The effects of hearing loss can be minimized if:

• Your problem is correctly diagnosed;
• You receive the right type of treatment; and
• You and your hearing care team are committed to solving the problem

Step One: The Interview
Purpose: To help our professionals determine the extent of your problem and uncover any specific areas requiring further attention.

Some Typical Questions:

• Has anyone else in your family had hearing difficulty?
• Have you had any illnesses or injuries that might have affected your hearing?
• Have you taken any medications that might have affected your hearing?
• Have you been exposed to loud noises in your job or leisure activities?

Step Two: The Examination
Purpose: To help our professionals determine whether the hearing loss you are experiencing could be caused by an obstruction or damage to the ear canal or ear drum. Our professionals will use a special instrument called an otoscope to inspect the outer ear.

Step Three: The Testing
Purpose: To help our professionals determine the nature of your hearing loss.  Tests, like the following, may be used depending on their assessment of your needs:

• Audiometric pure tone evaluation to measure your hearing at different frequencies.
• Speech evaluation to measure how well you hear and understand ordinary conversation at different volumes.
• Immittance middle ear evaluation to measure how your ear drum and hearing react to varying degrees of air pressure.
• If you are suffering from a hearing loss, your results will be documented on an audiogram.

Step Four: Treatment Options

Hearing Aids
Hearing aids come in a variety of designs, with a wide range of functions and features to address an individual's specific needs. The most basic components include a microphone, an amplifier, a receiver, and (in the case of digital hearing systems) a small computer. The unprecedented effectiveness of modern digital systems comes from a powerful combination of professional expertise, software, and hardware.

Surgery & Implants
Devices surgically inserted into the ear to improve hearing, facilitate lip-reading, and make it easier to distinguish certain sounds. Typically, these are most helpful to deaf or profoundly hearing-impaired people unable to use hearing systems.

A few examples of surgical implants:

• Cochlear Implants
• Middle Ear Implants
• Bone-Anchored Hearing Systems
• Auditory Brainstem Implants

Assistive Listening Devices
Specialized technologies that help people with all degrees of hearing loss. These devices can facilitate improved face-to-face communication, reception of electronic media, telephone reception, and reception of important warning sounds and situations.

Related Topics:
Hearing Loss Information
Tinnitus Information
Balance Information
Communication Tips
Protecting Your Hearing