American Academy of Audiology | HowsYourHearing.org An Audiologist is… An audiologist is a state licensed health-care professional that holds either a

American Academy of Audiology | HowsYourHearing.org

An Audiologist is… An audiologist is a state licensed health-care professional that

holds either a doctoral degree or a master’s degree in audiology from an accredited university.

• Audiologists perform any of the following functions:o prescribe and fit hearing aidso assist in cochlear implant programso perform ear or hearing-related surgical monitoringo design and implement hearing conservation programs and newborn

hearing screening programso provide hearing rehabilitation training such as

• auditory training• speech reading• listening skills improvement


Over 36 million Americans

Suffer from Hearing Loss!

That is over 4 times the amount of people living in New York City!

Over 18 million are under the age of 65


How We Hear: Outer EarThe outermost part of the ear is called the pinna. The pinna acts

like a funnel directing sound waves into the ear canal.

The sound waves then travel through the ear canal to the ear

drum.

The sound waves vibrate the ear drum and those vibrations are transmitted to the middle

ear.


How We Hear: Middle EarThe middle ear is made up of the hammer, anvil, and stirrup bones.

These three bones are the smallest in the body and are collectively

known as the ossicles.

The ossicles amplify and transfer the sound vibrations from the ear

drum to the inner ear. hammer

anvil

stirrup


How We Hear: Inner Ear

The inner ear is made up of the semicircular canals and the

cochlea.

Each part of the inner ear is very different in form and function to the

human body.

semicircular canals

cochlea


Inner Ear: Semicircular Canals

The semicircular canals are the portion of the ear that helps detect

movement and maintain balance.

The semicircular canals are filled with fluid, and as we move, it is that

fluid that allows us to detect the movement and maintain our

balance.

semicircular canals


Inner Ear: The CochleaThe cochlea houses the organ of

Corti.

As sound vibrations move through the cochlea, they vibrate the microscopic hair cells found

within the organ of Corti.

The vibrations of these hair cells trigger the electrical impulses sent

to the brain from the auditory nerve, allowing us to hear.

From David J. Lim. Functional Structure of the Organ of Corti: A Review. Hearing Research, 22 (1986) 117-146 Elsevier

cochlea

auditory nerve


Types of Hearing Loss

Sensorineural Hearing LossConductive Hearing Loss

Mixed Hearing Loss

• The safest way to determine if you have a hearing loss is to visit your audiologist for a hearing evaluation. An audiologist

can then work with you to determine the best treatment option for your hearing loss.


Sensorineural Hearing Loss:• Is permanent and sometimes preventable.• Is the most common form of hearing loss.

• Can affect people of all ages.• Is a high frequency hearing loss, that can occur from aging

and/or noise exposure (Noise-Induced Hearing Loss).

• Does not have any medical or surgical treatment options, in most cases.

o Hearing aids are the primary treatment (an audiologist should be your primary health-care provider for testing

and fitting hearing aids).o A cochlear implant may be considered for patients with

severe or profound cases of this form of hearing loss.


Sensorineural Hearing Loss

• Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when the

microscopic hair cells within the organ of Corti are

damaged.

• Once the hair cells are damaged, they do not

regenerate.From David J. Lim. Functional Structure of the Organ of Corti: A Review. Hearing Research, 22 (1986) 117-146

Elsevier


KNOW THE SIGNS: • Trouble hearing conversation in a noisy environment such as restaurants.

• Difficulty or inability to hear people talking to you without looking at them.

• A constant buzzing or ringing in your ears (tinnitus).

Do You haveSensorineural Hearing Loss?

High-frequency hearing loss may be difficult to “self-diagnose” because it occurs slowly over time.

People with this form of hearing loss often can still hear, but they cannot hear clearly.


Tinnitus

• Is an internal sound often accompanying hearing loss that is often described as a:

• Ringing, buzzing, hissing, crickets, roaring, shower-like noise, ‘shhhh’ sound, or humming.

• It can be constant or intermittent.

• Many people who suffer from tinnitus report that it is bothersome and say that it causes a decrease in quality of life.


Conductive Hearing Loss

Conductive losses occur when sound waves are prevented

from reaching the inner ear.

Possible Causes:• Blockage in the ear canal from:

o A foreign object.o Ear wax (cerumen) build-up.

• Fluid occupying the middle ear space (often due to ear infections, otitis media)

• Poor movement of the ossicles resulting from:o Otosclerosis.o Trauma separating the ossicles

from one another• Atresia or Stenosis

o A condition where people are born with very small ear canals or a malformed/absent pinna and ear canal.


Mixed Hearing Loss

• Hearing loss that involves both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss components.


Degrees of Hearing Loss• Audiologists use general terms to characterize the degree of

hearing loss. o Normal o Mild

o Moderateo Severe

o Profound

• The category of hearing loss represents the softest level of sound (decibels) you can hear at different pitches.


The Hearing Evaluation

Audiologists perform a hearing evaluation to determine the type and severity of the hearing problem.

There are three parts to a hearing evaluation:Review of your medical and hearing history.

Visual examination of the eardrums and ear canals.The hearing test.


The Hearing Test

An audiologist will place you in a sound booth to test your hearing at different pitches

(frequency) and decibel levels.

• You will be asked to listen to a series of specific sounds and indicate which ones

you hear.

• The results are noted on an audiogram that your

audiologist will review with you.


People with untreated hearing loss (people with hearing loss who do not wear hearing aids)

can experience a decreased quality of life.

SadnessDepression

AnxietyParanoia

Poor social relationships


If you think you or someone you know might have a hearing

problem, visit www.HowsYourHearing.org

to find an audiologist near you.Questions???

http://www.howsyourhearing.org/

Documents

American Academy of Audiology | HowsYourHearing.org An Audiologist is… An audiologist is a state licensed health-care professional that holds either a