Archive for the ‘vertigo’ category

May is Better Hearing Month!

May 4th, 2011

By: Peter J. Marincovich, Ph.D., CCC-A
Audiology Associates
1111 Sonoma Ave., Suite 308
Santa Rosa, CA 95405
(707) 827-1630
www.audiologyassociates-sr.com

May is Better Hearing month—but despite the fact that more than 34 million Americans report some type of hearing problem, relatively few are screened annually. With about 1 in 10 Americans reporting some type of hearing difficulty, hearing loss is the third most common health problem in the United States. Although hearing problems are commonly associated with the aging process, hearing loss affects all age groups. More than half of hearing impaired persons in the United States are under age 65, including 6 million people between the ages of 18 and 44—and more than 14 million are school-age children. Here are some things to be aware of concerning hearing.

Better Hearing & Speech MonthSound voids. Do you hear “ool” but not sure if someone said “pool,” “tool” or “cool”? Do you find yourself saying “I hear OK, but I have trouble understanding,” or “Soft sounds are too soft but loud sounds are too loud.” Hearing clearly when there’s background noise can be especially difficult for someone with hearing loss and trying to explain your hearing situation can often be difficult.

It’s common for people to be unaware of their hearing loss due to the gradual nature of its progression. As hearing slowly declines, an individual develops compensation strategies without even realizing it. Often it’s others, who are trying to communicate with the hearing-impaired individual, who are more aware of the situation. Hearing problems often go unrecognized, sometimes taking years before sufferers seek professional help.

Causes. There are many causes of hearing loss. Sometimes it’s readily apparent, such as wax build-up in the external ear canal, a condition that’s easily treated but unfortunately goes unrecognized in many individuals. Other causes can include hereditary factors, trauma, ear disease and certain medications. The cause of hearing loss is sometimes presumed. For instance, noise-induced hearing loss attributed to the use of stereo systems or portable music players is a growing phenomenon. Avoiding loud noise may help prevent premature hearing loss and the perception of sound voids.

There are easy ways to tell if a particular sound is potentially harmful. Do you have difficulty talking or hearing others talk over the sound? Does the sound make your ears “ring” (tinnitus), “hurt” or seem “muffled” after exposure? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, the noise may be damaging your hearing. Most people don’t realize how loud everyday sounds actually are. Nearly 30 million Americans are exposed to dangerous noise levels each day, and 10 million Americans suffer from irreversible hearing damage due to noise.

The diagnostic hearing tests. The purpose of a complete evaluation is to determine the true nature of any hearing loss. The diagnostic process may include a variety of tests, depending on the assessment of your needs: audiometric tests to measure hearing at different pitches; speech evaluation to measure how well you hear and recognize ordinary conversation at different volumes; immittance tests of the middle ear; and complete medical evaluations.

Tinnitus is a medical condition characterized by persistent ringing in one or both ears, which can only be heard by the affected individual. These sounds can come and go; however, most suffers experience symptoms 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The American Tinnitus Association estimates more than 50 million Americans suffer from tinnitus. It’s also the number one complaint from United States veterans. In some cases, tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) and tinnitus retraining instruments (TRI) may provide individual solutions.

The balance system, due to its close proximity to the hearing mechanism, is also part of a comprehensive hearing evaluation. Fear of falling is a major health concern of individuals in their latter years. Nearly 300,000 hip fractures result from balance-related falls every year. The natural aging process may affect any one or all of the senses, as well as the central nervous system’s ability to interpret and react quickly to them. It’s very common to hear from someone who has fallen that they saw the curb or step, but just were not able to react fast enough or to keep their balance. With proper diagnosis and therapeutic exercise called balance retraining, many older adults are able to return to a more active lifestyle.

