What degree of hearing loss does one have to have to get a hearing aid?

Question

Im in my 30's with a childhood history of chronic ear infections (the docs say I have alot of scar tissue) , tubes in my ears 4 times, my early years of school were spent in speech therapy, in my 20's I had a head injury which only made my hearing worse I feel my hearing has gotten worse over the years Any advice from someone who has a hearing aid would be greatly appreciated

Answer 1

Hi, I'm an Audiologist

There is no prerequisite degree of hearing loss for hearing aid fitting. There are mild gain instruments used by people who have no hearing loss, but have learning disabilities that make focusing on sound and speech difficult. By enhancing just the softer sounds of speech without making loud sounds any louder, the patients are better able to follow what is being said.

Prior to considering hearing aids, you may want to consult an ear surgeon to determine whether there are any reconstructive surgeries that might help your hearing. In most cases, the audiologist would want you to obtain otologic clearance for hearing aids prior to prescribing hearing aids for the first time - especially with a history of frequent ear infections, surgeries and scarring. If it is determined that surgery is not an option, or if you elect not to have surgery, you will want to consult an audiologist that will prescribe a device that is appropriate for your not only for your hearing loss, but your listening environments and lifestyle as well.

It is also important to have realistic expectations, as many factors can impair a person's ability to listen and comprehend that are beyond the capacity of a device that can only help with hearing acuity. As mentioned above, there are learning disabilities, neurological and psychological disorders that impair a person's ability to focus on, comprehend or remember what they have heard.

Answer 2

Which part of the word "permanent" was not clear? Who are you doing this presentation for, and why would they ask it of someone who is unqualified? Permanent Hearing loss means loss of hearing beyond the level of competence of those handling the case. The difficulty in restoring hearing depends on what caused its loss. If the auditory nerve is destroyed, there is nothing for a Hearing Aid to "aid." In CSI: Las Vegas, the Forensics genius, Gil Grissom had congenital hearing loss caused by bone overgrowing the eardrum, which was easily corrected with an operation. The auditory nerve was unaffected, it was simply that sound was not able to reach the eardrum to make it vibrate, or it was unable to vibrate (this may not have been specified). There is a sort of Hearing Aid called a "bone-phone" that transmit sound through the skull, when attached to any part of one's head, and can change the life of someone who has lost their eardrums. A frivolous version of this device is in the form of a handle, into which is inserted a lollipop, the which, when licked, enables music to be broadcast into one's head which no one else can hear. I am on the job, and all this is off the top of my head, from stuff I remember seeing and reading, because I have no time to do the proper research, and give the proper references.

Answer 3

Any hearing loss greater than 20 decibels is correctable with an aid. Everyone's different. Have your hearing screened, and find out what options are available through a licensed audiologist. NOT a hearing aid dealer/dispenser.

Answer 4

Your absolute best answer is going to come from an audiologist who can test your hearing and make his/her recommendations as to when a hearng aide would be useful and necessary for you.

Answer 5

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