Can you hear me now?

1. Can you hear me now?

2. ByJames M. O’Day, Au.D.

3. General issues related to hearing loss

4. CONDUCTIVE SENSORINEURAL MIXED Types of hearing loss

5. In general it can be described as a physical blockage of sound getting to the inner ear CONDUCTIVE LOSS

6. This blockage occurs in either the outer ear canal or the middle ear or both areas.

7. A conductive loss can be caused by earwax, infection, tumors, foreign objects, or abnormal bone growth.

8. Is damage to the cochlea (inner ear) and/or the 8th , where sound reaching the cochlea or 8th nerve is not processed properly. Sensorineural hearing loss

9. Cochlea

10. A sensorineural hearing loss can be due to exposure to loud noise, aging, injury, disease, toxic drugs and chemicals, inherited conditions, or any combination of the above.

11. Is a combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss Mixed hearing loss

12. In general, conductive hearing loss is treatable by medicine or surgery, whereas, sensorineural hearing loss is treatable by hearing aids. Mixed hearing loss may need a combination. Treatment for hearing loss

13. According to the national academy on an aging society

16. People with hearing loss are more likely to report symptoms of depression, dissatisfaction with life, reduced functional health, and withdrawal from social activities.

17. Although most people with hearing loss can be helped with hearing aids, 4 out of 5 Americans with hearing loss do not use a hearing aid.

18. In a study of 350 newborn baby girls and boys, it was found that the girls’ hearing was substantially more sensitive than the boys, especially in the 1 kHz – to – 4 kHz range, which is very important for speech discrimination. Gender differences in hearing

19. Demonstrating that the anatomy of the inner ear is significantly different between the sexes: girls are born with a cochlea which is shorter and stiffer than boys’. The shorter, stiffer cochlea provides a more sensitive frequency response. Continued

20. This cochlea difference may help explain the differences between the two genders in language acquisition. For example, the average 18 month old girl has a vocabulary of about 90 words, compared to just 40 words for the average 18 month old boy. Continued

21. Although men were far more likely to have hearing deficits than were women, men underestimate their hearing difficulties compared to women, “ men don’t hear as well as women do, but most men are blissfully unaware of the fact”. Prevalence of self-perceived auditoryproblems and their relation to audiometric thresholds in a middle aged to elderly population.

22. There are three different senses that work together to give us balance. Balance issues

23. vestibular

24. Composed of the three semicircular canals, utricle, and saccule, which when working correctly give us both the sensation of acceleration and gravity. Vestibular system

25. vision

26. The vestibular ocular reflex allows us to focus during movement. vision

27. somatosensory

28. Sense of touch, temperature, proprioception and pain. Proprioception is that portion of somatosensory that contributes to balance. It refers to your ability to perceive body position in your environment. Somatosensory continued

29. Aging Viruses Injury Toxic chemicals/medications Genetics Any combination of this list What can cause the decline in these three senses?

30. In order to maintain balance at least two of these three senses need to be functioning properly !

31. Balance issues are the third most common complaint from patients visiting their pcp.

32. Balance is the most common complaint from patients over 70 years old.

33. 65+ is the fastest growing segment of our population.

34. The average balance patient sees slightly over 4 MDs for their condition.

35. Unfortunately, too many patients are told to live with the condition.

36. Are balance problems treatable?

37. BPPV represents 50% of all vertigo patients. BPPV is easily treatable with a head reposition maneuver.

38. Patients in the acute stage of their balance disorder need to be treated by either medication or surgery.

39. Most uncompensated vestibular lesions (non-acute stage) can be helped with physical therapy, either by adaptation or substitution techniques.

40. Even stable CNS lesion patients can benefit from physical therapy.

41. Prevalence of balance problems:males/females

42. Unlike hearing where women have a hearing advantage over men, with balance the reverse is true !

43. BPPV women to men ratio; 1.6 : 1

44. Migraine sufferers, 22 out of 100 individuals, have a 3 : 1 female prevalence

45. Meniere’s disease, which occurs in 3 to 20 out of 10,000 patients is more prevalent in females than in men.

46. Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease, which is when the ear becomes allergic to itself, has a significant female bias with the onset of middle age.

47. Mal de Debarquement syndrome, which is disembarkment sickness, has a significant female gender bias.

48. Who is fit with hearing aids? Hearing aids

49. Potentially anyone with hearing loss that is sensorineural or is not correctable by medicine or surgery.

50. Get a diagnostic hearing test by an Audiologist Steps needed to be taken in getting hearing aids.