Signs Of Hearing Loss
How do I know if I have a hearing loss?
What should I do if I have those symptoms?
What happens during a hearing test?
Why are two ears better than one?
Turning up the radio or TV louder than in the past; Asking others to repeat what they have said; Having difficulty hearing at movies, in restaurants, at a concert, or in a group of people; Thinking people must be mumbling when they speak. If you have experienced any of these early signs of hearing loss, call us for an appointment with Dr. Mary Caccavo. During your visit she will ask you questions such as: How well can you hear in groups? At work? At meetings? How about on the telephone? Do you hear men's conversations better than women's or women's better than men's? Do you hear people speaking but cannot understand what they are saying? What about the settings where you would like to hear better?
Dr. Caccavo will then conduct a hearing test to give her precise information about your needs. She will discuss the test results and realistic expectations for improving your hearing. Together, you and Dr. Caccavo can set a goal for your better hearing. Give us a call. Get to know us. Let us get to know you and help you hear better. TEST FOR HEARING LOSS If a hearing loss is suspected, an appointment with Dr. Mary should be made for the purposes of testing and evaluation. After the age of 50, a regular hearing test should be considered as important as one's yearly physical checkup. Many individuals remind themselves to have these important checkups by scheduling them around their birthday, an easy way to remember. Testing is painless, comfortable and safe. Basically, it consists of answering questions about your hearing health, recognizing everyday words at different volume levels, and identifying different sounds. Your ability to hear each tone, or frequency, produces a unique hearing pattern which is recorded on an audiogram. Dr. Mary then uses the audiogram to determine the type and severity of your hearing loss. These tests should help determine whether a hearing loss is best treated medically, or with hearing instruments.
Dr. Mary will help you select the correct hearing aid for your needs. Hearing improvement with any hearing aid depends on the fit of the hearing aid, the type or degree of loss, and proper diagnostic testing. No hearing aid can restore normal hearing and not everyone will benefit equally. Custom In The Ear (ITE), In The Canal (ITC) and Completely In The Canal (CIC) instruments are self-contained, a miniature microphone, amplifier and speaker inside the instrument carry amplified sound directly to the ear canal and auditory system. Behind The Ear (BTE) instruments also contain a microphone, amplifier and speaker but send amplified sound signals to an earmold worn inside the ear. The earmold then carries the amplified sound to the eardrum.
Many hearing aids have an adjustable volume control and are powered by small replaceable batteries. Why Two Ears Are Better Than One IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING Binaural hearing helps you sort out and understand individual voices. Our "built-in signal processor" signals from both ears into a single sound "picture". Without such equality, our brain can only present us with incomplete information. LESS STRESSFUL LISTENING Listening with only one ear is physically tiring and stressful. The more realistic sound of stereo hearing lets you respond more confidently. And you do not need to worry about always turning your "good ear" toward sounds. SAFETY Our brain locates a sound source by measuring the tiny differences in duration and intensity between each ear. These differences are then translated by the brain, allowing us to instantaneously recognize a sound's exact location. When a person hears with only one ear, the difficulty in locating sound can be dangerous, especially in traffic. BOTH EARS STAY ACTIVE When a hearing impaired person who has an equal hearing loss in each ear wears a hearing aid in only one ear, the unused ear tends to lose its ability to hear and understand. CUSHION LOUD SOUNDS Binaural hearing generally requires less volume, giving a more natural sound to voices and music. Sudden loud sounds lose much of their jarring effect when divided between two ears. BETTER SOUND IDENTIFICATION Many noises which sound almost exactly alike when heard with one ear can be identified more easily when heard with two ears. Hearing From Both Sides: As nature intended, hearing with two ears allows you to enjoy more natural sound. Hearing with one ear is like trying to see with one eye - it is possible, but not very effective.