HEALTH WATCH
What? ... ... is new in Hearing Health Care?
Story by Robin Seaton Jefferson Photo by Michael Schlueter
earing Health Centers is a family-owned and operated audiology center with the goal of providing the rehabilitation of the hearing impaired. Mother-daughter team of audiologists, Dr. Carol Bergmann and Dr. Alison LeGrand, as well as associate Dr. Kate Sinks, provide hearing health care to all ages. Hearing Health Centers uses equipment with the latest technology in audiology, hearing aids and assistive listening devices.
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An audiologist is a person who has a masters or doctoral degree in audiology—the science of hearing. An audiologist must be licensed or registered by their state to practice audiology. Hearing health care has changed significantly over the last several years with hearing aids becoming increasingly smaller, less noticeable and more sensitive to noise. Audiology testing equipment has also become more advanced to provide for the best fitting of hearing aids, said LeGrand. “Most advancements are found in hearing aid technology,” LeGrand said. “They now allow for wireless connections to televisions and telephones.” In addition, there are hearing aids that can completely eliminate background noise. Digital hearing aids are indeed complete computers. Custom-made hearing aids are made from ear molds, which are made from a cast of the ear or ear impression. This takes about 15 minutes and is done in the audiologist’s office.
LeGrand said for the general population, wax build-up can usually be taken care of with hydrogen peroxide drops or over-the-counter remedies, (never with Q-Tips), but for some people whose hearing and balance have been affected, an audiologist is needed. Assisted Listening Devices or ALDs are used when certain communication needs cannot be solved by the use of hearing aids alone, such as situations involving the use of the telephone, radio, television, door chimes, or alarm clocks. In CIC, ITC and ITE hearing aids, the receiver, microphone and amplifier are contained in a shell, which is worn in the ear. Completely-in-the-canal aids are the newest and smallest model available. They fit deep inside your ear canal so that they’re practically invisible. In-the-canal aids are small enough to fit almost entirely in your ear canal, making them hardly noticeable. In-the-ear aids fit within your outer ear and are the most widely recommended hearing aid style. The ear is divided into three parts: an external ear, middle ear and inner ear. Each part performs an important role in the process of hearing. LeGrand said some five thousand children are born profoundly deaf each year in the United States. Another 10 to 15 percent have a partial hearing handicap. So it’s important to have children’s hearing checked and to continue hearing health throughout life. For more information about Hearing Health Centers, call 636-3919622 or visit www.hearinghealthcare.org. ■
“Generally, a family member or friend will notice first that a person needs to get a hearing test or the person themselves will notice they seem to be missing conversations, which will prompt them to seek help,” LeGrand said. The most common hearing problems are hearing loss due to noise exposure from hunting, power tools or other occupational hazards; ear infections; wax build-up; and hearing loss due to age. Hearing loss can also be caused by exposure to medications, infections, head or ear trauma, congenital or hereditary factors, diseases and a whole host of other causes. Tinnitus, a very common disorder, is an abnormal perception of a sound that is unrelated to an external stimulation. Often referred to as “ringing in the ears”, Tinnitus can also cause some people to hear hissing, roaring, whistling, chirping or clicking. It can be caused by various lesions and from different sites of the ear canal. “Generally, most patients will not need any medical treatment for their Tinnitus,” LeGrand said. “For patients who are greatly affected by Tinnitus, they may use some masking techniques such as listening to a fan or radio which would mask some of the noise.” Dr. Allison LeGrand with patient 64 | S T R E E T S C A P E M A G A Z I N E