Audiology

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Audiology

When to Consider Seeing an Audiologist? 

An Audiologist is a health care professional who specializes in hearing and balance disorders. Signs you may need to see an audiologist include: difficulty hearing in the presence of background noise, constantly putting the phone on speaker to "hear" better, feel as if people are mumbling, constantly asking others to repeat themselves because you've misheard, and even turning up the TV louder than usual just to hear. FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Center's audiologist is experienced at identifying, diagnosing, and treating all types of hearing disorders in patients of all ages.

Types of Hearing Loss

Hearing is a complicated process. If something goes wrong during any stage of the process, it could lead to hearing loss. The soundwaves must pass through three different parts of the ear before they can travel up your hearing nerve to be received and processed by the brain. Parts of the ear ear consist of the outer ear (what we see and your ear canal), middle ear ( air-filled cavity and the ossicles), and the inner ear (houses the organ of hearing and balance). If anything affects these three parts of your ear it can lead to a hearing loss. 

There are three types of hearing loss: conductive, sensorineural and mixed. It is important for your audiologist to determine your specific type of hearing loss to figure out your treatment options.

Conductive hearing loss

This type occurs when a sound wave is unable to pass through the outer or middle ear. This can be caused by fluid buildup in the middle ear, a perforated eardrum or impacted earwax. This type of hearing loss can usually be reversed through medical or surgical means.

Sensorineural hearing loss

This type occurs when there is a problem with the inner ear or with the auditory nerve that connects the ear to the brain. This can be caused by exposure to a loud noise, aging or head trauma. This type of hearing loss is permanent. Fortunately, most can benefit from the use of a hearing aid.

Mixed hearing loss

This type is a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. This means that you have a problem with the outer or middle ear and a problem with the inner ear. To address this type of hearing loss your audiologist will treat the cause of the conductive hearing loss first and then move on to the sensorineural.

Call to make an appointment with our Audiologist today 337-210-2098.