Balance & Hearing Tests

the path to better hearing.

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What to expect when you visit our office

Our goal is to solve your problem. We administer hearing tests to help us to figure out what might be wrong.  Our staff has specialized training in identifying and measuring the type and degree of hearing loss and recommending treatment options.

Case History

What we find during our testing is almost as important as the information you provide us before we even begin a balance or hearing test.

Otoscopic Examination

We exam the outer ear and the ear canal to check for anything out of the ordinary that may influence our findings.

Otoacoustic Emission testing ( OAEs)

Otoacoustic Emission testing ( OAEs) is used to measure the function of the inner ear. OAEs are faint acoustical signals that emit from the outer hair cells located in the cochlea of the inner ear in response to presented stimuli. The presence of OAEs is associated with at least near normal hearing.

Hearing Testing

Whether or not you have a hearing loss is important.  But it’s also important to establish a baseline for the future.

Pediatric Testing

Whether or not you have a hearing loss is important.  But it’s also important to establish a baseline for the future.

Immittance Testing

This part of a hearing test will tell us how the eardrum, the middle part of your ear including the bones in the middle part of the ear are working.

Real Ear Measurements (REM)

Real ear measurement  is the measurement of sound pressure level in a patient’s ear canal developed when a hearing aid is worn. It is measured with the use of a silicone probe tube inserted in the canal connected to a microphone outside the ear and is done to verify that the hearing aid is providing suitable amplification for a patient’s hearing loss. The American Speech–Language–Hearing Association (ASHA) and American Academy of Audiology (AAA) recommend real ear measures as the preferred method of verifying the performance of hearing aids.

Learn more about hearing loss

We’ve found that our patients truly want to better understand as much as they can about hearing and hearing loss.  We’re glad we can be a resource for information.

1. Is there a link between hearing loss and age?

There is a strong relationship between age and reported hearing loss: 18 percent of American adults 45-64 years old, 30 percent of adults 65-74 years old, and 47 percent of adults 75 years old or older have a hearing loss.

2. Does exposure to loud noise impact your hearing?
Approximately 15 percent (26 million) of Americans between the ages of 20 and 69 have high frequency hearing loss due to exposure to loud sounds or noise at work or in leisure activities.
3. Is it possible to lose your hearing suddenly?
Approximately 4,000 new cases of sudden deafness occur each year in the United States. Hearing loss affects only 1 ear in 9 out of 10 people who experience sudden deafness. Only 10 to 15 percent of patients with sudden deafness know what caused their loss.
4. Who is the typical person suffering from tinnitus?
Of adults ages 65 and older in the United States, 12.3 percent of men and nearly 14 percent of women are affected by tinnitus. Tinnitus is identified more frequently in white individuals and the prevalence of tinnitus is almost twice as frequent in the South as in the Northeast.
5. Are there different types of hearing loss?

Types of Hearing Loss

There are four commonly recognized different types of hearing loss:

  • Conductive
  • Sensorineural
  • Mixed
  • Central

Conductive Hearing Loss

A conductive hearing loss occurs when sound is not conducted efficiently through the ear canal, eardrum, or through the tiny bones of the middle ear.  This results in a reduction of the loudness of a sound. Common causes of a conductive hearing loss include:

  • Trauma to the ear
  • Fluid in the middle ear
  • Excessive wax in the outer ear canal
  • Outer ear infection

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Often referred to (in error) as “nerve deafness” a sensorineural hearing loss is caused by damage to the hair cells in the cochlea. These cells cannot be repaired or replaced. Common causes of sensorineural hearing loss include:

  • Exposure to loud noises
  • The aging process
  • Viral Infections
  • Trauma to the ear
  • Medications that are toxic to the ear

Typically a sensorineural hearing loss is permanent and irreversible.  The only solution for most people with a sensorineural hearing loss to improve their ability to hear is to use hearing aids.

Mixed Hearing Loss

Some people have both a conductive and a sensorineural hearing loss.  A combination of the two different types is referred to as a mixed hearing loss. For example, a mixed loss can occur when someone has a sensorineural hearing loss and develops fluid in their middle ear causing a conductive hearing loss. They may notice a decline in their ability to hear as a result of the temporary change in their hearing caused by the conductive hearing loss.  Once the conductive hearing loss is resolved, their hearing levels should return to the level it was prior to the conductive hearing loss.

Central Hearing Loss

Our outer and inner ears allow us to “hear” sound, but the brain, allows us to “understand” sound.  Various medical issues can cause our processing of auditory stimuli to breakdown causing a central hearing loss also known as an auditory processing disorder. Persons with a central hearing loss can hear sound but have difficulty with understanding or processing what they heard. When a central hearing loss is suspected, there are tests that can be done to determine if a hearing loss is due to a central auditory processing problem.

Follow Up & Care

Dr. Wayne will evaluate your hearing in our state of the art facility. We will assess together your lifestyle and where your hearing difficulties are. Once it is determined that you have hearing loss and you are ready to move forward with hearing aid; we will the latest in digital technology always keeping your lifestyle, hearing loss and budget in mind.

Once we find a solution that fits your needs, we dispense the devices and ask you to return several times to assess the sound and perform an objective test called a Real Ear Measurement (REM). REM is essential to assess how the device is functioning in your ear specifically and to ensure the efficacy of the devices.

Hearing aid aftercare is one of the most important features of purchasing a hearing aid. We recall our patients every 6 months to ensure the hearing aids are working efficiently. These visits are included for 4 years .

Statistics

Noise & Hearing Loss

18% of adults aged 20-69 have speech-frequency hearing loss in both ears from among those who report 5 or more years of exposure to very loud noise at work, as compared to 5.5 percent of adults with speech-frequency hearing loss in both ears who report no occupational noise exposure.

Hearing Loss in the United States

One in eight people in the United States (13 percent, or 30 million) aged 12 years or older has hearing loss in both ears, based on standard hearing examinations.

Don't Wait Any Longer. Start Your Path to Better Hearing Today!

Newtown/Langhorne Office

207 Corporate Drive East
Luxemborg Corporate Center
Langhorne, PA 19047

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Doylestown Office

101 Progress Drive,
Doylestown, PA 18901

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