| By :
Nick Messe
Hearing loss affects approximately 30% of all Americans age 65 -70 and 50% of those over the age 75 as reported by the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. This gradual loss of hearing is called presbycusis and according to many doctors, caused by exposure to loud noises or heredity. Blockage in the ear canal may also be the cause of a hearing problem. There are solutions for many of those with hearing loss. The first step is to visit an audiologist for an audiological assessment who measures and evaluates hearing loss. The degree and type of hearing loss measured in decibels provides the audiologist with information needed to quantify hearing loss. Hearing loss is measured in decibels and assessed by testing the individual ability to hear a tone of various frequencies. Normal hearing ranges from approximately 40 Hz to 20,000 Hz. 20-40 dB is considered mild hearing loss, 40-6- dB is considered moderate hearing loss and 60 dB and above is consider severe hearing loss. The hearing evaluation involves a number of interrelated tests which will provide the audiologist with a comprehensive picture of hearing loss. The frequency range of the hearing loss provides clues suggesting possible causes. Hearing loss may be temporary or permanent and audiological testing will determine the answer. Many who have been diagnosed with a loss of hearing are periodically monitored by the audiologist who are looking for an additional loss of hearing loss and fluctuation. They also determine if treatment should be modified or eliminated. For those newly diagnosed, a surgical procedure, hearing aid or rehabilitation may be prescribed however it is vital to stabilize hearing before continuing. Should a hearing aid be prescribed, an extremely accurate "Real Ear Measurement" is performed to provide the patient with a custom earpiece and custom fit. Follow up examinations will check for audio performance and make adjustments accordingly. Prior to a hearing test, the audiologist will need to obtain vital information before beginning. They will want to know if you are experiencing hearing loss, when it may have begun, the duration and what may have been the cause. Did hearing loss happen gradually or suddenly and is it in one or both ears. Have you had any recent medical issues with your ears and do they ring? This is called tinnitus. Have there been any type of discharge from your ears? Is there a problem in any particular frequency range and have you been in any very noisy situations and for how long? These are just a few questions the audiologist will ask before conducting a hearing test. An ear exam is performed prior to the test to check for deformations. A magnifying lens equipped with a light called an endoscope is used to check the inside ear canal for wax, infection or foreign objects. The eardrum is examined for perforation upon deeper exploration. A referral to a medical doctor may be made at this time based on the evaluation of the audiologist. Testing a patient's ability to hear very faint tones and charting the results on a graph is called pure tone audiometry. Word recognition is also performed at this time. Diagnosing hearing loss in children is vital. If left undetected, speech and language skills may suffer. Hearing loss in children may be accompanied by other various disabilities. Taking care of your ability to hear is extremely important and at the first signs of a problem, a professional audiologist should be consulted and an in depth hearing exam performed.
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