audiology specialties

Facts:

• Age 60+ — 3 in 10 have hearing loss
• Baby boomers, ages 41-59 — 1 in 6 have a hearing problem
• Generation Xers, ages 29-40 — 1 in 14 already have a hearing loss
• Age 18 or younger — at least 14 million already have hearing problems
• Infants — 3 in 1,000 are born with severe to profound hearing loss

Did You Know?

• Aging is the most common cause of hearing loss
• A study by Johns Hopkins and National Institute on Aging researchers suggests seniors with hearing loss are significantly more likely to develop dementia over time than those who retain their hearing
• Exposure to loud or continuous noise may accelerate hearing loss
• Infection in the outer or middle ear may cause permanent or temporary hearing loss
• Ear wax blockage can cause decreased hearing
• There is link between some medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular and hearing loss
• Trauma, especially involving a skull fracture or punctured eardrums can cause hearing loss
• Some diseases and syndromes can cause diminished hearing
• Smoking may act as a toxin, harm blood flow to the cochlea, or change blood consistency. Decreasing or quitting smoking may prevent or delay age-related hearing loss
• Risk for hearing loss is increased by diseases that result in blocked blood flow, including atherosclerosis, problems with blood clots, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and collagen vascular diseases

Signs of Decrease in Hearing:

• Frequently asking others to repeat themselves
• Trouble hearing in noisy environments, such as a restaurant
• Perception that people are not speaking clearly or mumbling
• Complaints by others that the TV is too loud

Core Services:

• Comprehensive audiometric evaluation: To assess you hearing skills and provide detail description of the test results. Based on your hearing you may or may not be a hearing aid candidate. If you are a candidate, a hearing aid evaluation will be conducted
• Tinnitus management: Tinnitus is often referred to as ringing, chirping, hissing, or clicking in the ears. Tinnitus is the medical term for the perception of sound in one or both ears or in the head when no external sound is present. Management of Tinnitus includes:
  • Treating the underlying cause
  • Altering reactions to it
• Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE)
• Comprehensive hearing aid evaluation
• Hearing Aid Fitting
• Post-Hearing Aid Fitting

Additional Audiology Services:

• Custom hearing protection
• Custom swimmers' ear plugs
• Custom musicians' ear plugs
• Assistive Listening devices (ALDs): Today's technologically advanced hearing aids do an excellent job of improving hearing. However, sometimes there are situations where additional technologies may be needed such as the ALDs. Assistive Listening Devices can further facilitate better hearing and communication

Hearing devices are the primary means of managing hearing loss that cannot be treated medically or surgically. Based on your evaluation, our audiologist, Dr. Elizabeth Jackson, AuD may recommend hearing devices or refer you for further in-house tests.

A number of hearing aid models and styles are available to our patients. We will help find the best match for each of our patients based on their medical conditions and budget.

Once hearing aids are elected as a treatment and the doctor has medically cleared a patient, our patients consult with Mr. Spears on the best matches for their hearing loss. Hearing aids are fitted and custom ordered from our manufacturer. Once the hearing aids arrive, a fitting session is scheduled. During this session, Mr. Spears will help find the best fit and the optimal results through using the complex computer algorithms within these modern devices. All hearing aids have a 30-day trial period where they can be returned for a refund less the fitting fees (nominal costs for the disposable tools used to fit the hearing aids).

Services Include:

• Comprehensive hearing aid evaluation: This evaluation determines whether there is a need for amplification and, if so, what fitting parameters would best match patient's needs
• The Hearing Aid Fitting: Computerized and personalized fitting of hearing aids to meet patient's hearing needs. This also includes personalized counseling patients about hearing aid use and detailed explanation of all the controls
• Post-Hearing Aid Fitting: Verifying hearing aid functionality and making adjustments to meet patient specific hearing needs
• Continued counseling and hearing aid adjustments

Treating your hearing loss and managing your tinnitus can have a positive effect on your day to day life at home or at work.