Hearing Loss Frequently Asked Questions

Noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) results after prolonged or repeated exposure to dangerous sound levels. Any sounds in excess of 90dB have the potential to cause permanent hearing loss based on the amount of time you are exposed to that sound.

Exposure to loud sound levels damages both the sensitive hair cells of the inner ear and the hearing nerve, and symptoms of NIHL often include Tinnitus, muffled sounds, or difficulty understanding speech. NIHL is permanent, but preventable.

Sounds at or above 85 decibels (dB) can damage your ears. A decibel is a unit that measures the intensity of sound. Sounds that humans can hear are measured on a scale from zero to 140. A normal conversation is about 60 dB. Chainsaws, hammer drills, and bulldozers ring in at over 100 dB. So if you are a construction worker, harmful sounds may be a regular part of your job. The same goes for people working around lawn mowers and factory machinery every day. Airport workers and farmers are two more groups that are regularly exposed to loud noise. However, loud noise does not have to be an everyday happening to cause damage. One time exposure to very loud noises, such as the sound of a gun firing at close range, can harm your ears permanently.

There are two rules:

1. If you have to raise your voice to talk to someone who is an arm's length away, then the noise is likely to be hazardous.
2. If your ears are ringing or sounds seem dull or flat after leaving a noisy place, then you probably were expose to hazardous noise.

Wear ear plugs or special earmuffs when you are exposed to dangerous levels of noise; they can keep your hearing from being damaged. Hearing protection is important any time you're exposed to loud noise.

In addition to hearing aids, Audiphone Company of Akron offers Custom iPod Earphones to the Akron, Ohio area. Custom Earphones make listening to music players like the iPod much more comfortable because the earphones are made from custom molds of your ears.

This perfect fit improves sound quality and ensures the earphones will stay in place even during activities.

Click here to go to our Custom iPod Earphones Page

Several types of protective earplugs and earmuffs are available in most pharmacies, hardware stores, and sporting goods stores. Audiphone Company of Akron can provide you with custom fit ear plugs.

Click here to go to our Custom Hearing Protection Page

When you first use hearing aids you may find that your voice sounds strange to you. The voice may sound hollow or booming as if you were talking in a barrel. This phenomenon is known as the occlusion effect. The voice distortion is so annoying to some hearing impaired people that they leave their hearing aids unused even though a few simple adjustments may take care of this problem in most cases.

The problem occurs when the hearing aid ear mould completely fills the ear canal trapping the vibrations from your own voice in the ear. Instead of escaping the ear, the vibrations bounce off the blockage and stay in the ear making the voice appear louder. In the lower frequencies the voice may be amplified as much as 20 dB.

In most cases, creating a vent through the hearing aid to unblock the ear solves the problem. This allows the vibrations of your own voice to escape the ear. A larger vent promotes a more normal sounding voice.

Some hearing aids come with a pressure relief vent, equalizing the air pressure in the ear, but these vents are often too small to reduce the occlusion effect. Thus, it may be necessary to create a larger passage in the hearing aid.

The occlusion effect can be measured during the hearing aid fitting. If the sound bothers the hearing aid user our Audiologist will be able to relieve the problem in most cases.

More adjustments may be necessary for satisfactory hearing aid performance, but the corrective steps make getting used to the hearing aid easier. So called open hearing aids with extremely small ear moulds have eliminated much of the occlusion problem. But this type of hearing aid is suitable only for treatment of mild or moderate hearing loss.

Age-related hearing loss, or presbycusis, is the slow loss of hearing that occurs as people get older.

Causes: Tiny hairs inside your ear help you hear. They pick up sound waves and change them into the nerve signals that the brain interprets as sound. Hearing loss occurs when the tiny hairs inside the ear are damaged or die. The hair cells do not regrow, so most hearing loss is permanent.

There is no known single cause for age-related hearing loss. Most commonly, it is caused by changes in the inner ear that occur as you grow older. However, your genes and loud noises (such as from rock concerts or music headphones) may play a large role.

The following factors contribute to age-related hearing loss:

• Family history (age-related hearing loss tends to run in families)
• Repeated exposure to loud noises
• Smoking (smokers are more likely to have such hearing loss than nonsmokers)

Certain medical conditions and medications also contribute to age-related hearing loss. About half of all people over age 75 have some amount of age-related hearing loss.

