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A thorough audiological examination should begin with a careful medical history. Along with the actual presenting complaint or symptoms, listening to past history is an important early step in helping determine the source of the patient’s problem. Hearing health risk factors are any and all pieces o...

Many patients enter the test booth of an audiology center convinced of a decrease in their ability to hear. The most common reason given is difficulty following conversation, perhaps most markedly in subpar acoustic environments. Often spouses or family members make note of changes over time. They m...

Often patients, especially new patients, will remark on the extensive testing we perform and the equipment we use. Often they have never seen or experienced such an array of diagnostics examining various parts of the ear and hearing system. “For my commercial driver’s license test they just stood be...

A patient came to our office with complaints of uneven hearing, balance difficulty and tinnitus in the poorer hearing ear. This condition did not happen overnight, but had worsened over time. The woman was fearful she would lose hearing in the other ear and not regain her balance functions. Audio...

Beyond the middle ear; “current” thoughts about hearing system. This includes the inner ear, the nervous system and the brain. Part two in a series of blogs about the physiology of hearing. In our previous blog entry we discussed the transmission of sound energy from vibrations of air molecules t...

It is commonly accepted that we hear the world with our ears. Early man must have noticed that when the ear canals are blocked, hearing decreases. Everyone can observe the outer ear and a canal that travels into the head, but what is really happening when we hear a sound, say, a person talking, musi...

The importance of word testing. There is a conventional battery of tests, with a few variations, that give an audiologist diagnostic information about a patient’s ear health and hearing capabilities. Otoscopy allows the examiner to visualize the outer ear, including the external ear canal all the...

Tinnitus is defined as “phantom noise perception” – a real perception of sound that did not originate outside your body. Tinnitus was regarded by the ancient Egyptians as private messages directly from the gods! The ancient Greeks recognized tinnitus, but did not have such a positive attitude t...

Advertisements for hearing aids are found in many places, from print ads in the popular press to internet marketing to television ads. Many of the marketing pieces on hearing aids are completely legitimate and truthful. They guide patients ethically towards a particular practice. Always regard heari...

A new patient recently informed us that another hearing center told her that an audiologist was not necessary for examining her ears and fitting hearing aids. The person she spoke to on the phone also said their hearing testing was always free. This patient eventually came to our office, where we to...