If I wear hearing aids, will they make my hearing worse in the long run?

This is an excellent question.  We actually hear with our brains, not with our ears.  Our ears are just the pathway to the brain.  Stimulating the brain is important.  Keeping the nerves to the brain and the brain stimulated appropriately is actually the best way to make sure that your brain can continue to accurately interpret the signal provided.  When the brain is under stimulated, research actually shows that word recognition skills can decrease more rapidly.  Word recognition is your ability to decipher what word is being said over another word without visual cues.  For example, being able to interpret the difference between use or youth, fat or sat, meat or neat.  Therefore whenever your audiologist diagnoses hearing loss through an audiologic assessment, they will most likely recommend the use of hearing instruments. Our goal is to help keep our patients youthful and active.  If you feel like you are having people repeat more often than you did before or you feel like people mumble more or talk more softly, it may be time for an audiologic evaluation.  

Life sounds great!  Enjoy every moment!

Jane Kukula, AuD & Ashley Spisak, AuD

8897 Mentor Ave

Mentor, Ohio 44060

440-205-8848

Fax: 440-205-9818

http://aacHEAR.org

Why do I have more trouble hearing in restaurants then I do at home?

Hearing in noisy places can be difficult and frustrating.  The first and best thing you can do hear in noisy places is to keep both ears hearing.  It is necessary for the ears to work together to hear well inn noisy places.  Be sure to wear two hearing aids when you have difficulty hearing in both ears. Second, studies show that those who use hearing aids with directional microphones hear better in noise.  Directional microphone help you focus on the person you’re talking with and reduces the impact of the background sound.  Third, the restaurant you choose and where you sit in the restaurant affect how well you hear in noise. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

1.       Choose a quiet restaurant.

2.       Go to restaurants at less busy times.  For example, have lunch at 1:00 instead of noon.

3.       When you are being seated, ask to be seated along the wall or in a corner away and from the kitchen.

4. Avoid dark restaurants.  You will be better able to pick up lip clues and facial expressions in a lighted restaurant.
5. Go to restaurants with carpeting, drapes and tablecloths. These all absorb sound and create a quieter atmosphere.
6. If the music is too loud, ask to have it turned down.
7. Pick restaurants that don’t have a bar, or those where the bar is in a separate room.  This too will reduce the background noise.
8. Last but not least, simply ask for a quiet table! There’s bound to be at least one.

Planning ahead and carefully choosing where to go will help ensure a pleasant evening.  

Life sounds great!  Enjoy every moment!

Jane Kukula, AuD & Ashley Spisak, AuD

8897 Mentor Ave

Mentor, Ohio 44060

440-205-8848

Fax: 440-205-9818

http://aacHEAR.org

What causes tinnitus?

Tinnitus is not a disease in and of itself.  It’s a symptom of something else.  The American Tinnitus Association reports that there are over 200 different health disorders that can generate tinnitus as a symptom. 

For most people tinnitus is related to the collapse of the hearing nerves and hearing loss.  It is commonly seen with age related hearing loss called presbycusis and with noise induced hearing loss.  Obstructions of the outer and middle ears can cause pressure to build up in the inner ear. This affects the function of the eardrum and at time the hearing nerves causing noises in the ears. This can include ear wax build up, head congestion and dirt or foreign objects in the ear canal.  An injury to the head or neck can reduce the blood flow to ears or put stress in the cervical disks causing the perception of tinnitus.  Tinnitus can be caused by dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which is where the lower jaw connects to the skull in front of the ears.  The TMJ shares some of its muscles and ligaments with the ears, stress on these muscle and ligaments can impact the ears. Sinus pressure or barometric pressure changes such as seen with scuba diving, flying and concussive explosive blast can cause ringing.  Other causes include traumatic brain injury, ototoxtic drugs often used in chemotherapy, diseases of the ears, even a brain tumor.  Tinnitus has also been related to hypothyroidism, anemia, Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety and stress.