Symptoms: The loss of hearing occurs slowly over time. It is most difficult to hear high-frequency sounds, such as someone talking. As hearing gets worse, it may become difficult to hear sounds at lower pitches.

Symptoms include:

1. Certain sounds seem overly loud
2. Difficulty hearing things in noisy areas
3. High-pitched sounds such as "s" or "th" are hard to distinguish from one another
4. Men's voices are easier to hear than womens.
5. Other people's voices sound mumbled or slurred
6. Ringing in the ears

The symptoms of Presbycusis may resemble other conditions or medical problems. Call us to schedule a a Hearing Evaluation if you have any of these symptoms.

According to the American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association (ASHA), Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, has been experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. ASHA defines it as: “the perception of sound in the head when no external sound is present”. In addition to “ringing”, head noises have been described as hissing, roaring, pulsing, whooshing, chirping, whistling and clicking. The ringing or other sounds can be perceived in one or both ears, as occurring inside or outside the ear.

ASHA recommends having an exam with special attention to checking factors associated with Tinnitus like stress, fibromyalgia, medications, diet and allergies and problems with the auditory system such as ear wax, ear infection or noise induced hearing loss.

Other causes of Tinnitus can be dental in origin such as tempromandibular joint dysfunction or TMJ. Diet can also increase the level or intensity of the sound. Things that are reported to be problematic for people with Tinnitus are: caffeinated beverages, chocolate, salt, spicy food, MSG, alcohol and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame.

It is important to see an Audiologist to determine if hearing loss is also present with the Tinnitus.

See also: Tinnitus Treatment and Management

Hearing loss is often categorized according to what part of the auditory system is affected. The three basic types of hearing loss are Conductive, Sensorineural and Mixed.

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA):

Conductive Hearing Loss

• Conductive Hearing Loss occurs when sound is not conducted efficiently through the outer ear canal to the eardrum and the tiny bones, or ossicles, of the middle ear. Conductive hearing loss usually involves a reduction in sound level, or the ability to hear faint sounds. This type of hearing loss can often be medically or surgically corrected. Examples of conditions that may cause a conductive hearing loss include fluid in the middle ear from colds, allergies, ear infection, perforated eardrum, benign tumors, impacted earwax, presence of a foreign body or malformation of the outer ear, ear canal or middle ear.
  

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

• Sensorineural Hearing Loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear (cochlea) or to the nerve pathways from the inner ear (retrocochlear) to the brain. Sensorineural hearing loss cannot be medically or surgically corrected. It is permanent. Sensorineural hearing loss not only involves a reduction in sound level, or ability to hear faint sounds, but also affects speech understanding, or ability to hear clearly. Sensorineural hearing loss can be caused by diseases, birth injury, drugs that are toxic to the auditory system, and genetic syndromes. Sensorineural hearing loss may also occur as a result of noise exposure, viruses, head trauma, aging, and tumors.
  

Mixed Hearing Loss

• A Mixed Hearing Loss exists when conductive hearing loss occurs in combination with a sensorineural hearing loss. In other words, there may be damage in the outer or middle ear and in the inner ear (cochlea) or auditory nerve.
  

Many people think that hearing aids will correct their hearing allowing them to hear “normal” again. This misconception often makes people have unrealistic expectations of hearing aids. The result of hearing aids is different than that of eyeglasses. Once you put on glasses, you may see with 20/20 vision again. With hearing aids, you have to retrain your brain to process and recognize sounds that you may not have heard in years or decades. Hearing aids will significantly improve your hearing and make a difference in your quality of life, but the results are not instantaneous. That said, today’s technology provides the clearest, most natural sound quality ever available.

By law, a 30-day trial period is required with all purchases of hearing aids. In that period of time, we recommend follow-up visits to help you adapt to the hearing aids. We greatly recommend that new users of hearing aids try them for at least that long before considering returning the instruments.

Typically, hearing aids are not covered by insurance. However, some companies do have policies that will cover part or all of hearing aids. We can help you verify coverage and file any necessary claims.