The Communication Needs Assessment in addition to the diagnostic hearing evaluation and after medical evaluation, if an individual still suffers from difficulty communicating; a complete communication needs evaluation is now the gold standard of hearing care. The fist step is identifying the individual’s need: What are the listening situations where the individual would like to hear well? The second step is identifying the individual’s lifestyle. For example, not just if they have trouble hearing in restaurants, but how often they do, or would they like to, go to restaurants.

May is Better Hearing & Speech MonthTechnology alone doesn’t help people hear better. Instead, it’s how well the practitioner works with the individual and applies the technology. If an individual doesn’t see well through a pair of glasses, it’s not due to the “glass,” per se. It has to do with either the measurement of the individual’s vision, the prescription or fit, or some combination. Hearing Aids are similar in application. What helps someone hear better is the correct amount of sound at the appropriate pitches for that individual’s hearing loss, environment and communication needs. Individuals with similar hearing loss may require completely different amplification strategies based on all of the factors mentioned here.

The all-important aftercare completes a comprehensive communication needs assessment for an exceptional sound experience. This includes assessment of need for assistive listening devices for telephone, Bluetooth, TV, loops or music systems. In addition to assistive solutions, aftercare will include lip reading and listening skills counseling.

It’s important that a hearing-impaired individual take an active role in listening and participate in the recommended auditory retraining and rehabilitation program to ensure he or she hears and understands as much as possible. The auditory system may not have heard certain voices and sounds for many years, and the reintroduction of new sounds and voices needs to be presented gradually. In other words, just as the hearing loss may have occurred gradually, the reintroduction of new sound needs to occur gradually. Through this process, each individual will adapt and develop necessary listening skills.

A hearing screening can quickly and accurately evaluate an individual’s hearing, determine the degree of hearing loss and put them on the path toward treatment. After treatment, it’s important to monitor the hearing loss to ensure the technology is meeting an individuals needs.

 

Peter J. Marincovich, Ph.D, CCC-A, is clinical director and owner of Audiology Associates, a full-service audiology practice since 1984, with offices in Santa Rosa, Mendocino, Novato and Mill Valley.

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Posted in AGX Hearing Aids, Assisitve Listening Technology, Audiologist, Balance, Balance Disorders, Balance Problems, Better Hearing, Buzzing in ears, California, Chronic Dizziness, Diagnostic Evaluations, Diagnostic Testing, Digital Hearing Aids, Dizziness, Dizzy, Ear Doctors, Fear of Falling, Hearing Aids, Hearing Care, Hearing Impaired, Hearing Lifestyles, Hearing Loss, Hearing Screening, Hearing Screenings, Hearing Technology, Hearing Test, Hearing Tested, Impaired Hearing, Loss of Balance, Mobility Disorders, Noise levels, Noise-induced, Peter Marincovich, Ringing in the Ears, Santa Rosa, tinnitus, Treatable Hearing Loss, Uncategorized, vertigo

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Baby Boomers: The Next Generation to have Hearing Loss

April 15th, 2011

By Crystal L. Chalmers, Au.D.
Doctor of Audiology
North State Audiological Services
15 Jan Court
Chico, CA 95928
(888) 844-7024
Follow North State Audiological Services | Facebook | Twitter | Youtube
www.nsaudiology.com

For many of you between the ages of 46 to 64, your time is coming.

Time, that is, to experience what so many of your parents and grandparents came to learn of fist hand: hearing difficulties caused by exposure to excess loud noise.

The “Baby Boomer” generation – those Americans born between 1946 and 1960 – accounts for some 76 million of us in the Untied States today and at least 15 percent of Boomers already have hearing loss.

This is a far cry from the previous 2 generations, who typically did not show symptoms of hearing loss until they were in their 70’s and 80’s.  Indeed, when I was an audiology student at Minot State University earning my Master’s of Science degree I was taught that only men in their 70’s and 80’s got hearing loss.

What has changed?  Our world is now much, much louder.

