Hearing only starts with your ears

Hearing Better

After the season of celebrating and gatherings with friends and family has passed, you may be reflecting on how connected you felt to the conversations that were happening around you. If hearing was at all a challenge, it may be time to schedule a baseline hearing test.

Hearing is part of the auditory system

Hearing only starts with your ears. It is the auditory system, which is composed of the outer ear, the middle ear, the inner ear and the auditory neurological pathway, that allows the process of hearing to occur. That process begins when sound waves enter the outer ear and are channeled through the other complex parts of the ear, the nervous system and into the brain. The physical characteristics of the original sound are preserved as various types of energy that the brain recognizes and identifies as a particular sound. So, in actuality, you hear with your brain!

However, when it comes to maintaining your auditory system, you lose it if you don’t use it. Just as the muscles in your body become sore when you exercise after a period of doing nothing, your auditory system will have a hard time getting back into shape should you suddenly decide to wear hearing devices, especially if you have gone a long time without treating your hearing loss. Your brain will lose some of its ability to process information due to lack of stimulation and as a result, it will be more difficult to recognize sounds… even with hearing devices.

Auditory Deprivation

To minimize the impact of auditory deprivation, you should address the hearing loss sooner once diagnosed, rather than when the condition gets worse. Providing solutions and positive outcomes for patients with advanced/longstanding hearing loss can be done but with greater challenges as the condition of the neurological system is weak. Early intervention results in better outcomes.

We recommend you receive a baseline hearing test beginning at the age of 40. During this test we can determine the lowest volume level you can hear at various frequencies or pitches. We can then reference this at subsequent testing and monitor changes.

Once your hearing threshold is identified, we encourage you to have periodic hearing tests (every two or three years) to help prevent and/or identify hearing loss earlier than you otherwise might. If you are a hunter, musician or woodworker, or are frequently and consistently exposed to loud noise, an annual hearing test is recommended. It is only through preventative care that we can help you prevent further damage to your hearing system.

Hearing Screening

Give me a call at the Fort HealthCare Audiology clinic at 920-563-6667 to schedule a free hearing screening or hearing exam. I look forward to seeing you and helping you enjoy your next get together with loved ones with more clarity!