Treating Hearing Loss with Surgery
There are two main types of hearing loss: conductive and sensorineural. Conductive hearing loss is caused by problems in the middle ear and outer ear, while sensorineural hearing loss is the result of inner ear problems. Sensorineural hearing loss is often referred to as nerve deafness and is usually treatable only with hearing aids. Conductive…
Communication Disorders in Older Adults
During May Is Better Hearing & Speech Month, Midwest ENT Centre is spotlighting the importance of early detection and treatment for communication disorders in older Americans. Roughly 40 million Americans experience these disorders. Speech/language or swallowing disorders may result from medical conditions, such as oral cancer, stroke, Parkinson’s, or traumatic brain injury. Adults may also…
How Do I Clean My Ears?
Help! My ears feel full and I want to clean them myself, but …… DO NOT PUT ANYTHING SMALLER THAN YOUR ELBOW IN YOUR EARS! Many people want to use q-tips or bobby pins to clean their ears when they feel full. Using a q-tip or anything like that can actually make the fullness worse,…
Communication Strategies For Telephone Use
Whether you are a hearing aid user or not, hearing on the telephone when you have a hearing loss can be very challenging. This often leads to misunderstanding and frustration with the caller or the inability to have a conversation on the telephone at all. Below are some strategies you can use that may help…
What Happens After a Failed Newborn Hearing Screening?
A diagnostic Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) evaluation should be scheduled, immediately. An ABR is used to assess the auditory (hearing) nerve function and to estimate hearing levels. It is a physiological test that measures electrical impulses that are transmitted through nerves from our ears to the brainstem. What does the test involve? Electrodes are placed…
Could Your Medication Be Damaging Your Hearing?
Could your medication be damaging your hearing? Ever wonder if medication could be causing hearing loss? The answer is yes- depending on what type of medication it is and the dosage. Medications, prescription and over-the-counter, can be ototoxic (damaging to the ear). This can cause hearing loss, ringing in the ears or balance disorders. Certain…
Better TV Listening With A Neckloop
Even with properly fitted hearing aids, it can be difficult to understand the TV due to poor room acoustics, distance from the TV, and background noises like the dishwasher running or other people talking. Using a neck loop with the t-coil function on your hearing aids may improve your listening experience while watching TV. From previous…
Hearing Loss in Babies
Did you know babies wear hearing aids at 6 weeks of age? You may ask, “How is it possible to know that a 6 week old baby has hearing loss?” Most babies will undergo a newborn hearing screening prior to discharge from the hospital. The newborn hearing screening can detect possible hearing loss in the…
Benefits of Using a Neck Loop
Using the T-coil and Neck Loops With Your Hearing Aid In the last blog, I talked about t-coils and how they can increase the functionality of your hearing aid or cochlear implant. T-coils are like wireless antennas. They pick up magnetic signals transmitted from a sound source and then deliver that sound directly to your…
Realistic Expectations for Family Members With Hearing Loss
“My mother still has a hard time hearing me even when she is wearing her hearing aids.” Many spouses and family members experience a lot of frustration when someone they love suffers from hearing loss. Typically, they have dealt with this invisible disability for several years. Once they finally convince that loved one to get…