hearing loss. This is caused by a gradual deterioration of hair cells, which is part of the normal aging process. The degree to which hair cell loss occurs varies from one individual to another. Some people experience a significant loss of sensory cells as early as fifty years old, while others only have a negligible loss even at the age of eighty. Hearing problems due to presbycusis can be significantly reduced with the proper hearing device.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Another less common type of hearing loss is noise-induced, arising from an acoustic trauma or from exposure to excessive noise for extended periods of time. This causes damage to both the inner and outer hair cells of the cochlea. People with noise-induced hearing loss typically have difficulty hearing high frequency sounds, but hear quite well in the low frequencies. Noise-induced hearing loss usually develops gradually over a period of time. Hearing devices are ideal solutions for noise-induced hearing loss.

There are a number of industries in which hearing loss is more likely to occur:

Farming
Construction
Manufacturing
Mining
Music related industries

Anytime you are exposed to ninety decibels or higher for a certain length of time, there is risk for you. In the past most of these industries listed above were not regulated. Today, however, OSHA, who requires them to provide their employees with earplugs in high noise level areas, regulates most companies. Whatever steps you can take to protect your hearing, please do so!

Causes of Tinnitus

Leslie Soiles — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 15:23:00 GMT

Tinnitus is the term for the perception of sound when no external sound is present. It is often referred to as "ringing in the ears," although some people hear hissing, roaring, whistling, chirping, or clicking. Tinnitus is not a disease but a symptom of another underlying condition – of the ear, the auditory nerve, or elsewhere. Tinnitus can be intermittent or constant, with single or multiple tones. Its perceived volume can range from very soft to extremely loud. 50 million Americans experience tinnitus to some degree. Of these, about 12 million have tinnitus which is severe enough to seek medical attention. Of those, about two million patients are so seriously debilitated by their tinnitus, that their day to day functioning is affected.

The exact cause (or causes) of tinnitus is not known in every case. There are, however, several likely factors which may cause tinnitus or make existing tinnitus worse: noise-induced hearing loss, wax build-up in the ear canal, certain medications, ear or sinus infections, age-related hearing loss, ear diseases and disorders, jaw misalignment, cardiovascular disease, certain types of tumors, thyroid disorders, head and neck trauma and many others. Of these factors, exposure to loud noises and hearing loss are the most common causes of tinnitus. Treating a hearing loss, either by medical management, if indicated, or with hearing aids, may offer relief of tinnitus. Other new and effective tinnitus treatments are also available. If you have tinnitus, a comprehensive hearing evaluation by an audiologist, and a medical evaluation by an otologist is recommended.

What is Tinnitus?

Leslie Soiles — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:10:00 GMT

Tinnitus is an abnormal perception of a sound reported by a patient but is unrelated to an external source of stimulation. Tinnitus is a very common disorder affecting over 50 million people in the United States. It may be intermittent, constant or fluctuant, mild or severe, and may vary from a low roaring sensation to a high pitched type of sound. It may or may not be associated with a hearing loss.

It is also classified further into subjective tinnitus (a noise perceived by the patient alone) or objective (a noise perceived by the patient as well as by another listener). Subjective tinnitus is common; however, objective tinnitus is relatively uncommon. The location of tinnitus may be in the ear(s) and/or in the head.

Learn more about the Causes of Tinnitus.

How Do I Know if I Have Hearing Loss?

Leslie Soiles — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:02:00 GMT

Hearing loss can be due to the aging process, exposure to loud noise, certain medications, infections, head or ear trauma, congenital (birth or prenatal) or hereditary factors, diseases, as well as a number of other causes. Recent data suggests there are over 34 million Americans with some degree of hearing loss.

Hearing loss often occurs gradually throughout a lifetime. People with hearing loss compensate often without knowing they have hearing loss.

Common signs of hearing loss include:

You hear people speaking but you have to strain to understand their words.
You frequently ask people to repeat what they said.
You don’t laugh at jokes because you miss too much of the story or the punch line.
You frequently complain that people mumble.
You need to ask others about the details of a meeting you just attended.
You play the TV or radio louder than your friends, spouse and relatives.
You cannot hear the doorbell or the telephone.
You find that looking at people when they speak to you makes it easier to understand.
You miss environmental sounds such as birds or leaves blowing.

