Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists of Wisconsin - Audiology Services

Hearing Loss

How Does the Ear Work?
The ear has three main parts: outer, middle and inner ear. The outer ear (the part you can see) opens into the ear canal. The eardrum separates the ear canal from the middle ear. Small bones in the middle ear help transfer sound to the inner ear. The inner ear contains the auditory (hearing) nerve, which leads to the brain.

Any source of sounds sends vibrations or sound waves into the air. They funnel through the ear opening, down the ear canal, and strike the eardrum causing it to vibrate. The vibrations are passed to the small bones of the middle ear. Finally, the vibrations become nerve impulses and go directly to the brain, which interprets the impulses as sound (music, voice, a care horn).

When noise is too loud, it begins to kill the nerve endings in the inner ear. As the exposure time to loud noises increases, more nerve endings are destroyed. As the number of nerve endings decreases, so does your hearing.

Audiology Services

Audiologists - What is an Audiologist, When to see an Audiologist, Our Services, Meet the Audiologists

Hearing Loss - How Does the Ear Work, Types of Hearing Loss, Pediatric Screening, What is Early Intervention, Prevention

Hearing Aids - Products, Buying a Hearing Aid, Fitting Your Hearing Aid

Patient Education - Seminars, Medical Links, What Our Patients Say

FAQ's - Frequently Asked Questions

Patient Forms

Types of Hearing Loss
Nearly 30 million Americans have impaired hearing. The most common cause of hearing loss in children is otitis media. For the elderly (the largest group affected) excessive noise, drugs, toxins and heredity are the most frequent contributing factors.

Hearing loss usually develops over a period of several years. Since it is painless and gradual, you might not notice it. What you might notice is a ringing or other sound in your ear (called tinnitus), which could be the result of long-term exposure to noise that has damaged the hearing nerve.

Hearing loss is a medical disorder. In a limited number of patients, it can be surgically corrected; while medical devices and rehabilitation can substantially reduce hearing loss in the vast majority of patients who cannot be helped by surgery.

Conductive hearing loss is when there is a problem with the ear canal, the eardrum and/or the three bones connected to the eardrum. Common reasons for this type of hearing loss are a plug of excess wax in the ear canal or fluid behind the eardrum. Medical treatment or surgery may be available for these and more complex forms of conductive hearing loss.

Sensorineural hearing loss results from damage to the inner ear (cochlea) or auditory nerve, often associated to the aging process and/or noise exposure. Sounds may be unclear and/or too soft. Sensitivity to loud sounds may occur. Medical or surgical intervention cannot correct most sensorineural hearing losses. However, hearing aids may help you reclaim some sounds that you are missing as a result of nerve deafness.

Pediatric Screening
There are two commonly used measures-both can be performed on a sleeping infant-that require no response from your baby and are not painful or uncomfortable.

ABR (Automated Brain Stem Response): Sounds are presented through earphones while the baby rests quietly or sleeps. Brainstem responses to sound are measured through small electrodes, which are taped on the baby's head. These responses are processed by a computer.

OAE (Otoacoustic Emissions): A small probe tip is inserted into the baby's ear canal. It measures the function of the inner ear, or cochlea.

Behavior Testing: These types of tests are used when children are old enough to turn their head in response to sound, or play a game. These tests measure the quietest sounds your child can hear, a child's ability to understand words, and whether fluid or some other obstruction is present in the middle ear.

Acoustical Impedance: Tests can be administered to children of all ages and can help identify middle ear problems such as the presence of fluid and status of the eardrum through a non-invasive and computerized method.

What is Early Intervention?
Early Intervention: means starting a specialized program to help your child immediately. It can take many forms, such as getting your child fitted for hearing aids, providing counseling and support for parents, and teaching parents how to stimulate speech and language in their child. Depending on the degree of your child's hearing loss, hearing aids will typically allow your baby to hear many sounds. Speak to your audiologist about the options available to your child and what technology may best suit his or her needs.

Preventing Hearing Loss
Statistics show that more people are experiencing hearing loss at a younger age than ever before. Recent research shows an alarming increase in hearing loss with young people. Evidence suggests that the loud music at rock concerts and the use of earphones for IPods and MP3 players are contributing factors to hearing loss.

The longer you are exposed to a loud noise, the more damaging it may be. Also, the closer you are to the source of intense noise, the more damaging it is. If you must work in an excessively noisy environment, you should wear ear protectors. You should also wear them when using power tools, noisy yard equipment, firearms, or when riding a motorcycle or snowmobile.

Hearing protection devices decrease the intensity of sound that reaches the eardrum. They come in two forms: earplugs and earmuffs. Earplugs are small inserts that fit into the outer ear canal. Earmuffs fit over the entire ear to form an air seal so the entire circumference of the ear canal is blocked.

During one hour of unprotected ears, a worker is exposed to 1,000 times more sound energy than earplugs or earmuffs had been worn.