An Unprecedented Century

Prior to the Industrial Revolution of the 1890’s, relatively few Americans were exposed to loud noise.  At the turn of the 20th Century, much of our population inhabited rural areas with males working in non-mechanized agriculture and females involved in homemaking chores, which they performed by hand.  There were no vacuum cleaners or food processors.

However, with unprecedented technology, mechanization, and involvement in two World Wars, the US population got its first dose of exposure to excessive levels of loud noise.

Still, the field of audiology – born of the technological research in sonar for the Navy in WWII  — was in its infancy in the 1950’s and was relying on the only set of data on hearing loss available till then, which was testing conducted at the 1939 World’s  Fair in San Francisco.

But a funny thing happened.  That data was proven wrong when, in the mid 1980’s women in their 60’s started showing up in audiologist’s offices across the country with identical hearing loss of their male counterparts.

Audiologist & Ear Doctor, Dr. Crystal Chalmers, Chico, CaliforniaWho were these women and why, for the first time in recorded history, were they suddenly experiencing hearing loss?  She was, in fact, the “Rosie the Riveters” of WWII: those young American women who, with all the men serving in the armed forces, went to work in the factories and shipyards providing the “Arsenal of Democracy” with much needed war effort labor.  These women built the Liberty ships, Sherman tanks, and B-17 bombers used to defeat the Axis Powers …. And got themselves a hefty dose of impaired hearing in the process!

Post War Boom

After victory in WWII Americans got busy in the greatest economic surge in human history … and had babies.  Lots of babies.

And as those babies grew into young adults in the 60’s and 70’s a flourishing American economy provided them with all sorts of loud recreational activities.  From rock concerts to ski boats to hot rods to stereo systems, Americans got a steady diet of loud noise long before subsequent research showed the direct correlation between the noise and hearing loss.

Early Hearing Aids: Low-Tech = Bad Reputation

Parents of the Boomers had lousy timing as hearing aids back then were pretty awful.  These devices only made sounds louder for the wearer.  While a few people benefited from this simplistic approach to solving hearing difficulties, most did not and hearing aids got a deserved bad reputation.

So bad in fact that after graduating from school, I steered my career towards diagnostics, performing testing of the hearing system for the determination of medical problems such as the location and size of brain tumors and loss of balance problems.

The Digital Breakthrough

Everything about hearing aids changed in the late 1990’s with the breakthrough of digital hearing technology.  In essence, digital hearing aids are miniature computers that dramatically increase the amount of sound processes possible (and available to the wearer) as opposed to the old linear and analog products.  And digital products keep getting better, with several major advancements taking place during the last decade with the last two years seeing some terrific gains.

Today’s digital products are so advanced we don’t even call them hearing “aids” anymore.  Instead we prefer to call these amazing products “hearing technology” as they are smaller than ever with superb sound quality.  Top-of-the-line models have features that Boomers need such as “directionality” for enhancing sound coming to from the front, while tuning down sound coming from behind such as someone might experience at a noisy restaurant or party.  Also, Bluetooth capability enhances the lives of 21st century on-the-go active Americans.

Educate Yourself: Get the Facts about Hearing Care

The myths and misperceptions associated with hearing loss and hearing aids of 30 years ago should be put to rest.  The science of Audiology has come a long way as has hearing technology.  No one needs to suffer all the serious communication issues associated with hearing difficulties … if they would only seek help.

Get the facts!  As the month of May is National Better Hearing Month, I will be providing a Free Luncheon Seminar on Hearing Care on Wednesday May 4th at the Chico Women’s Club.  This informative seminar will answer all of your questions about hearing difficulties and technological solutions.   The seminar if free but advance reservations are required, so call my office at 1 (888) 893-1352 … because hearing is a wonderful gift!

About the writer: Crystal Chalmers, Au.D., is an AudigyCertified™ Doctor of Audiology, the owner of North State Audiological Services in Chico, and a member of Audigy Group, the nation’s largest member-owned association of independent hearing care professionals.