The best first step in the diagnosis and treatment of tinnitus is to have a hearing and tinnitus evaluation.  At advanced Audiology Concepts we use a Progressive Tinnitus Management strategy to see that you receive the appropriate care and intervention. 

Life sounds great!  Enjoy every moment!

Jane Kukula, AuD & Ashley Spisak, AuD

8897 Mentor Ave

Mentor, Ohio 44060

440-205-8848

Fax: 440-205-9818

http://aacHEAR.org

Why do I hear people better sometimes and then not as well at other times?

As you know, hearing devices can be life changing but they do not restore normal hearing.  How well you hear even with the devices is dependent on more than the hearing instruments.  Here are three factors to consider when you miss hear. 

The first factor is you, the listener.  Are you hearing the best that you can hear?  Wear your hearing aids all the time, from morning till night.  Better yet, extended wear devices can have you hearing even while you sleep.  Have regular visits to your audiologist’s office to keep the hearing aids in good condition.  Your ability to hear also depends on how well you pay attention to the speaker.  Are you well rested?  When you’re well rested you have more energy to pay attention.  When tired or ill, you won’t hear as well.  Another important factor for the speaker is to get your attention prior to talking.  This gives you time to pay attention.

The second factor is the person talking, the speaker.  Did the speaker get your attention prior to talking? Does he or she have a familiar voice?  Does the speaker project, and speak slowly and clearly?  Have you noticed it’s more difficult to hear someone with an accent?  The speaker’s expressions, body language, mannerisms and your interest in the subject all play a role in how well you hear.

The third factor is the room.  Does it have high ceilings and hardwood floors? If so, there is likely an echo which can decrease your ability to hear words clearly.  Loud background sound, as in a noisy restaurant, also interferes with your ability to catch the words. 

These are just a few of the things that affect your ability to hear and understand. If you feel you are not hearing as well as you would like, make an appointment for an Audiologic assessment and hearing aid check.  Ensure you’re hearing the best you can. 

Life sounds great!  Enjoy every moment!

Jane Kukula, AuD & Ashley Spisak, AuD

8897 Mentor Ave

Mentor, Ohio 44060

440-205-8848

Fax: 440-205-9818

http://aacHEAR.org

What can I do for the ringing in my ears?

Ringing in the ears is called tinnitus.  Sometimes people hear more of a buzzing or humming sound, regardless of the quality of the sound, it is all called tinnitus.  There are many causes, sometimes it’s as simple as ear wax on the eardrum. If this is the case, the tinnitus will stop when the wax is removed.  But for millions of people this is not the case.  Most often tinnitus is caused by decreased function in the hearing nerves called haircells.  When these haircells malfunction, they cause decreased hearing ability and at times, they tell the brain there is sound when there is no sound.  When this happens, there is no medicine or surgical procedure that can cure it. 

For most people treatment becomes a matter of minimizing the impact of the tinnitus and managing your reactions to it.  Typically, when someone has hearing loss with their tinnitus hearing aids are recommended.  When sound is amplified, it can minimize tinnitus.  One of the newest approaches for managing reactions to tinnitus is Sound Therapy.  The goal with Sound Therapy is to shift your awareness and focus away from the tinnitus to other things.  Sound Therapy can provide relief from the tinnitus and reduce stress related to the ringing.

At Advanced Audiology Concepts we use a Progressive Tinnitus Management strategy which begins with a hearing assessment and tinnitus evaluation.  From there we assess the degree of the problem caused by tinnitus and design and implement a personal management plan which may include Sound Therapy.  Call today to schedule your appointment.  

Life sounds great!  Enjoy every moment!

Jane Kukula, AuD & Ashley Spisak, AuD

8897 Mentor Ave

Mentor, Ohio 44060

440-205-8848

Fax: 440-205-9818

http://aacHEAR.org

Hearing loss runs in my family, is there anything I can do to prevent it?

