Hearing Loss

The following checklist will help you determine if you should make an appointment for a hearing test with a physician or audiologist at Mid-Kansas Ear, Nose & Throat. The questions relate to everyday situations where many people — even those with only minor hearing losses — could experience difficulties hearing clearly.

Do I Need a Hearing Test?

• When watching television with others you need to set the volume higher than they would to hear what is being said.
• You often need to ask people to repeat what they have said.
• You often feel that other people are “mumbling” or speaking unclearly.
• You often have trouble understanding a conversation when there is background noise or when other people are talking at the same time.
• Your family members / colleagues / friends have asked you whether you have a hearing problem.
• You avoid parties and social events because there is too much noise or you can’t hear what people are saying.
• During conversations in a car, a restaurant, or another noisy place, you often misunderstand what is being said.
• You feel stressed or tired when you have had to talk or listen for long periods.
• You need to sit close to the speakers at meetings, religious services or at the dinner table in order to understand.
• You often experience problems hearing and understanding what other people are saying to you when you do not have eye contact.
• You often find it hard to localize the source of sounds.

Causes of Hearing Loss

Common causes of hearing loss include: wax build-up, infection of the ear canal, infection of the middle ear space, damage to the ear drum, Eustachian tube dysfunction, otosclerosis, viral infection in the inner ear, acoustic trauma, acoustic neuroma, and changes to the inner ear and auditory pathways associated with aging. At each appointment, the nature and severity of the hearing problem will be determined, and the appropriate treatment and recommendations will be made.

The Mid-Kansas ENT physician may recommend medical or surgical management. If the loss is not medically treatable and it is felt that amplification would be of benefit, a Hearing Aid Evaluation (HAE) is recommended.

Hearing Aid Evaluation

During the Hearing Aid Evaluation, an interview with the patient and any family members present is done to determine the nature and severity of the hearing problem. This helps uncover the most handicapping symptoms so that our staff may focus on resolving these issues in order to improve communication. Using the information from the interview as well as the preferences of the patient and the hearing loss information, amplification options are determined. All hearing aid options are available through our office and are reviewed with the patient.

Call Mid-Kansas Ear, Nose & Throat Associates at 316-684-2838 for more information or to schedule an appointment.