Since 2006, Audigy Group has interviewed over 5,000 of the 18,000 audiologists in the United States, yet has selected only 190 to be members in this elite association. AudigyCertified™ is a trade-mark of Audigy Group, LLC.

To learn more about Dr. Chalmers, her practice, and Audigy Group visit North State Audiological Services.

SIDEBAR:  More baby boomers showing signs of hearing loss

  • More than 55 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss—approximately one in 5 individuals — and this number is expected to increase further by 2030.  Much of that looming surge is a baby-boomer phenomenon.
  • Among Americans ages 46 to 64, about 15 percent already have hearing problems, according to a survey by the Better Hearing Institute.
  • Two out of three people with hearing loss are below retirement age.
  • Sixty percent of people with hearing loss are male.
  • Only 12 percent of physicians today ask patients if they have any hearing problems.
  • Only one in five people who could benefit from hearing aids currently wear them.

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Posted in AudigyCertified, Audiologist, California, Chico, Clinical Audiologist, Crystal Chalmers, Hearing Aids, Hearing Care, Hearing Difficulty, Hearing Health, Hearing Impaired, Hearing Loss, Hearing Technology, Impaired Hearing, Loss of Balance, Noise-induced, North State Audiological Serivces, Signs of Hearing Loss, Treatable Hearing Loss, Uncategorized, vertigo

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Dizzy? You’re Not Alone!

February 18th, 2011

By: Gary Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Audiology Director
Manatee Hearing & Speech Center
701 Manatee Ave. W., Ste. 201
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 749-5222
www.manateehearing.com

Prevalence

According to the National Institute of Health, nearly 90 million Americans report episodes of dizziness at some point in their lives. This figure translates into more than 8 million physician visits per year from people seeking help for their dizziness problems. As we get older, balance disorders are even more prevalent. The National Institute on Aging reports one third of people over the age of 65 falls at least once per year. Other studies indicate that balance and mobility disorders are the most frequent cause of chronic disability among the elderly and that 60% of all emergency room visits by the elderly are due to falls.

Gary Rodriguez, Ph.D. - Audiology Director at Manatee Hearing & Speech CenterImpact of Balance Problems

Disorders of balance and dizziness can have a significant impact on peoples’ lives beyond the obvious feeling of instability. Many patients report an inability to concentrate on various tasks, experience memory problems, as well as having increased tension due to fear of falling. These added problems occur because for most individuals, maintaining balance is an automatic function, requiring very little active thought process or energy. In contrast, people suffering from dizziness and imbalance allocate a great amount of energy to avoid falling. In some cases, dizziness and balance problems can result in withdrawal and isolation. Many people are hesitant to move in certain positions because it results in dizziness. Their overall activity level diminishes, which in turn causes more deterioration of their functional mobility. This creates a cycle of increased dependence on others which can lead to other psycho-social difficulties.

Diagnosis and Management

Unfortunately, the diagnosis and treatment of dizziness and balance problems is extremely challenging. People with chronic long-term dizziness see an average of five physicians for their condition. This is because dizziness can result from many different causes including interaction of medications, disturbances within the inner ear, diseases of the respiratory or cardiac systems, or tumors in the central nervous system. That’s why there needs to be a coordinated effort between your physician and medical experts specifically trained to handle the diagnosis and management of dizziness problems.

By virtue of their training and experience the otolaryngologists at The Ear, Nose & Throat Associates of Manatee are uniquely qualified to handle disorders of balance and dizziness. By obtaining a comprehensive medical history, clinical evaluation, laboratory tests and diagnostic evaluations these specialists can diagnose and treat your problems with success.

