ENT DOCTOR BLOG
Posts for tag: Hearing Loss
Around 48 million Americans suffer from hearing loss. It can affect you at any age, though it not an inevitable part of aging, and in most cases, it can be prevented. Dr. William R. Bond Jr is a specialist in Otolaryngology and ENT (ear nose and throat) services based in Washington DC. He offers experience, understanding, and support to all of his Washington patients, and he can help you deal with hearing loss, as well.
Types of Hearing Loss
The three types of hearing loss are:
- Conductive hearing loss: prevents sound waves from reaching the nerves that enable hearing. It can affect one or both ears. It may be caused by injury to the ear, an ear infection, ear wax, or a disorder of the middle ear. This type of hearing loss can usually be fixed.
- Sensorineural hearing loss: damage to the nerves in the inner ear or to the nerves that transport sound to the brain. It can be caused by an injury to the ear, exposure to excessive noise, a tumor, or an ear infection.
- Mixed hearing loss: nerve damage caused by injury, an ear infection, or aging. It is a combination of the two types of hearing loss listed above.
An ENT specialist can give you a hearing test and diagnose which type of hearing loss you have.
How to Prevent Hearing Loss
The following tips will help you reduce your risk of hearing loss:
- Avoid exposure to persistent loud noise
- Do not listen through headphones at full volume
- If you are exposed to noise above 85 decibels, wear earplugs.
- Ask your doctor for an audiogram to test your hearing.
Loss of hearing can be debilitating and can harm your social life. If you are noticing hearing loss or if you have a sensation of ringing or fullness in your ears seek advice from an ENT specialist.
If you live in Washington DC and you are struggling with hearing loss, call Dr. Bond at (202) 726-7770.
Maybe you didn’t even notice it but other members of your family pointed out the fact that you need to blast the TV in order to hear it or that you have to asked people to repeat themselves quite often. If people often sound like they are mumbling or difficult to understand then you could be dealing with hearing loss. Approximately 48 million Americans deal with some degree of hearing loss. If you are part of this statistic then it’s important that you turn to an otolaryngologist you can trust.
While you may not realize it, an ENT doctor is exactly the specialist you want on your side to not only diagnose your hearing loss but also to provide the hearing aid you need to improve your hearing. While a hearing aid is not designed to restore hearing it can help amplify certain sounds to make hearing much easier.
There are a variety of different hearing aid options available to you, and the style you choice will really depend on your goals, lifestyle, degree of hearing loss, budget and any special features you are looking for. Common hearing aids styles include:
Invisible-in-the-Canal (IIC): Just as the name suggests, this style of hearing aid is placed deep within the ear canal so it’s completely invisible. It’s a great option for those with mild-to-moderate hearing loss.
Completely-in-Canal (CIC): Also good for mild-to-moderate hearing loss, this style will allow the hearing aid to be completely invisible within the ear canal. The only difference is that a clear tab on the hearing aid is used to place and remove it.
In-the-Canal (ITC): A small portion of this hearing aid is visible but it is flesh-colored so it won’t be obvious to those around you. It’s a great style for those dealing with mild to severe hearing loss.
In-the-Ear (ITE): This style is also capable of handling a wide variety of hearing loss, from mild to severe. This hearing aid is custom-made to fit the outer area of the ear rather than sitting within the ear canal.
Receiver-in-Canal (RIC): This allows the speaker to sit within the ear canal where it is out of sight; however, the speaker is connected to the amplifier (which sits behind the ear) by wires rather than tubing. It’s a discreet option for those with mild-to-severe hearing loss.
Behind-the-Ear (BTE): This type of hearing aid allows the speaker to lie hidden within the ear canal. The speaker is attached to a clear, thin tube that is connected to the amplifier, which sits behind the ear. This is a great option for those with moderate-to-severe hearing loss.
It’s important to find the right hearing aid to fit your unique needs, and an ENT doctor can provide you with the quality hearing aid you’re looking for so that you can be part of the conversation again.
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- Hear muffled speech or sounds
- Have a problem understanding individual words
- Need people to speak more loudly or slowly
- Have to turn up the television or radio
- Withdraw from social events or conversations
- Protect your ears by wearing earplugs or earmuffs if you are in a loud workplace
- Have your hearing tested by an audiologist or ENT specialist. Current recommendations are to have your hearing tested at least every 10 years through age 50, and every three years after age 50.
- Protect your ears from damaging loud noises in your daily activities and recreation, especially listening to rock concerts, shooting guns or riding in loud vehicles.
- Take breaks from continuous loud noises.