Hearing Loss Specialist
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Jacksonville ENT Surgery
Otolaryngology & Medical Spa located in Jacksonville, FL & Lake City, FL
Hearing loss commonly occurs as you get older, but this problem isn’t limited to age. Permanent noise-induced hearing loss occurs in 13% of children and teens. At Jacksonville ENT Surgery, Charles Greene, MD, PhD, and Tara Condrey, PA-C, have extensive experience preventing and treating hearing loss. If you need to turn up the TV volume, struggle to follow conversations, or have ringing in your ears, it’s time to schedule a hearing evaluation. The practice has three locations in Jacksonville and one in Lake City, Florida. Use the online booking feature or call the nearest office.
Hearing Loss Q & A
What causes hearing loss?
The cause depends on whether you have conductive or sensorineural hearing loss.
Conductive hearing loss
Conductive hearing loss occurs when a problem in your outer or middle ear stops sound waves from reaching the inner ear.
This is often caused by:
- Impacted earwax
- Perforated eardrum
- Fluid in the middle ear
- Outer or middle ear infections
- Bone damage in the middle ear
In most cases, your hearing returns after the problem is treated.
Sensorineural hearing loss
This type of hearing loss develops when the auditory nerve or sensory cells are damaged. Sensory cells in your inner ear convert sound waves into electrical signals. Then those signals go through the auditory nerve to your brain.
The top causes of sensorineural hearing loss include:
- Aging
- Loud sounds
- Certain illnesses
- Certain medications
- Autoimmune disease
- Meniere’s disease
- Otosclerosis
Your hearing loss is permanent when sensory cells and nerves are damaged.
How is hearing loss diagnosed?
Jacksonville ENT Surgery diagnoses hearing loss through comprehensive hearing testing. Your provider physically examines your ear, and then does a hearing evaluation called an audiological exam.
Your hearing test includes one or more of the following:
- Pure tone testing
- Speech testing
- Tuning fork test
- Tympanometry
- Acoustic reflex measures
- Otoacoustic emissions
Your initial evaluation starts with pure tone and speech testing. Depending on the results, you may need additional tests.
How is hearing loss treated?
If you have conductive hearing loss, your provider recommends the best treatment for the condition causing the problem. The team also offers testing and treatment for ringing in your ears, a condition called tinnitus.
Otherwise, your provider recommends noise protection or a hearing aid:
Noise protection
Sensory cells are easily damaged from a one-time or frequent exposure to loud sounds. You can protect your hearing with custom-made earmolds that filter out damaging sounds while still allowing you to hear.
Hearing aids
Hearing aids pick up and magnify sound as needed for your hearing needs. Your hearing aid can also filter out specific sounds such as background noise.
Jacksonville ENT Surgery offers a wide selection of hearing aids, from devices you wear behind your ear to today’s most advanced devices that are virtually invisible as they tuck into your ear canal.
With today’s digital technology, hearing aids can sync with your smartphone, smartwatch, and tablet, allowing you to stream music and conversations from these devices through your hearing aid.
If you have signs of hearing loss, don’t wait to get an evaluation. Call Jacksonville ENT Surgery today or connect online to schedule an appointment.
