How do I know if I have a hearing loss? "People mumble!", "If everyone would just talk normal.", "I don’t play the TV loud, my wife has super hearing!", "How is anyone supposed to hear with all that NOISE." If that sounds like you, then more than likely you have a hearing loss. Or maybe this sounds more like you: "If I had a problem, I'd know it!" Well, usually people DON'T realize the extent of hearing loss as it is invisible, painless and often progresses unnoticeably over several years. Patients can compensate by asking others to repeat, turning the TV up louder or possibly even reading lips. When you use these techniques to hear, you can mistakenly believe there is no problem. However, by the end of a big listening day, you can be exhausted. You might not even stay awake for the 10 o'clock news! The effort needed to compensate for hearing loss is draining. You don't know what you are missing until you get it back. You also don't realize the effort you are making to hear until hearing becomes easier again. Get all the jokes and don't be a punch-line. Consult an audiologist if any of these situations sound familiar. Get back into life and enjoy what better hearing can do for you.

  What Causes Hearing Loss? Hearing loss in adults can come from many sources. Disease or infection like otosclerosis or meniere's disease will cause hearing loss, hearing loss from drugs that are toxic to the ears like high doses of aspirin or some chemotherapy drugs, hearing loss can occur with excessive exposure to noise like gun fire, power tools and loud music, some tumors can cause hearing loss and tinnitus, trauma to the ear or head can damage hearing, and the aging process or presbycusis will eventually cause hearing loss. Hearing aids can't cure the disease or condition, or prevent it from getting worse, however they can assist you in managing the permanent effects of hearing loss. Untreated hearing loss can contribute to feelings of anxiety, sadness, depression, paranoia, or reduced social activities. Consult with an audiologist to determine if any of these problems have effected you. Get back into life and enjoy what better hearing can do for you.

  What is this noise in my ears? Tinnitus or Tin-eye-tis is hearing sound when no outside sound is there. It is usually described as "ringing in the ears," but also can sound like hissing, roaring, pulsing, whooshing, chirping, whistling, clicking or ringing. It can occur in one ear, both ears, come from inside your head or outside your head, can be a symptom of hearing loss, or can exist without any hearing loss. Almost everyone at one time or another has experienced brief periods of mild tinnitus or you may have the constant variety. The list of causes of tinnitus is a few yards long. Chances are you have one or a dozen of the items on that list. Only when a specific factor is linked to the appearance or disappearance of the tinnitus can a cause be stated with some certainty. A blow to the head, large doses of certain drugs such as aspirin, anemia, hypertension, noise exposure, stress, impacted ear wax, hearing loss and certain types of tumors are all conditions that might cause tinnitus. Consult with an audiologist to start your journey toward peace of mind and conquer that annoying ringing in your ears.

  How do I know what hearing aid I should get? Do I REALLY need Digital? Your audiologist will first want to determine your hearing loss, visualize your ear canal and outer ear and find out about your typical communication activities. Are you often at home with family, at work, what are your social activities and what leisure time activities do you have? You are a very important partner in this discussion. Your answers and preferences will help the audiologist provide you with some specific recommendations of hearing aids that would be best for you. You might ask, "Is it Digital? Do I NEED digital?" Well, technology has changed significantly in the last 15 years and the term "digital" can apply to almost every hearing aid. The more important question is "what features do I need?" With so many technical features and as many different ways to approach them, the advice of a licensed audiologist is essential to navigating all the choices in amplification today. There are hundreds of hearing aids and dozens of manufacturers, your audiologist will help you find the right balance between technology and cost.

  Do I REALLY need 2 aids? If you have hearing loss in each ear that would be improved with a hearing aid then the answer to the question is a resounding YES! Our brain works best when both ears are sending it the same information at the same volume. We hear with our ears but understand with our brain. If the ears are not sending equal information, the brain cannot successfully make sense of difficult situations like hearing speech in a noisy environment or listening to one person with multiple conversations going on. One-sided hearing limits our ability to hear where sounds are coming from. If we can't localize sounds, the entire environment acts like it is right next to your ear competing for your attention. Lastly, our ears are like muscles, if we don't exercize them with good hearing, we reduce our ability to use the ear well. As always, consult with a licensed audiologist to determine the best recommendation for you and your hearing.

  So what if I have a hearing loss? I can manage. Untreated hearing loss can have considerable psychological consequences. Patients may become depressed or feel isolated from friends and family. They can experience feelings of frustration and anger at everyone's apparent lack of effort to communicate effectively. Eventually, this will result in being hesitant to interact in a group for fear of embarrassment when the inevitable misunderstandings occur. Before you know it, you may start rejecting social engagements and activities you enjoyed because you "prefer" to stay home. Get out of the house, back into life and enjoy what better hearing can do for you.