Yes, there are a few things you can do to help prevent hearing loss.  Interestingly, the healthier your diet, the less likely you will have hearing loss, especially high frequency hearing loss. A University of Florida study looked at eating habits and the hearing ability of 2366 people.  They found that the healthier a person ate, the better his or her hearing.  While eating well helped offset the potential for hearing loss, it could not restore or reverse pre-existing hearing problems.  

Hearing is also linked to general health.  Other studies have found that our auditory system is linked to cardiovascular, neural and metabolic health.  So the things that help keep you healthy such as exercise, also help keep your hearing in good shape. 

Of course, protect your ears from loud sound.  Use hearing protection when in noisy environments and pay attention to the volume when using head phones.  With a family predisposition to hearing loss you don’t want to also cause damage by over using volume.

Have a baseline Audiologic assessment.  This will allow us to monitor your hearing over time. 

Life sounds great!  Enjoy every moment!

Jane Kukula, AuD & Ashley Spisak, AuD

8897 Mentor Ave

Mentor, Ohio 44060

440-205-8848

Fax: 440-205-9818

http://aacHEAR.org

I heard that the ringing in my ear can be fixed with surgery. Is that true?

Excellent question.  Ringing in the ears, ear noise, head noise or tinnitus is not all that uncommon.  It is estimated that about 15% of the US population has tinnitus to some degree.  That translates to roughly 20 million Americans.  Tinnitus cannot be cured by surgery.  In some cases where tinnitus is a secondary effect to a conductive loss, such otosclerosis (fusion of middle ear bone) or fluid behind the eardrum, then yes, potentially surgery could help alleviate the tinnitus.  Only because it can fix components of the hearing loss.  In the case of otosclerosis, the surgeons replace pieces of bones in the middle ear.  In the case of fluid behind the eardrum, the surgeons will place a pressure equalizing tube through the eardrum to remove the fluid.  In both of these cases, the surgeon is “curing” the hearing loss and by extension then helping with the tinnitus likely caused by the hearing loss.  However, surgery for tinnitus does not exist.  There have been cases where surgeons have actually cut the auditory nerve rendering the patient completely deaf and still the patient could hear their tinnitus.  Although there is no cure for tinnitus at this time, there are treatment plans or management options available. At Advanced Audiology Concepts, we offer the Progressive Tinnitus Management approach to our patients.  If you experience bothersome tinnitus and you are curious about Progressive Tinnitus Management, call and make an appointment at 440-205-8848.  

Life sounds great!  Enjoy every moment!

Jane Kukula, AuD & Ashley Spisak, AuD

8897 Mentor Ave

Mentor, Ohio 44060

440-205-8848

Fax: 440-205-9818

http://aacHEAR.org

The ringing in my ear stopped when the doctor removed earwax from my ear. What can I do to clean my ears?

The ear secretes oils from two different glands which mix together to produce earwax (or cerumen).  It is healthy and normal to have some earwax.  It cleans and protects your ears by collecting dirt, dust and other matter in the ear canal and moving them out of the ear.   Jaw movement whether from chewing or talking, helps to push earwax to the ear opening where it can be washed off with the wipe of a cloth. This is a normal process, but sometimes this self-cleaning process fails resulting in a buildup of earwax. When cerumen builds up it can block the ear canal and can cause a temporary decrease in hearing and when on the eardrum it can cause ringing in the ear.

Often, when someone attempts to “clean” the ear canals, earwax is pushed on the eardrum or deep into the ear canal. We DO NOT recommend using cotton swabs, paper clips, keys, ear candles, or other items which can push the wax deeper in the canal or harm the ear canal.  The American Academy of Otolaryngology recently published guidelines for cleaning your ear canals. Following these guidelines can help protect your ears:

·         Don't overdo it when cleaning your ears. Over cleaning can irritate the ear canal and possibly cause an infection.

