Hearing loss is one of the most common health problems in this country, with more than 20 million people affected.  Only hypertension and arthritis are more common.  Yet hearing loss can develop so slowly that the person with a hearing loss is not even aware of it.  Hearing loss deserves professional care.  The first step is an audiological evaluation so that recommendations for help can be made.

 

Hearing facts:

  • The cochlea (inner ear) has more than 15,000 hair cells that can respond to sound waves.

  • The human ear is able to distinguish more than 250,000 different sounds.  It is most sensitive in the 300 - 3000 Hz range -- precisely the range of the human voice.

  • 120 million people world wide have significant hearing loss enough to interfere with communication.

  • The average American male will lose 40% of his birthright hearing hair cells by the age of 65.

  • 80% of all hearing loss in the USA is due to excessive noise.

  • 1 in 10 Americans have significant hearing loss.

Understanding ear anatomy is our specialty!  Simply put:  we will help you hear what you've been missing.

 

Hearing loss:  The Invisible Handicap

  • Hearing loss affects more than 20 million Americans, yet only 1 in 5 people seeks professional help.  Why does hearing loss so often go undetected and untreated?  And why do so many people put up with the family and social problems that hearing loss can cause?

 

Some of the reasons that hearing loss often goes undetected are:

  1. Gradual - Hearing loss usually develops so slowly that the person with the loss may not notice any change.  A loss of one decibel a year is not noticeable, but after 15 or 20 years a very significant loss can develop.

  2. Partial - In most cases of hearing loss, only certain frequencies are affected.  Hearing for low pitch sound may still be too loud.  The loss may affect only high pitch sounds or the softer range of sounds.  As a result, the person still hears a great deal of sound (and some sounds may actually be too loud), but voices are unclear or distorted because of the significant loss for high frequencies.

  3. Painless - There is usually no pain or feeling associated with hearing loss.  One exception is the pain that can be associated with middle ear infection, which is much more common in children than adults.  However, tinnitus -- a ringing, buzzing or other noise in the ear -- is sometimes related to hearing loss.

  4. Invisible - There are not physical signs of hearing loss, and someone with a perfectly normal appearing tympanic membrane can have a profound cochlear hearing loss.  The person with a hearing problem doesn't look any different, of course, and in most cases of adult hearing loss, the person's voice is no different.  And of course, it's not possible to look into the inner ear or cochlea where most hearing problems develop.

Thus, there are good reasons why the person with the hearing loss is usually "the last person to know."  There are sound reasons for what might be called denial.

These factors also explain why friends or family members usually notice the hearing problems first.  When family and friends start having to repeat or someone talks about possible hearing problems, it's time for an audiological evaluation.  It's always a good idea to get specific information whenever someone questions their hearing... and we've never heard someone complain if the results of an audiological evaluation indicate normal hearing.