The short answer is no. Unfortunately, hearing loss is typically due to a lifetime of exposure to damaging sounds as well as genetic factors that tend to appear as we age. Once sensorineural hearing loss develops, it is a permanent condition. Conductive hearing losses can occasionally be corrected with medical or surgical intervention, but a complete hearing evaluation is necessary to determine what type of hearing loss you have.

Read about the different types of hearing loss.

Some people have had hearing aids in the past that either did not work well for them or that they failed to allow enough time to adjust to. We agree that there are many people who have been dissatisfied with their hearing aids and have given up on them. However, the majority of people with hearing loss can benefit from properly fit hearing aids. We strive to ensure success with all of our fittings.

We believe follow up care is the most important factor in adapting to hearing aid use. Hearing aids are not like glasses, where you may see 20/20 as soon as you put the glasses on. We process sound in our brains, and since most people lose their hearing gradually, it is important to re-learn how to hear gradually. We like to see our clients multiple times during the initial fitting of new hearing aids to address any programming or fit issues right away. We also like to continue to see our clients every few months for regular professional cleaning and to solve any problems that may arise over time.

Advancements in Hearing Aid Technology have greatly improved the characteristics that deterred success such as feedback (whistling), occlusion (the plugged-up feeling), and too much background noise. These newer technologies combined with good follow-up care, can ensure your success with hearing aids.

Family, friends, and people at work are just as bothered by your hearing loss as you are.

• They may be impatient because they have to repeat what they say to you so often. Conversations with you become time consuming.
• They can't communicate with you by phone the way they used to.
• You miss out on whispered affections.
• They feel at a loss to help, and they often wish for the "old relationship" they remember.

This is where you can take the lead and consult our Certified Audiologist to see what can be done to improve your hearing and to improve communication at home, at work, and in your social and leisure time activities.

The most common hearing aid battery sizes are 10, 13, 312 and 675. To identify the size, most manufacturers use an industry standard color code on their zinc air tabs and packaging as follows:

• Size 10 (or 230) yellow
• Size 312 brown
• Size 13 orange
• Size 675 blue

Manufacturers often place letters before or after the battery size to designate their factory reorder number. For instance: The size 13 Orange used by Energizer is designated AC13E while Ray-O-Vac designates theirs 13A - both are size 13 batteries. For more information see our Hearing Aid Battery Chart

A Zinc Air Battery uses air outside the battery as a source of power. The factory applied tab seals the air holes in the battery and ensures freshness until you are ready to use the battery.

Do not remove the tab until you are ready to use the battery.

To activate the battery, you simply remove the tab. After removing the tab, wait about one minute prior to inserting the battery into your hearing aid. This allows sufficient time for the air to enter and activate the ingredients.

Replacing the tab when the battery is not in use will not extend the battery life.

You should store your hearing aid batteries at room temperature. Avoid storing your batteries in hot places since heat will shorten the life of the batteries. Refrigeration is also not recommended. Batteries should not be carried loose in your pocket or purse. If a battery inadvertently comes into contact with a metal object such as coins or keys the battery may charge, leak or in rare incidences even rupture. To prevent this from occurring keep unused batteries in the original packaging or in a battery holder.

Batteries that have been fully discharged can be thrown in your regular trash. Store and discard batteries in places that cannot be reached by infants or children. If a battery is swallowed, see a doctor immediately. For recommended treatment, call the 24-hour National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 202-625-3333 (call collect if necessary), or call your poison center at 1-800-222-1222.

Zinc air batteries can and should be disposed of in your normal trash and not accumulated. Accumulating batteries can lead to risk of fire.

Store and discard batteries in places that cannot be reached by infants or children. If a battery is swallowed, see a doctor immediately. For recommended treatment, call the 24-hour National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 202-625-3333 (call collect if necessary), or call your poison center at 1-800-222-1222.

Modern Zinc Air Hearing Aid Batteries take about a minute to power up after you remove the tab. That’s approximately how long it takes for the outside air to penetrate the battery’s tiny air holes and mix with the battery’s zinc chemistry to power your hearing aid.

Yes – it is a good idea to open the battery door on your hearing aid when you are not using it. This stops battery drain and may allow air in to remove any moisture buildup.