Audiology
United Hospital System’s Audiology Department specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of hearing, balance and related disorders. Audiologists diagnose and rehabilitate hearing loss. They provide professional services for children and adults who are at risk for or have hearing, balance or related problems. Audiologists recommend a course of treatment, including audiologic rehabilitation, hearing assistive technology, hearing aids, FM systems, cochlear implants and alerting devices.
Services
- Comprehensive hearing evaluations for all ages (birth through geriatrics)
- Evaluation for people with dizziness (ENG/VNG)
- Selection and fitting of hearing aids
- Selection and instruction on use of assistive technology when appropriate
- Education on the prevention of hearing loss due to noise exposure
- Selection and fitting of hearing protection devices for those exposed to noise.
- Selection and fitting of swim plugs for people with outer and middle ear problems
Types and Causes of Hearing Loss
Although there are several types of hearing loss, generally they fall into one of three categories: conductive, sensorineural or mixed hearing loss, based on the location of the problem in the auditory system.
• Conductive hearing loss. A conductive hearing loss occurs when sound is not conducted efficiently through the ear canal, eardrum or tiny bones of the middle ear. Conductive losses primarily reduce the loudness of sound that is heard.
Frequent colds, allergies or certain childhood illnesses may cause a blockage of sound due to fluid in the middle ear behind the eardrum and lead to temporary hearing loss or even permanent damage. A build-up of earwax, infection in the middle ear, heredity and birth defects also may cause conductive hearing loss.
• Sensorineural hearing loss. A sensorineural loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear and/or to the nerve pathways from the inner ear to the brain. Sensorieural losses usually result in both a reduction in sound level and inability to understand speech. The aging process, heredity, syndromes, birth defects, certain medications, head injury, tumors and repeated exposure to noise can lead to this type of hearing loss.
• Mixed hearing loss. Some people have a conductive loss and a sensorineural loss in the same ear(s) at the same time (for example, an ear infection and noise-induced hearing loss). When this occurs, the hearing loss is referred to simply as “mixed.”
Clinical Outcomes
United Hospital System utilizes a clinical outcomes program to measure efficacy of treatments and functional/therapeutic outcomes. This information allows physicians, payers and employers to compare our outcomes with national data norms. Our mission is to provide clinical excellence and high quality service while managing the cost of therapy.