Being able to hear what is going on around you is a major part of leading a normal, full and enjoyable life. Interacting effectively with others and the environment as a whole is significantly less challenging when your hearing is functioning at or near it's full capacity. When it's not, it's easy to start having difficulty understanding what is happening. Although man associate hearing loss with old age, it can happen to anyone regardless of how old they are. Anyone who is experiencing signs of such difficulties should take them seriously and possibly have a hearing evaluation performed to determine the cause and best form of treatment.
It is not always easy to notice signs of hearing loss. As the changes can be very gradual at times, the person who is experiencing them may not even notice. Oftentimes it is easier for those around them to recognize some of the signs.
The signs often manifest in changes in behavior. Classic signs are when the TV or radio is at an unusually high volume compared to what used to be used in the past. This can occur gradually over time and be nearly undetectable to the individual having the difficulty but others may notice more easily. Frequent complaints of the person not listening to what is being said could indicate an issue as well. Another sign to watch for decreased attendance at social events, which could indicate that they are trying to avoid situations in which they need to be able to hear well to communicate effectively.
When signs occur and it is suspected that there is a significant issue, a visit to the doctor is in order. The physician may in turn refer the patient to an audiologist for a hearing evaluation.
Different methods are available for assessing the problems. With an audiometer test, the patient is in a soundproof booth and wears headphones that are connected to the audiometer itself. Tones of different frequencies and volumes are produced and the patient must signal when and where they hear the tones. The audiologist plots the results on an audiogram, a chart which will show the volumes and frequencies at which the difficulties are most pronounced.
A tuning fork is often used to help determine the type of loss. It is placed on the center of the forehead and the patient then tells whether the sound is the same in both ears or if they can hear it better in one ear than in the other.
Another test can be performed to assess how well one can hear when there is background noise. The patient must repeat sentences that they hear. This is done at first without any background noise, then it repeated with extra noise coming from different angles and at differing volumes.
Once the hearing evaluation is complete, the appropriate course of action can be determined based on the findings of the exam. Thus the testing and assessment is the first, essential step in determining what the problem is and how it can be corrected so that the person with the hearing loss can lead a normal life.
It is not always easy to notice signs of hearing loss. As the changes can be very gradual at times, the person who is experiencing them may not even notice. Oftentimes it is easier for those around them to recognize some of the signs.
The signs often manifest in changes in behavior. Classic signs are when the TV or radio is at an unusually high volume compared to what used to be used in the past. This can occur gradually over time and be nearly undetectable to the individual having the difficulty but others may notice more easily. Frequent complaints of the person not listening to what is being said could indicate an issue as well. Another sign to watch for decreased attendance at social events, which could indicate that they are trying to avoid situations in which they need to be able to hear well to communicate effectively.
When signs occur and it is suspected that there is a significant issue, a visit to the doctor is in order. The physician may in turn refer the patient to an audiologist for a hearing evaluation.
Different methods are available for assessing the problems. With an audiometer test, the patient is in a soundproof booth and wears headphones that are connected to the audiometer itself. Tones of different frequencies and volumes are produced and the patient must signal when and where they hear the tones. The audiologist plots the results on an audiogram, a chart which will show the volumes and frequencies at which the difficulties are most pronounced.
A tuning fork is often used to help determine the type of loss. It is placed on the center of the forehead and the patient then tells whether the sound is the same in both ears or if they can hear it better in one ear than in the other.
Another test can be performed to assess how well one can hear when there is background noise. The patient must repeat sentences that they hear. This is done at first without any background noise, then it repeated with extra noise coming from different angles and at differing volumes.
Once the hearing evaluation is complete, the appropriate course of action can be determined based on the findings of the exam. Thus the testing and assessment is the first, essential step in determining what the problem is and how it can be corrected so that the person with the hearing loss can lead a normal life.
About the Author:
You can visit the website hearingassociatesmd.com for more helpful information about The Basics Of A Hearing Evaluation
No comments:
Post a Comment