subject: The Hearing Center And Your Diagnosis [print this page] There may be some indication that you are losing your hearing if you are no longer able to hear some of the simple things that you could previously. It could be a major loss or just a partial loss and can occur in either one or both ears. Over 25 million Americans suffer from some form of hearing loss. It is more prevalent, but not limited, to older people. It is also one of the most common birth defects as between 3 and 4 babies are born with some type of hearing impairment.
When you suspect hearing loss, visit your hearing center where the doctor will check your medical history, perform a physical, and find out what your symptoms are. These questions will include where the problem is located, how much hearing loss you have experienced, and what you think the cause may be. You may have a series of tests performed, the Otoscopy, Weber Test, and the Rinne Test. The audiologist at the hearing center will then perform several audiometric tests where you will listen to several different sounds and tell the doctor if you are hearing them or not. These tests include:
*Tympanometry, where air pressure will be put in the ear canal so that the eardrum will move. This measures the pressure in the middle ear.
*Acoustic Reflex, which measures how the middle ear responds when introduced to loud sounds.
*Static Acoustic measures, which measures how much air is in the ear canal.
*CT and MRI head scans so that the hearing center technicians can check for any head injury.
*Auditory Brainstorm Response, which is when responses are measured by electrodes to see how the brain reacts to certain stimuli.
*Otoacoustic Emissions, which are sounds emitted by the cochlea, which can be measured by an ear canal probe.
If any of these hearing center tests detect problems you can begin treatment so that further hearing loss can be prevented and can be referred to an audiologist for further testing. It is recommended that you have hearing tests done as early as birth, then before they enter kindergarten, each year through 3rd grade, middle school, and then as a Junior in high school, then every 10 years as an adult.
Though congenital hearing losses are not preventable, there are ways to prevent other types of hearing losses. These are to stop or not start smoking, prevent ear infections in your child, treat any other medical conditions early that can lead to hearing loss, such as meningitis, make sure that any nutritional deficiencies are addressed, such as lack of folic acid, and make sure that your child is up to date on is immunizations against things like mumps, measles, and influenza.