·         Don't stick things in your ear. Cotton swabs, hair pins, toothpicks or other such objects can cause a cut in the ear canal, a hole in the eardrum, and/or dislocation of the hearing bones, causing problems including bleeding, hearing loss, dizziness and ringing.

·         Never use "ear candles." The guidelines say there is no evidence that this alternative medicine practice can remove impacted earwax. And so-called candling might cause serious damage to the ear canal and eardrum.

First and foremost, check with your audiologist or physician on whether or not you should clean your ears. Also, seek medical attention if you have ear drainage, bleeding or pain. Call 440-205-8848 to schedule an ear inspection and cerumen removal.  

Life sounds great!  Enjoy every moment!

Jane Kukula, AuD & Ashley Spisak, AuD

8897 Mentor Ave

Mentor, Ohio 44060

440-205-8848

Fax: 440-205-9818

http://aacHEAR.org

How are heart disease and hearing loss related?

This is a great question and with Valentine’s Day coming, a great time to talk about matters of the heart.  It was a group of Harvard University researchers who discovered a relation between heart disease and hearing loss.  They found that hearing loss occurred 54% more often in people with heart disease then in the general population.  At this time we are not sure what causes this link, but they have a theory.

Cardiovascular disease reduces blood flow through veins and arteries, and it is the blood that brings oxygen to the body’s organs. This lack of oxygen can damage the heart and other organs including the hearing nerves (hair cells) deep in the inner ear.  Hair cell damage is the most common cause of permanent hearing loss.

The researchers also believe the hearing nerves are so fragile that the ear is likely the first organ to be damaged by cardiovascular disease.  There are those who feel that one day hearing loss may be used to predict heart disease.

The good news is, a healthy cardiovascular system has a positive effect on hearing.  Eating right and exercising helps your hearing too!  Exercising once a week reduces the risk of heart disease by 32%. 

Have regular hearing checks and use hearing aids when recommended. Taking care of your hearing is part of taking care of your health.  Those who use hearing aids report greater overall health, a physically more active lifestyle and a more active social life.  And it’s a physically active life that can help reduce heart disease.  

Life sounds great!  Enjoy every moment!

Jane Kukula, AuD & Ashley Spisak, AuD

8897 Mentor Ave

Mentor, Ohio 44060

440-205-8848

Fax: 440-205-9818

http://aacHEAR.org

You mentioned using Sound Therapy as a means of tinnitus management. What is Sound Therapy?

Tinnitus is the presence of sound in the ears or head.  Commonly, people report ringing, humming, buzzing even clicking sounds and at times, there may be multiple sounds.  Tinnitus can present in various degrees and can be constant or intermittent.  When severe, it can cause stress, anxiety and sleep deprivation.  Often there is no cure for it.  Sound Therapy is a means for you to change your perception of it and decrease its interference with your life.

Many times people are able to just ignore tinnitus.  While others’ can’t seem to take their focus off it.  We know that those who shift their attention to other things are much less bothered by it.  Progressive Tinnitus management including Sound Therapy, is a method for triaging, assessing and managing tinnitus on an individual basis.  It provides you with tools to aid you in changing your perceptions of your tinnitus and shift your attention away from your tinnitus.

Sound Therapy is a corner stone of tinnitus management.  It uses three types of sound, interesting sounds, soothing sound and background sound.  Soothing sound can reduce anxiety and stress.  Background sound reduces the contrast of tinnitus to the room noises, reducing perceived intensity of the tinnitus. Interesting sound shifts attention from the tinnitus to other sounds.

If your tinnitus interferes with your life, causing anxiety, stress and or sleep deprivation, call for an appointment.  It will start with an evaluation of your hearing and tinnitus.  From there we will assess your candidacy for sound therapy and work with you to design and implement a personal management plan including Sound Therapy.  

Life sounds great!  Enjoy every moment!

Jane Kukula, AuD & Ashley Spisak, AuD

8897 Mentor Ave

Mentor, Ohio 44060

440-205-8848

Fax: 440-205-9818

http://aacHEAR.org

Is there anything you can do for ringing in the ears?

