Hearing Services
Researchers at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that hearing loss affects approximately ten percent of the population and is the third most common health related problem in the United States. The Center's audiologists assist people of all ages with hearing loss so that they can function independently, sustain social relationships and succeed in school and employment.
Our licensed and certified audiologists offer a wide range of hearing services to assess, treat and help you maintain your hearing.
They perform hearing evaluations to identify the type and degree of hearing loss, and determine the assistive devices and communication strategies that will best meet your needs.
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Audiology Services
- Comprehensive hearing evaluations and screenings for children and adults
- Industrial hearing screenings
- Evaluation and selection of hearing instruments to meet your needs
- Custom hearing aid fittings, including conventional and advanced digital instruments
- Advice and counseling on the use and care of hearing aids
- Live speech mapping to ensure maximum hearing aid benefit
- Minor hearing aid repairs on-site, usually within 48 hours
- Custom hearing products, including musicians’ earplugs, swim molds and hearing protection for marksmen
- Assistive Listening Devices, including FM technology, alarm clocks, doorbells, television and phone amplifiers.
The first step to good hearing health is a hearing evaluation by a licensed audiologist.
A hearing evaluation will:
- Determine the type and severity of the hearing loss,
- Determine if there is a medical cause so you can seek medical treatment.
- Determine if hearing aids, assistive listening devices, communication strategies or a combination of the three will give you the most benefit.
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Types of Hearing Loss
There are several types of hearing loss.
Sensorineural hearing loss is sometimes referred to as nerve deafness. This type of hearing loss is precipitated by damage to hair cells in the inner ear. Each hair cell receives specific sounds and the more cells that are damaged, the poorer the hearing. The most common cause of sensorineural hearing loss is the aging process or noise exposure but sometimes the cause can be from a medical condition. This type of hearing loss may make it difficult to understand conversation or hear in a noisy environment. Hearing aids and assistive listening devices can usually help.
Conductive hearing loss is usually caused by a medical condition that can be treated by a physician. Some examples are wax build up that blocks the sound from reaching the inner ear, an ear infection, a perforated eardrum or other such ailments. If medical treatment cannot help, a hearing aid may.
Mixed hearing loss involves a combination of the two above. Medical treatment may help the conductive portion and a hearing aid may help the sensorineural component.
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Causes of Hearing Loss
Chances are heredity is a factor if the hearing loss was discovered at birth or in the first few years of life. This type of hearing loss can be traced through family history.
Some diseases such as rubella, mumps and meningitis can cause hearing loss.
Some medications can cause hearing loss.
Head injuries and other accidents can cause hearing problems.
The aging process is often accompanied by a progressive hearing loss that may develop slowly over years. This type of hearing loss is referred to as presbycusis and is sometimes caused by a lifetime of exposure to noise.
Prolonged noise exposure over time is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. Noise exposure on the job affects the hearing of firemen, industrial workers, musicians, etc. while non-occupational noise can cause hearing loss in the general public. Noise can harm your hearing depending on the intensity, frequency, and the length of time you are exposed to the noise. It is important to wear hearing protection to reduce the negative effects of noise exposure.
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