Hearing Health Dictionary

Otosclerosis: a common cause of deafness in healthy adults. Gradual progressive hearing loss with troublesome tinnitus. The stapes may be fixed and the cochlea damaged. Bones may become spongy and demineralised. While deafness is a matter for the professional specialist, herbal treatment may prove useful. Examine ear for wax.

Internal. Elderflower and Peppermint tea (catarrhal). Ginkgo tea.

Tablets/capsules. Ginkgo. Improvement reported in moderate loss.

Topical. Garlic oil. Injection of 3-4 drops at night.

Wax in the ear. Mixture: 30 drops oil Eucalyptus, 1 drop Tincture Capsicum (or 3 of Ginger), 1oz (30ml) Olive oil. Inject 4-5 drops, warm.

Black Cohosh Drops. It is claimed that John Christopher (USA) improved many cases of moderate hearing loss with topical use of 5-10 drops Liquid Extract in 1oz oil of Mullein (or Olive oil).

Pulsatilla Drops. Tincture Pulsatilla and glycerol 50/50. 2-3 drops injected at bedtime. Assists auditory nerve function. (Arthur Hyde)

Nerve deafness due to fibroma of the 8th cranial nerve, or after surgery – oral: Mistletoe tea for temporary relief. ... hearing loss

Nearly two-thirds of people aged over 70 have some degree of hearing impairment (see DEAFNESS). Hearing aids are no substitute for de?nitive treatment of the underlying cause of poor hearing, so examination by an ear, nose and throat surgeon and an audiologist is sensible before a hearing aid is issued (and is essential before one can be given through the NHS). The choice of aid depends on the age, manipulative skills, and degree of hearing impairment of the patient and the underlying cause of the deafness. The choice of hearing aid for a deaf child is particularly important, as impaired hearing can hinder speech development.

Electronic aids consist, essentially, of a microphone, an ampli?er, and an earphone. In postaural aids the microphone and ampli?er are contained in a small box worn behind the ear or attached to spectacles. The earphone is on a specially moulded earpiece. Some patients ?nd it di?cult to manipulate the controls of an aid worn behind the ear, and they may be better o? with a device worn on the body. Some hearing aids are worn entirely within the ear and are very discreet. They are particularly useful for people who have to wear protective headgear such as helmets.

The most sophisticated aids sit entirely within the ear canal so are virtually invisible. They may be tuned so that only the frequencies the wearer cannot hear are ampli?ed.

Many have a volume control and a special setting for use with telephone and in rooms ?tted with an inductive coupler that screens out background noise.

In making a choice therefore from the large range of e?ective hearing aids now available, the expert advice of an ear specialist must be obtained. The RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People) provides a list of clinics where such a specialist can be consulted. It also gives reliable advice concerning the purchase and use of hearing aids – a worthwhile function, as some aids are very expensive.... hearing aids

Tests carried out to assess hearing. Hearing tests are performed as part of a routine assessment of child development and when hearing impairment is suspected. The tests are sometimes included in a general medical examination. Hearing tests may also be used to identify the cause of tinnitus or dizziness.

An audiometer (an electrical instrument) is used to test an individual’s ability to hear sounds at different frequencies and volumes. The lowest level at which a person can hear and repeat words (the speech reception threshold) is tested, as is the ability to hear words clearly (speech discrimination). The type of hearing loss (see deafness) is determined by holding a tuning fork to different parts of the ear.... hearing tests

Hearing loss caused by prolonged exposure to excessive noise or by brief exposure to intensely loud noise.

Exposure to a sudden, very loud noise, usually above 130 decibels, can cause immediate and permanent damage to hearing. Normally, muscles in the middle ear respond to loud noise by altering the position of the ossicles (the chain of bones that pass vibrations to the inner ear), thus damping down the intensity of the noise. If these protective reflexes have no time to respond, the full force of the vibrations is carried to the inner ear, severely damaging the delicate hair cells in the cochlea. Occasionally, loud noises can rupture the eardrum.

More commonly, noise damage occurs over a period of time by prolonged exposure to lower levels of noise. Any noise above 85–90 decibels may cause damage, with gradual destruction of the hair cells of the cochlea, leading to permanent hearing loss. Prolonged exposure to loud noise leads initially to a loss of the ability to hear certain high tones. Later, deafness extends to all high frequencies, and the perception of speech is impaired. Eventually, lower tones are also affected.

Sounds at 85–90 decibels or above may cause pain and temporary deafness. Prolonged tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in

the ears) occurring after a noise has ceased is an indication that some damage has probably occurred.... noise-induced hearing loss

see contralateral-routing-of-signal hearing aid.... bicros hearing aid

(BAHA) a specialized form of *hearing aid for patients with certain forms of conductive *deafness. A small titanium screw is surgically fixed into the bone of the skull behind the external ear using a process called *osseointegration. Sound energy is passed from a miniature microphone and amplifier to the screw, through the bone, to the *cochlea.... bone-anchored hearing aid

(CROS hearing aid) a form of hearing aid used to help people with severe or profound unilateral hearing loss. Sound information is collected by a microphone worn on the affected side and then transmitted by a thin wire or Bluetooth wireless technology to a device worn on the opposite side. If the hearing in the better ear is normal, no amplification is applied to the signal. If the better ear has a hearing loss the device also acts as a conventional hearing aid and amplifies the signal from both sides: this is known as a BICROS hearing aid.... contralateral-routing-of-signal hearing aid

see contralateral-routing-of-signal hearing aid.... cros hearing aid

see hearing aid.... digital hearing aid

any of various devices for helping people with hearing difficulties. Environmental aids include *assistive listening devices and alerting devices, such as door bells with visible as well as audible alarms, infrared links to televisions, and vibrating alarm clocks.... environmental hearing aid

a device to improve the hearing. Simple passive devices, such as ear trumpets, are now rarely used. An analogue hearing aid consists of a miniature microphone, an amplifier, and a tiny loudspeaker. The aid is powered by a battery and the whole unit is small enough to fit behind or within the ear inconspicuously. If necessary, aids can be built into the frames of spectacles. In a few cases of conductive hearing loss the loudspeaker is replaced by a vibrator that presses on the bone behind the ear and transmits the sound energy through the bones of the skull to the inner ear. Digital hearing aids are in some respects similar to analogue aids but in addition to the microphone, amplifier, and loudspeaker, they have digital-to-analogue converters and a tiny computer built into the casing of the aid. This enables the aid to be programmed to the patient’s particular requirements and generally offers improved sound quality. See also bone-anchored hearing aid; cochlear implant; environmental hearing aid; implantable hearing aid.... hearing aid

the support and rehabilitation of people with hearing difficulties, tinnitus, or vertigo. It includes supplying help with acclimatizing to *hearing aids, teaching lip-reading, advising on *environmental hearing aids, and offering general information and advice regarding the auditory system. Other functions are to explain such conditions as *Ménière’s disease and *otosclerosis and to provide *tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) and other forms of tinnitus management.... hearing therapy

a form of hearing aid in which a small electrical vibrator is surgically attached to the auditory *ossicles. An external device with a microphone and an electronic processing unit passes information to the implanted device using radio-frequency waves. The external part is located behind the pinna and is powered by batteries.... implantable hearing aid