No Simple Task

We’ve all heard of the clumsy kid in high school who “can’t walk and chew gum at the same time”. However, the more we know about this process, the greater appreciation we have for the complexity of this task. Balance is an interaction of sensory centers within the inner ear or vestibular system, vision, and somatosensory input (information coming from the legs, feet and sensors within tendons and joints). All of this information is processed within the brain so that the appropriate interpretation of the world around you can take place. If there is damage or compromised function of one or more of these sensory systems, the brain misinterprets the information which results in instability. Fortunately, with recent advances in diagnostic equipment and therapy techniques, there is now help for those suffering from the debilitating effects of dizziness.

Vestibular Rehabilitation

Vestibular rehabilitation is an individualized approach of specific therapy protocols to help the patient overcome problems of dizziness and imbalance. Following a battery of diagnostic testing and examination by a physician, deficits within the various systems contributing to balance (vestibular, vision and somatosensory) are determined and a specific program is developed. This approach is a “symptom driven” program to help the individual overcome or improve in the areas of daily living where they are having problems. A thorough history, as well as, functional exam of current abilities and disabilities is completed. Vestibular rehabilitation also differs from many standard treatments of dizziness in that the use of medications to treat the symptoms is discouraged. Long-term use of medications under certain conditions, can even have the effect of making symptoms worse or delaying recovery.

Candidacy

Patients who seem to respond best to vestibular rehabilitation are those with a history of a generalized state of disequilibrium, motion provoked dizziness caused by changes in head or body position “every time I roll over to the right in bed, I get dizzy”, or have documented vestibular deficits within the inner ear system based on test results. Chronic conditions that have been present for a long period of time can also respond well to treatment.

Does Therapy Hurt?

No, however, it does require effort on your part. During vestibular rehabilitation, through a systematic and progressively more challenging series of head, body and eye movements, the brain learns to interpret new input from the ears, eyes and legs. At first, many individuals feel worse before they get better because they are being asked to do some of the things that bring on their symptoms of dizziness. However, with repetition, the central nervous system learns to interpret this new information, and symptoms of disequilibrium and dizziness improve. Therapy is done in an outpatient setting with individuals coming in once or twice a week. The program typically lasts only 6-10 weeks with “homework exercises” being done on a daily basis. As you might imagine, progress depends on the patients’ initial condition, motivation, and compliance with the program.

Does It Work?

Studies from major medical centers around the country reveal that improvement in functional balance and daily living activities can occur regardless of age. Although progress may be somewhat slower for someone in their 80’s, the actual amount of improvement that can be expected from this program is similar regardless of age. Approximately 75% of the patients enrolled in a vestibular rehabilitation program have significant improvement in their symptoms. This is good news for people suffering from dizziness and balance problems who are willing to invest time and energy into trying to get better.

This therapy is not for everyone. There are literally dozens of reasons why people may feel dizzy, many of which would not be appropriate for vestibular rehabilitation therapy. However, by working closely with your doctor and with referrals to specialists trained in the management of dizziness and balance, there is help for many individuals that was not available just a few short years ago.

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Posted in Balance, Balance Disorders, Balance Problems, Bradenton, Chronic Disability, Chronic Dizziness, Diagnostic Equipment, Diagnostic Evaluations, Diagnostic Testing, Disequilibrium, Dizziness, Dizzy, Fear of Falling, Florida, Gary Rodriguez, Imbalance, inner ear, Instability, Loss of Balance, Manatee Hearing & Speech Center, Mobility Disorders, Otolaryngologists, Treating Dizziness, Uncategorized, vertigo, vestibular nerve, Vestibular Rehabilitation, Vestibular System

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Hearing Loss, Dizziness and Balance Disorders in the Elderly

May 28th, 2010

By Neil W. Aiello, Au.D., FAAA, CCC-A
Doctor of Audiology
Cheif Operations Officer
Columbia Basin Hearing Center
1149 N. Edison Street, Suite D
Kennewick, WA 99336
(509) 736-4005
www.columbiabasinhearing.com  

Adults are now living longer.  But with increased longevity comes a corresponding increase in the incidence of hearing loss, dizziness and balance problems.  Each of these conditions are common problems among the senior population.  Some revealing statistics from the National Institute on Aging include: 

  • Approximately one-third of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 have hearing problems. 
  • Nearly half the people who are 75 or older have hearing loss. 
  • As many as 40% of all adults will experience dizziness severe enough to warrant reporting it to their doctor. 

