Table of Contents

1. Q: Who should one see if hearing loss is suspected?
2. Q: What causes hearing loss?
3. Q: Can nerve loss be treated?
4. Q: If I need a hearing aid, should I go to a medical office or a hearing aid dealer?
5. Q: Have hearing aids improved over the last several years?
6. Q: Why are two hearing aids better than one?
7. Q: What causes tinnitus, or "ringing in the ears?"
8. Q: Are there special ear plugs for musicians?

Q: Who should one see if hearing loss is suspected?

A: An otologist (ear doctor), otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat doctor) or an audiologist (hearing specialist).

Q: What causes hearing loss?

A: There are many causes of hearing loss including: 1) hearing loss due to aging 2) ear infections 3) noise exposure 4) inner ear diseases 5) trauma 6) auto-immune disorders 7) acoustic tumors; etc.

Q: Can nerve loss be treated?

A: Yes. Approximately 10-20% of the cases need medical treatment, the other 80-90% can be addressed with hearing aid amplification.

Q: If I need a hearing aid, should I go to a medical office or a hearing aid dealer?

A: At a medical office you can have certain medical conditions detected that might be causing your hearing loss. Hearing aid fitting in a medical office is typically carried out an audiologist. (Occasionally the audiologist has a separate office.) An audiologist has a post-graduate degree in hearing disorders, and is qualified and licensed to assess, diagnose, and provide hearing aid services.

Q: Have hearing aids improved over the last several years?

A; Yes. Hearing aids have improved tremendously in the past 2 years with the introduction of digital technology. Many people who have been told in the past that hearing aids would not help can now benefit from the new technology.

Q: Why are two hearing aids better than one?

A: The brain naturally processes sound from both ears. If there is hearing loss in both ears, then the brain needs amplified sound information from both ears. This improves a person’s ability to understand speech in noisy situations, as well as to separate out sounds and identify their direction.

Q: What causes tinnitus, or "ringing in the ears?"

A: There are many causes of tinnitus, ranging from loud sound exposure to side effects of certain medications. It is important to have a tinnitus evaluation by an otologist or audiologist to determine whether or not there is a medical condition causing the tinnitus. If there is not a medical condition causing the tinnitus then there are many nonmedical treatments available for tinnitus suffers.

Q: Are there special ear plugs for musicians?

A: Yes. They are called "musician ear plugs". They are different from standard hearing protection in that they attenuate loud sound equally across all frequencies of the music spectrum. Thus, the wearer can "hear it like it is", yet have less damaging loudness levels reaching the ear.

Home  |  Balance System 101  |  Common Syndromes  |  Dizziness from A to Z
Dizziness Q & A  |  EarInfo Column  |  New Advances  |  Other Vertigo Resources
Hearing Loss Q & A  |  Tinnitus  |  Other Hearing Resources
Related Books  |  The Portland Otologic Clinic
About Dr. Epley  |  The "Epley Maneuvers"

Please report any bugs or comments
about this site to webmaster