If you have any of these symptoms, you should see a hearing professional to have an “audiometric evaluation.” An audiometric evaluation (AE) is the term used to describe a diagnostic hearing test, performed by a licensed hearing professional. An AE is not just pressing the button when you hear a “beep.” Rather, an audiometric evaluation allows the hearing professional to determine the type and degree of your hearing loss, and tells the professional how well or how poorly you understand speech. Speech understanding testing provides the professional how successful amplification may be for your hearing loss.

The AE should also include a thorough case history (interview) as well as visual inspection of the ear canals and eardrum. Further tests of the middle ear function may also be performed. The results of the AE are useful to the physician should the hearing professional conclude that your hearing loss may be treated with medical or surgical alternatives.

Results of the AE are plotted on a graph referred to as an audiogram. The audiogram provides a visual of your hearing test results across various frequencies.

Do I Need Two Hearing Aids?

Leslie Soiles — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:52:00 GMT

Basically, if you have two ears with hearing loss that could benefit from hearing aids, you need two hearing aids. It is important to realize there are no "normal" animals born with only one ear. Simply stated, you have two ears because you need two ears. If we try to amplify sound in only one ear, you cannot expect to do very well. Even the best hearing aid will sound "flat" or "dull" when worn in only one ear.

Assuming you have two ears that hear about the same, you can do a little experiment at home to better understand how important binaural hearing is:

First, gently close just one ear, by simply pressing the little fleshy part in the front of your ear canal (the tragus) into your ear canal -- a little. Do not apply pressure, do not hurt yourself. Just close the ear canal to eliminate sound from entering the ear. The idea is to close that ear for about ten minutes while you watch TV or listen to the radio, or speak with your spouse. Then, after a full ten minutes, remove your finger. What an amazing difference!

There are many advantages associated with binaural (two ear) listening and importantly, there are problems associated with wearing only one hearing aid -- if you are indeed a candidate for binaural amplification.

Localization (knowing where the sound came from) is only possible with two ears, and just about impossible with one ear. Localization is not just a sound quality issue; it may also be a safety issue. Think about how important it is to know where warning and safety sounds (sirens, screams, babies crying, etc) are coming from. Using both ears together also impacts how well you hear in noise because binaural hearing permits you to selectively attend to the desired signal, while "squelching" or paying less attention to undesired sounds such as background noise.

Binaural hearing allows a quality of "spaciousness" or "high fidelity" to sounds, which cannot occur with monaural (one ear) listening. Understanding speech clearly, particularly in challenging and noisy situations, is easier while using both ears. Additionally, using two hearing aids allows people to speak with you from either side of your head - not just your "good" side!

People cannot hear well using only one ear. There are studies in the research literature that show that children with one normal ear and one "deaf" ear are ten times more likely to repeat a grade as compared to children with two normally hearing ears. Additionally, we know that if you have two ears with hearing impairment, and you wear only one hearing aid, the unaided ear is likely to lose word recognition ability more quickly than the ear wearing the hearing aid.

What is an Audiologist?

Leslie Soiles — Tue, 10 May 2011 14:37:00 GMT

An audiologist is a person who has a masters or doctoral degree in audiology. Audiology is the science of hearing. In addition, the audiologist must be licensed or registered by their state (in 47 states) to practice audiology.

In the field of audiology, the master’s degree has been the accepted “clinical” degree for almost 50 years. However, the profession is undergoing a transition to a doctorate level degree as the entry-level requirement to practice audiology. In a few years, there will be very few colleges and universities offering a master’s program in audiology. The Au.D. (Doctor of Audiology) is the clinical doctorate degree and is issued exclusively by regionally accredited universities and colleges. There are other doctoral degrees that have been earned and utilized by audiologists to date, such as the Ph.D. (still highly sought today by researchers and academicians), the Sc.D. and the Ed.D.

Audiologists work in a variety of settings including hospitals, schools, clinics, universities, rehabilitation facilities, cochlear implant centers, speech and hearing centers, private audiology practices, hearing aid dispensing offices, hearing aid manufacturing facilities, medical centers, as well as otolaryngology (ENT physician) offices. Although the vast majority of hearing problems do not require medical or surgical intervention, audiologists are clinically and academically trained to determine those that do need medical referral. As a licensed healthcare provider, the audiologist appropriately refers patients to physicians when the history, the physical presentation, or the results of the audiometric evaluation (AE) indicate the possibility of a medical or surgical problem. Many audiologists also dispense (sell and service) hearing aids and related assistive listening devices for the telephone, TV and special listening situations.