How You Hear

Hearing begins when the outer ear, the visible portion of the ear that is on the outside of the head, channels sound waves down the auditory canal. This tube like passageway is lined with tiny hairs and small glands that produce ear wax.

The middle ear lies at the end of the auditory canal. It is composed of the ear drum and three small bones known by the layman as the hammer, the anvil and the stirrup. When sound waves hit the ear drum, it vibrates and, in turn, moves the hammer. The hammer moves the anvil, which moves the stirrup which moves the vibrations into the inner ear.

The inner ear consists of the cochlea and the nerve of hearing. It converts sound waves into nerve impulses that travel to the brain via the movement of tiny hair cells. The brain, in turn, allows us to hear...as long as the message it is receiving is not distorted due to problems in the process just described.

Click here to view a 3-D video tour of the ear

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What can I expect during a hearing evaluation?

When you arrive for your exam, you will be greeted by the front office staff and asked to fill out several forms, including those that record your personal information, medical history and verify your insurance. You will also receive a copy of a Notice of Privacy as mandated by law. At the beginning of the evaluation, Dr. Mario will review your personal information with you and will ask you some questions that are designed to discover the specific types of environments in which you may be experiencing some difficulty in hearing. To discover your hearing abilities the following will be accomplished:

1. OTOSCOPY: Dr. Mario will look into your ears by using an otoscope. This instrument is used to see the ear canal and the ear drum and whether or not there is ear wax obstructing the canal.

2. PURETONE AUDIOMETRY: Dr. Mario will place headphones and a bone oscillator that are connected to an audiometer over your ears. The audiometer transmits a series of tones at a variety of volumes into your ears to determine the exact point or "threshold" at which you can hear various frequencies of sounds. When you hear a sound, you will be asked to push a button or raise your hand.

3. SPEECH AUDIOMETRY: During this test you will listen to a series of one and two syllable words at different volumes and be asked to repeat them. This will determine the level at which the patient can not only detect, but understand speech.

4. SPEECH IN NOISE TEST: This test will determine how well you hear in a noisy environment.

5. REVIEW RESULTS: The results of your tests will be recorded on a graph called an audiogram, which Dr. Mario will review with you. The audiogram reflects your hearing abilities in frequencies and decibels.

Call today to schedule an appointment for your hearing test at Mario Hearing & Tinnitus Clinics!

(781) 979-0800

Introduction to Hearing Loss

Many people suffer from hearing loss. In fact, the latest available statistics show that over 10% of the U.S. population report difficulty hearing! That's over 31.5 million people! And as the Baby Boomer generation continues to age, that number promises to increase dramatically

Are you are one of those millions of people who do not hear as well as they once did? If so, you are certainly not alone. Consider these statistics reported by Sergei Kochkin, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Better Hearing Institute :

• 3 in 10 people over age 60 have hearing loss;
• 1 in 6 baby boomers (ages 41-59), or 14.6%, have a hearing problem;
• 1 in 14 Generation Xers (ages 29-40), or 7.4%, already have hearing loss;
• At least 1.4 million children (18 or younger) have hearing problems;
• It is estimated that 3 in 1,000 infants are born with serious to profound hearing loss.

In addition, studies have linked untreated hearing loss to emotional, physical, mental, psychological and even economic disadvantages! And, to make matters even worse, there are many "myths" about hearing loss that prevent those with hearing loss from doing anything about it.

Causes of Hearing Loss

One of the most common "myths" about hearing loss is that only "old people" suffer from it! In fact, the reverse is true! The majority (65%) of people with hearing loss are younger than 65 and six million people in the U.S. between 18 and 44 suffer from hearing loss (Better Hearing Institute website).

The truth is that there are several causes of hearing loss with "exposure to noise" ranking high among the reasons. The primary causes of hearing loss are:

• Exposure to noise
• Medicine
• Aging process
• Disease
• Head trauma

Types of Hearing Loss

Not all hearing loss is corrected through the use of hearing aids or alternative listening devices. Type of hearing loss determines the specific treatment required.

There are four types of hearing loss:

• Conductive: This could be caused by something as simple as earwax buildup!
• Sensorineural: This is caused when tiny hairs in the cochlea are missing or damaged.
• Mixed: This is a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss
• Central: Strokes and central nerve diseases are often the cause of this type of hearing loss.
• Head trauma