Specialist referrals are necessary
It’s a medical issue that has doubled its incidence rate over the past 30 years, according to the American Speech- Language-Hearing Association. While there are a number of treatment options when it comes to hearing loss, the various types of the condition affect a wide range of people and can onset at different stages in life.
It is estimated that over 28 million Americans suffer from some type of auditory problem,” said Glenn Waguespack, certified clinical audiologist at the Highland Clinic. “Hearing loss affects both children and adults and can be congenital or acquired later in life.”
When it comes to the causes of hearing loss, genetics are a significant factor. Other factors, including lifestyle choices and environmental influences, play a part as well.
Heredity plays an important role in hearing loss and can be responsible for hearing problems in both children and adults,” Waguespack said. “Hereditary hearing loss in children is generally present at birth; however, hereditary hearing loss in adults can occur at any stage of life. A significant risk factor in children is heredity, but frequent losses in newborns are attributed to drug use by the mother.”
Waguespack said a history of ear infections in children is also a major cause of hearing loss, but that in those incidences it can usually be corrected medically or surgically.
“Other than the heredity factor in adults, a common cause of hearing loss is noise exposure,” he said. “A number of years ago, noise induced hearing losses were attributed to working in a hazardous noise environment. Currently there are an increasing number of teenagers who sustain hearing loss from loud music and hunting without appropriate ear protection.”
There are varying types of hearing losses, which come with varying treatment options.
“Conductive hearing losses usually affect the external and/or middle ears,” Waguespack said. “These losses are generally amenable to medical treatment and are often correctable. These individuals are generally seen by an [ear, nose and throat] physician.”
“Sensorineural hearing losses are the losses frequently described as a nerve-type hearing problem and primarily affect the inner ear,” he said. “They generally cannot be treated medically, and these individuals often experience communication problems. The usual solution for these individuals is the fitting of appropriate amplification.”
Waguespack said that there are also mixed hearing losses, which are a combination of a conductive and a sensorineural hearing loss.
“While the conductive component can sometimes be remedied through medical or surgical means, the nerve loss cannot be treated, and these individuals often wear hearing aids,” he said.
Should someone want to have their hearing examined and screened for any type of hearing loss issue, the appropriate action to take lies within a trained and licensed professional.
“The most effective means of diagnosing a hearing loss is to have a complete audiological evaluation performed by a certified, licensed audiologist,” Waguespack said. “These individuals have a graduate degree in audiology and are trained to administer a battery of tests designed to determine the type of hearing problem and the effects on communication.”
“Referral to an [ear, nose and throat] specialist follows the battery of tests to determine if the loss is medically correctable or whether amplification might be a feasible option.”
If the problem cannot be resolved medically or surgically, Waguespack said patients are referred for a variety of amplification options, and sometimes enrollment in speechreading and auditory training classes.
“A number of years ago only analog hearing aids were available to patients,” he said. “Although these aids provided amplification of speech, they also amplified background noise. Now manufacturers produce hearing aids with digital technology. These instruments are not only programmable, but they also reduce some of the background noise.”
Waguespack stressed the importance of knowing that hearing aids won’t restore the hearing back to normal, how eyeglasses might bring vision back to normal range. To find the right equipment for each individual, customization and trial and error are the best approach.
“Patients should not purchase a hearing aid without a trial period,” he said. “The trial period is available at a minimal cost to the patient, and allows the patient to experiment with the hearing aids in different listening situations. A good fit by an audiologist generally provides the patient with a customized program that can be modified depending upon the patient’s experiences with amplification in different listening environments.”
If hearing aids are not a viable option for a particular patient, a few other treatment methods exist to meet those special needs.
“For patients whose hearing loss is not correctable by conventional hearing aids, other options such as cochlear implants and bone-anchored devices may assist the patient in alleviating some of the communication problems resulting from the hearing loss.”
–Katie Ho
