Say What?! A discussion on hearing loss, hearing aids and implant - - PDF document

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Say What?!

A discussion on hearing loss, hearing aids and implant options

Why Talk About Hearing?

• Hearing loss is the 3rd most prevalent disabling condition

with advanced age (#1 Arthritis, #2 Hypertension)

• About 20% of adults in the U.S. (48 million) report some

degree of hearing loss

• 60% of the people with hearing loss are either in the

workforce or in educational settings

• In older people, a hearing loss is often confused with, or

complicates, conditions such as dementia.

• About 2-3 out of every 1,000 children are hard of hearing or

deaf

• Some hearing loss can be PREVENTED.

Available from Internet on January 21: http://www.hearingloss.org

Why Talk About Hearing?

“Blindness separates us from things, but hearing loss separates us from people” – Helen Keller

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Overview

• 1. How the ear works
• 2. Hearing evaluation process
• 3. Interpretation of the hearing evaluation
• 4. Current hearing aid technology
• 5. Communication strategies
• 6. Community resources

HOW THE EAR WORKS Two Systems

Peripheral System consists of: – The Outer Ear – The Middle Ear – The Inner Ear The Central System – Brainstem – Auditory Cortex (Temporal Lobe)

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Three Parts of the Peripheral System

Available from Internet on January 21: http://enriquem12bio.wikispaces.com/5.+THE+STRUCTURE+AND+FUNCTION+OF+THE+HUMAN+EAR

Peripheral Auditory System

Available from Internet on January 21: http://enriquem12bio.wikispaces.com/5.+THE+STRUCTURE+AND+FUNCTION+OF+THE+HUMAN+EAR

Systems of the Inner Ear

Available from internet on January 21: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/sound/eari.html

6/10/2016 4 Normal & Abnormal Outer Hair Cells

Available from internet on January 21: http://www.pnas.org/content/97/13/6939/F1.expansion.html.

Primary Auditory Cortex

Available from internet on January 21: http://dspace.jorum.ac.uk/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/965/Items/SD329_1_section17.html Available from internet on January 21: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Primary_auditory_cortex.PNG

HEARING EVALUATION

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Warning Signs of Hearing Loss

• Asking for repetition
• Turning up the TV
• Tinnitus that is constant or occasional
• Slight muffling of sound
• Speech is difficulty to hear in noisy social

environments

Complete Hearing Evaluation

Tests often included: – Collection of case history – Otoscopy – Immittance testing – Pure tone testing – Speech testing

Immittance Testing

• Used to test the status of the middle ear system
• This is NOT a hearing test!
• Three measurements:

– Tympanometry – Acoustic reflex – Acoustic reflex decay

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Pure Tone & Speech Testing

• Conducted in the sound booth
• Air Conduction vs. Bone Conduction
• Several beeps will be presented at varying

pitches and volume levels

• Goal: find the softest level that you

can hear at each pitch

• Speech Testing
• Repeat a list of words for each ear
• Goal: understand the difficulties

experienced by the patient when understanding speech

Classification of Hearing Loss Types of Hearing Loss

Three types of loss – Sensorineural

• Cause of loss is located in the inner ear or

8th nerve – Conductive

• Cause of the loss is located in the outer or

middle ear – Mixed

• Cause of the loss is both a conductive and

sensorineural

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Causes of Conductive Hearing Loss

• Fluid in the middle ear from colds
• Allergies
• Impacted earwax
• Foreign body in the ear canal
• Otosclerosis

Causes of Sensorineural Hearing Loss

• Noise (exposure to loud noise)
• Aging (presbycusis)
• Genetic hearing loss
• Head trauma
• Virus or disease
• Combination of causes

Degree of Hearing Loss

Mild Hearing Loss 26-40 dB Moderately Severe 56-70 dB Normal Hearing 0-25 dB Moderate Loss 41-55 dB Severe 71-90 dB Profound > 90 dB

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Configurations of Hearing Loss

• Shape of the hearing loss
• Types of configurations

http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Best-Hearing-Loss-Simulations-Understanding-Audiograms-and-the-Impact-of-the-Speech-Banana

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Current Hearing Aid Technology Hearing Aid Styles

Behind the Ear Receiver in the Ear Half Shell ITE Completely in Canal Full Shell ITE Lyric

Available from internet on May 20: http://www.phonak.com/

Different Levels

• f Technology

Economy Basic Advanced Premium

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Current Implant Technology Types of Implants

• Middle Ear Implants
• Moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss
• Auditory Brainstem Implant
• Typically used for patients with neurofibromatosis 2

(NF2)

• Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA)
• Adults or children with conductive hearing loss
• Cochlear Implants
• Adults or children with severe to profound

sensorineural hearing loss

Available from internet on May 20: www.hearlifeclinic.ae

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Available from internet on May 20: speech-language-pathology-audiology.advanceweb.com & sciteech.com Available from internet on May 20: umm.edu, ais.southampton.ac.uk, www.midwesthearingconsultants.com, www.audiologyonline.com Available from internet on May 20: mommyspeechtherapy.com, gigaom.com

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Community Resources Utilize Community Resources

Places that offer Assistive Listening Devices:

• Movie theaters
• Churches
• Century Link Center
• Orpheum Theater

Available from internet on May 20: https://marcustheatres.com/Movie/Captions/

Other Assistive Technology

• Alarm Clocks
• Fire/CO Alarms
• Weather Alert
• Television
• TV Ears, Closed Captioning,

Amplifiers

• Telephones/Cell Phones
• Amplified ringers, visual alerts, vibrating alerts,

amplified phones, Bluetooth connections

Available from internet on January 21: http://www.harriscomm.com/equipment.html

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Community Organizations

Other Resources:

• Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (NCDHH)
• Nebraska Department of Education Vocational Rehabilitation (VR)
• Assistive Technology Partnership
• Local Hearing Aid Banks
• Sertoma, Lion’s Club, HearU

Questions?

Ashton Lampe, Au.D. Phone: (402) 559-5208 Email: alampe@nebraskamed.com