Being able to hear what is going on around you is a major part of leading a normal, full and enjoyable life. Interacting effectively with others and the environment as a whole is significantly less challenging when your hearing is functioning at or near it's full capacity. When it's not, it's easy to start having difficulty understanding what is happening. Although man associate hearing loss with old age, it can happen to anyone regardless of how old they are. Anyone who is experiencing signs of such difficulties should take them seriously and possibly have a hearing evaluation performed to determine the cause and best form of treatment.
When hearing loss does occur it is not always immediately noticeable when the onset is gradual, especially to the person who is undergoing the changes. At times other people are more likely to recognize the signs that a problem is developing.
Among these signs are changes in behavior such as avoiding social gatherings. If it's getting difficult to hear and thus communicate, one is likely to feel less comfortable in such situations and it is natural to try to steer clear of them. Another recognizable sign is that the volume of the TV or radio seems abnormally loud to others. The person with the problem is likely to not notice this themselves but others will pick up on it. Also, people may regularly complain that the person is not listening to them.
When a significant issue is suspected due to the existence of these signs or others, seeking help from a physician is recommended. The doctor may decide that an evaluation is needed an make a referral to an audiologist.
There are different ways of evaluating hearing. An audiometer test is administered with the patient sitting in a soundproof and wearing a special set of earphones. These are connected to the audiometer, which produces tones in range of volumes and frequencies to determine the ones at which there are deficiencies. A chart known as an audiogram is produced during the test so that the audiologist can evaluate the results.
A tuning fork is often used to help determine the type of loss. It is placed on the center of the forehead and the patient then tells whether the sound is the same in both ears or if they can hear it better in one ear than in the other.
Another test can be performed to assess how well one can hear when there is background noise. The patient must repeat sentences that they hear. This is done at first without any background noise, then it repeated with extra noise coming from different angles and at differing volumes.
After the hearing evaluation has been performed and the results analyzed, the health care team can then determine the appropriate course of action. They will employ the means that they feel are most likely to help the person to be able to hear normally and fully enjoy their life.
When hearing loss does occur it is not always immediately noticeable when the onset is gradual, especially to the person who is undergoing the changes. At times other people are more likely to recognize the signs that a problem is developing.
Among these signs are changes in behavior such as avoiding social gatherings. If it's getting difficult to hear and thus communicate, one is likely to feel less comfortable in such situations and it is natural to try to steer clear of them. Another recognizable sign is that the volume of the TV or radio seems abnormally loud to others. The person with the problem is likely to not notice this themselves but others will pick up on it. Also, people may regularly complain that the person is not listening to them.
When a significant issue is suspected due to the existence of these signs or others, seeking help from a physician is recommended. The doctor may decide that an evaluation is needed an make a referral to an audiologist.
There are different ways of evaluating hearing. An audiometer test is administered with the patient sitting in a soundproof and wearing a special set of earphones. These are connected to the audiometer, which produces tones in range of volumes and frequencies to determine the ones at which there are deficiencies. A chart known as an audiogram is produced during the test so that the audiologist can evaluate the results.
A tuning fork is often used to help determine the type of loss. It is placed on the center of the forehead and the patient then tells whether the sound is the same in both ears or if they can hear it better in one ear than in the other.
Another test can be performed to assess how well one can hear when there is background noise. The patient must repeat sentences that they hear. This is done at first without any background noise, then it repeated with extra noise coming from different angles and at differing volumes.
After the hearing evaluation has been performed and the results analyzed, the health care team can then determine the appropriate course of action. They will employ the means that they feel are most likely to help the person to be able to hear normally and fully enjoy their life.
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