Being unable to hear, or knowing you or a loved one are suffering from any type of hearing loss can be devastating. It presents many challenges and, at times, can leave you feeling helpless. In many cases, the hearing loss problem is minor and can be treated with antibiotics. However, if your condition is more severe, your audiologist can help you treat or manage the problem.
What To Expect at Your First Visit
Audiology at Northeast Georgia ENT utilizes a thorough evaluation and consultation to fully assess your hearing needs. Through a combination of state-of-the-art hearing tests and a comprehensive interview, we’re experts at identifying the best solutions that meet your priorities. Understanding your concerns and expectations for improved hearing is of utmost importance.
Your hearing evaluation will begin with a complete review of any symptoms of hearing loss you might have and a discussion of how your hearing impairment affects your daily activities. We will also review your lifestyle and specific hearing requirements to get a better sense of your needs.
Our experienced audiologists use comprehensive instruments to painlessly inspect your outer ear. Visually examining your ear helps us determine if the hearing difficulty you’re experiencing is being caused by an obstruction or if it’s due to any damage to the ear canal or eardrum.
Next, we will perform a complete battery of audiometric tests to identify the thresholds of sound you are comfortably able to hear. Using a specialized pair of headphones, we test your ability to hear various pitches and volumes of sound, as well as spoken words. These tests will also simulate real-life environments to assess your hearing ability amidst varying levels of background noise.
If the results indicate that hearing loss is present, we will provide a complete consultation to educate you and develop a customized hearing solution that meets your needs.
Hearing Loss Causes
There are many causes behind hearing loss. The most common include:
- Extended exposure to loud noise
- Earwax buildup
- Ear infections
- Heredity/Genetics
- Head trauma
- Viral infections
- Certain chemotherapy and radiation treatments
- Certain ototoxic antibiotics
Types of Hearing Loss
There are three primary types of hearing loss:
Sensorineural
This deals with the deterioration of the inner ear or the hearing nerve. Age, noise exposure, some cancer treatments and systemic illness cause this loss. This type of loss can also impair comprehension ability.
Conductive
This results from a problem with the conduction of sound from the outer ear to the inner ear where the nerve is located. Wax buildup, ear infections and trauma to the ear cause conductive hearing loss. People with this type of loss have trouble with volume rather than comprehension ability.
Mixed
This happens when there is a problem in the inner ear and outer or middle ear. It’s a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.
Contact Us
If you are experiencing symptoms of hearing loss, or other condition of the ear, contact Northeast Georgia ENT to schedule an appointment. Our fully licensed audiologists are trained to diagnose hearing loss and help determine a solution to treat and manage it. If you have already been diagnosed with hearing loss and are interested in hearing aids, we can help customize a plan to fit your needs.