Audiology

People may believe that hearing is an all or nothing proposition; you either can hear or you cannot. Our audiologist at The South Bend Clinic will tell you it is just not that simple.

There are numerous factors, causes and treatment options for a vast variety of hearing disorders and we offer a wide assortment of services to meet each person’s individual needs. We offer digital hearing aids, cochlear implants, as well as assistive listening devices.

If you think you may have a hearing problem, schedule an appointment with our audiologist soon. She also sees patients who do not have hearing conditions, but who need a little extra help to protect their hearing, or they need a solution to reduce loud noises in specific situations.

Click one of the links below to find out more information about that service.

• Diagnostic Services
• Hearing Aid Services
• Implant Services
• Other Services

What causes hearing loss?

Hearing loss happens for different reasons. Many people lose their hearing slowly as they age. This condition is known as presbycusis. Doctors do not know why presbycusis affects some people more than others, but it seems to run in families. Another reason for hearing loss with aging may be years of exposure to loud noise. This condition is known as noise-induced hearing loss. Many construction workers, farmers, musicians, airport workers, yard and tree care workers, and people in the armed forces have hearing problems even in their younger and middle years because of too much exposure to loud noise.

Hearing loss can also be caused by viral or bacterial infections, heart conditions or stroke, head injuries, tumors, and certain medicines.

How do I know if I really have a hearing loss or need a hearing aid?

Do you…

• Have trouble hearing over the telephone
• Find it hard to follow conversations when two or more people are talking
• Often ask people to repeat what they are saying
• Need to turn up the TV volume so loud that others complain
• Have a problem hearing because of background noise
• Think that others seem to mumble
• Can’t understand when women and children speak to you

Will a hearing aid really make that much difference?

Hearing aids can be of great benefit to you and those around you by helping you better hear and understand speech as well as environmental sounds.  If you think you are in need of a hearing aid, contact our audiologists to discuss your options.

What styles of hearing aids are there?

There are four primary styles of hearing aids:

1. Behind the ear (BTE)
2. In the ear (ITE)
3. In the canal (ITC)
4. Completely in the canal (CIC)

Each style of hearing aid is specially designed for a specific type and degree of hearing loss.

Credit: NIH Medical Arts

Will I have to wear one or two hearing aids?

Each patient’s situation is unique. Our audiologists will help you determine whether one or two hearing aids is best for you. In general, wearing two hearing aids gives you the advantage of sending your brain sound information from both ears, which helps to increase speech understanding, localize sounds and filter out background noise.

What should new users of hearing aids realistically expect?

Just like with anything new, a little patience will help you transition smoothly. Some people get used to a hearing aid in a few days, while others may need a few weeks to adjust. Gradually the sound quality of hearing aids will improve as your brain becomes accustomed to amplification. Below is a list of some things you can expect when wearing a hearing aid.

• Hearing in quiet environments should improve (watching TV or one-on-one conversations)
• Hearing in moderate background noise should improve
• Hearing in loud noise will not be as good as in a quiet environment
• Soft speech should be audible, average speech should be comfortable and loud speech will be loud, but never uncomfortable

Are there any drawbacks to wearing hearing aids?

The benefits of hearing aids far outweigh the drawbacks. Over time, most of the “drawbacks” will not be noticeable.

In the beginning:

• • You will be aware you have a hearing aid in your ear, but it should fit comfortably
  • Your own voice may sound different to you, however you will quickly become accustomed to the difference
  • You may notice sounds you have not heard in a while, like the refrigerator humming, paper moving or footsteps however your brain will quickly learn to “tune them out”

Our team of audiologists and staff offer pediatric and adult patients and their families a full range of audiologic services including diagnostic hearing and vestibular evaluations (for patients with dizziness) and treatment options. We work with the latest in hearing aid, cochlear implant and bone anchored implant technologies.

All of the audiologists at The South Bend Clinic have earned their doctorate degrees in audiology and are licensed by the state of Indiana.  Further, our audiologists are certified by the American Speech Language Hearing Association and/or the American Academy of Audiology.