September 18th, 2010 by admin
Hearing loss and its affiliated terminology can sometimes be difficult to navigate.Following are some of the more commonly used terms which we provide as a resource to help better understand certain conditions.Acoustic Neurinoma is a benign tumor that has been known to contribute to hearing loss.Ampulla is the section of the semicircular canal where the sense organ for head rotation is located.Auditory Neuropathy is a condition where nerves are unable to process sound.AIED is an acronym which stands for Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease. Read the rest of this entry »
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September 17th, 2010 by admin
It’s often thought that the best defense is a strong offense, so with that dictum in mind we supply the following resource list of Texas-based organizations and affiliations as a starting point to better understand and best manage hearing impairment or hearing loss which afflicts an estimated one million Texans.La Vista is a full service senior independent living community located in San Marcos (near the Medical Center) which was designed with the deaf and hard of hearing in mind.Relay Texas and STAP (Specialized Telecommunications Assistance Program) is a division of the Public Utility Commission of Texas that works to provide telephone interpreting service between individuals who can hear and those who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled via funding through the Texas Universal Service Fund.Texas Association for the Deaf (TAD) was established as a membership organization to promote leadership, growth and equality among deaf and hard of hearing Texans be aligning with issues such as community development, consumer affairs, health and social services, communication access, employment and training, and the visual and performing arts. Read the rest of this entry »
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September 17th, 2010 by admin
It’s often thought that the best defense is a strong offense, so with that dictum in mind we supply the following resource list of Texas-based organizations and affiliations as a starting point to better understand and best manage hearing impairment or hearing loss which afflicts an estimated one million Texans.Advocacy Inc. represents people with disabilities to assure their human, legal and service rights remain in alignment with federal mandates.CSD (Communication Service for the Deaf) has 27 offices throughout the nation and provides services such as interpreting and TTY repair as well as human services such as in-home high speed internet service.DARS (Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services) and its DHHS arm (Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services) works to assist deaf or hard of hearing persons to eliminate societal barriers and improve equal access for people of all ages who are deaf or hard of hearing regardless of location, socioeconomic status, or degree of disability. Read the rest of this entry »
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September 16th, 2010 by admin
Hearing loss can be tested and diagnosed in any number of ways and to many levels of sophistication.A few of the most common testing processes include:
- History The audiologist will generally ask questions pertaining to the types and levels of noise you have been exposed to throughout your life as well as information about past illnesses. This helps in determining the best tests to be performed in your hearing loss assessment.
- Physical Exam The audiologist will most likely look into the ear with a device known as an Otoscope which will help determine if there are any physical abnormalities present.
- Pure Tone Tests In a sound proof room the audiologist will perform tone tests to determine variations in hearing frequencies. Each ear will be tested separately as well as a combined hearing assessment.
- Speech Testing Similar to Pure Tone Tests, this test is also performed in a sound proof room where the audiologist administers a series of words of varying syllabic length. This helps to assess the level at which speech can not only be heard, but understood.
- Middle Ear Test Often the audiologist will check the middle ear with a probe in what is called an impedance test.
Once these tests (or others your audiologist may determine necessary) have been completed, an audiogram is charted and graphed. The purpose of the audiogram is to “quantify and qualify” the extent of hearing loss.
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September 16th, 2010 by admin
Hearing loss can be devastating when it happens, but the fear associated with it can be lessened when information about the condition is better understood.Following are a few bullet points that should answer immediate concerns:
- Hearing loss is generally defined as both the sudden and gradual lessening of the ability to hear.
- It can affect people of all ages, but statistics indicate it affects 40 of the population of individuals over the age of 65.
- There are two categories of hearing loss congenital (which means the condition was present at birth) and gradual (which happens over a period of time).
- In the case of gradual hearing loss, the two most common contributing factors are noise and age.
- Other factors known to contribute to gradual hearing loss are a build-up of ear wax, injury to the ear or head, or a ruptured ear drum.
Should symptoms such as muffled hearing, a ringing or roaring in the ear, or ear pain present themselves it is recommended that a physical exam be performed to best determine cause and course of treatment.
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