In fact, according to the National Institutes of Health, over 90 million Americans will experience dizziness or vertigo in their lifetime.  Dizziness or vertigo is the #1 complaint of patients over the age of 70, and is the third most frequent complaint among all patients after headache and back pain.  Approximately 85% of all vertigo and balance problems are due to an inner-ear incident.

Neil Aiello, Au.D., Doctor of Audiology | Columbia Basin Hearing & Balance CenterHearing loss can have many causes including aging of the auditory system, overexposure to loud noises over a period of time, infections, ear wax buildup in the ear canal, heart conditions or stroke, head injuries, tumors, certain medicines and heredity.  Common symptoms of hearing loss include; if you often can hear people talking, but simply have difficulty understanding them; struggling to hear conversations clearly in background noise or in group situations; having difficulty hearing over the telephone or needing to turn the TV volume higher so that others complain.  These Sound Voids ™ are the result of some form of hearing loss, either temporary or permanent, and may result in situations where an individual’s hearing loss does not permit them to detect or understand important sound and speech cues.  Individuals often find that Sound Voids result in tiring, frustrating, and embarrassing situations.

Dizziness is a symptom with a multitude of possible causes.  Determining the underlying cause is one of the biggest challenges for physicians.  The most common causes are related to the inner ear; therefore, referral to an audiologist is highly recommended.  Other causes include central nervous system problem in the brain or brainstem, related heart conditions, medications, as well as infections of the inner-ear or vestibular nerve.  Specificity is the key to finding the source of the problem.  The more specific you can be about when the symptoms began, when they are most likely to occur and exactly what they feel like will help the audiologist or physician develop a more accurate diagnosis.  Be aware that determining the source of dizziness is very complex and difficult to localize.  In fact, many times the exact source of the dizziness is never found.  However, more serious sources of the problem are ruled out.

According to a distinguished expert in the field of dizziness and balance disorders; Doctors of Audiology have an educational and clinical advantage in the identification and diagnosis of many forms of dizziness and vertigo problems.  The high incidence of inner ear symptoms with balance and vertigo disorders, in conjunction with the increasing number of elderly patients that need our expertise is on the rise.  In fact, many insurance companies are seeing the proven benefits and under-utilization of Doctors of Audiology who specialize in dizziness, vertigo and balance disorders.

If you or your loved ones have hearing loss, Sound Voids™, dizziness, vertigo and/or balance problems, seek out your local Doctor of Audiology for the latest in modern professional hearing, dizziness and balance services.  General information on these topics can be found online at www.ColumbiaBasinHearing.com , www.audigygroup.com or www.dizzy.com

Definitions:

Audiologists (noun): are autonomous professionals who identify, assess, and manage disorders of the auditory, balance, and other neural systems. Audiologists provide audiological (hearing) rehabilitation to children and adults across the entire age span. Audiologists select, fit, and dispense amplification systems such as hearing aids and related devices. Audiologists currently hold a Master’s or Doctoral degrees in audiology from an accredited university or professional school.

Sound Void™ (noun):

  1. A moment lacking in clarity in hearing or understanding.
  2. An empty space in one’s life caused by the absence of sound clarity.

Hearing Loss (noun):

  1. Impairment of the sense of hearing.

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Posted in Audigy Group, AudigyCertified, Audiologist, Balance, Clinical Audiologist, Columbia Basin Hearing & Balance Center, Dizziness, Doctor of Audiology, Hearing Aids, Hearing Impaired, Hearing Loss, inner ear, Signs of Hearing Loss, Sound voids, Treatable Hearing Loss, Uncategorized, vertigo, vestibular nerve

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