Ringing in the ears is called tinnitus.  Sometimes people hear more of a buzzing or humming sound. Regardless of the quality of the sound, it is all called tinnitus.  There are many causes, sometimes it’s as simple as ear wax on the eardrum.

Most often tinnitus is caused by decreased function in the hearing nerves called haircells.  When these haircells malfunction, they cause decreased hearing ability and at times, tell the brain there is sound when there is no sound.  When this happens, there is no medicine or surgical procedure that can cure it.  Treatment really becomes a matter of managing your reactions to it.

One of the newest approaches for managing tinnitus is Sound Therapy.  The goal with Sound Therapy is to shift your awareness and focus away from the tinnitus to other things.  Sound Therapy can provide relief from the tinnitus and reduce stress related to constant ringing or humming.

At Advanced Audiology Concepts we use a progressive tinnitus management strategy which begins with a hearing and tinnitus evaluation.  From there we assess the degree of the problem and work with you to design and implement a personal management plan including Sound Therapy.  Call today to schedule your appointment.  

Life sounds great!  Enjoy every moment!

Jane Kukula, AuD & Ashley Spisak, AuD

8897 Mentor Ave

Mentor, Ohio 44060

440-205-8848

Fax: 440-205-9818

http://aacHEAR.org

I have a ringing sound in my ears, does this mean I have hearing loss?

There are several signs that indicate you may be experiencing decreased hearing ability including ringing in the ears.  While many things can cause ringing in the ears, hearing loss is one of the most common causes.

It is rare that someone goes from normal hearing all the way to no hearing.  For most people hearing decreases gradually over time.  In the beginning, the signs are subtle and often go unnoticed.  It’s not until the decrease impacts hearing conversations and/or interferes with hearing child’s voices that people become aware of the difficulty.

Some of the first noticeable signs are people sound like they mumble or that voices are muffled.  You may hear someone say it’s not me, it’s the way people talk today.  When left undiagnosed and untreated, people start to withdraw from social situations, and can become angry or frustrated.  These are indications that it’s time for an Audiologic assessment. 

Treating hearing loss has many benefits.  Those who use hearing instruments are more active socially and physically.  They have more rewarding relationships and are happier.  It’s easy to get started, schedule an appointment for the evaluation. Most insurance programs have a benefit for the assessment and some even help with the cost of hearing instruments.  

Life sounds great!  Enjoy every moment!

Jane Kukula, AuD & Ashley Spisak, AuD

8897 Mentor Ave

Mentor, Ohio 44060

440-205-8848

Fax: 440-205-9818

http://aacHEAR.org

I have a ringing sound in my ears, does this mean I have hearing loss?

There are several signs that indicate you may be experiencing decreased hearing ability including ringing in the ears.  While many things can cause ringing in the ears, hearing loss is one of the most common causes.

It is rare that someone goes from normal hearing all the way to no hearing.  For most people hearing decreases gradually over time.  In the beginning, the signs are subtle and often go unnoticed.  It’s not until the decrease impacts hearing conversations and/or interferes with hearing child’s voices that people become aware of the difficulty.

Some of the first noticeable signs are people sound like they mumble or that voices are muffled.  You may hear someone say it’s not me, it’s the way people talk today.  When left undiagnosed and untreated, people start to withdraw from social situations, and can become angry or frustrated.  These are indications that it’s time for an Audiologic assessment. 

Treating hearing loss has many benefits.  Those who use hearing instruments are more active socially and physically.  They have more rewarding relationships and are happier.  It’s easy to get started, schedule an appointment for the evaluation. Most insurance programs have a benefit for the assessment and some even help with the cost of hearing instruments.  

Life sounds great!  Enjoy every moment!

Jane Kukula, AuD & Ashley Spisak, AuD

8897 Mentor Ave

Mentor, Ohio 44060

440-205-8848

Fax: 440-205-9818

http://aacHEAR.org