Hearing loss?
letunolots asked:
Have had perforated eardrums sice child hood. Attempted to do op on one but changed mind on table as had a reaction to a solution they put in the ear. This was 30 yrs ago. Later told that the hole was too big to graph and risked collapse of total eardrum so was left. However now got minimal hearing in left ear, what now besides a hearing aid, is there an op now avail to help.Last time a doc looked he said hole not too bad but scar tissue present. Sick of apologising for being hearing impaired.Now time to consider an aide or an op if possible but scared due to last failure although I know procedures today are much kinder than yrs ago.
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Have had perforated eardrums sice child hood. Attempted to do op on one but changed mind on table as had a reaction to a solution they put in the ear. This was 30 yrs ago. Later told that the hole was too big to graph and risked collapse of total eardrum so was left. However now got minimal hearing in left ear, what now besides a hearing aid, is there an op now avail to help.Last time a doc looked he said hole not too bad but scar tissue present. Sick of apologising for being hearing impaired.Now time to consider an aide or an op if possible but scared due to last failure although I know procedures today are much kinder than yrs ago.
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June 17th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
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In my line of work I see many people and if someone is hearing impaired I notice that they read my lips. Can you do that? I don’t think it is necessary to apologise for something that you are not responsible for. Why not sign a few words, such as pardon? or I didn’t hear you? The motions are usually obvious to what they mean.
If the people are intelligent, they will respond and repeat. Try to deal with your loss. A blind person dosen’t apologise for not being able to see someone.
20% hearing keeps my mother housebound because she feels the same way you do and she has given in.
June 19th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
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The need for a hearing aid depends on the kind of work you are in right now. If you feel the need for a better hearing then you should have yourself fitted with a good hearing aid. Ear operation that covers the perforation has failures too. Having an operation does not guarantee you of a better hearing or a perfect post operative result. Protect your defective ear from getting wet. It will trigger infection that might aggravate your problem.
June 22nd, 2009 at 1:37 pm
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They have an operation they can do that involves grafting some skin over the hole. However, the success of this operation depends on how much of your hearing loss is caused by the perforation, and how much hearing your nerve has.
You need to have a hearing professional test your hearing and determine how much of the loss is conductive (caused by the perforation) and how much is nerve.
By this point your loss could be what professionals call mixed (part nerve part conductive). If that is the case the operation could at best only fix part of the problem. The best possible scenario for an operation is that you have almost normal nerve readings and the loss is entirely conductive. If this is the case, and the operation is successful then there could be a drastic improvement. If the loss is mixed with plenty of nerve deafness then there is only so much you can improve. After a simple hearing test your hearing professional will be able to give you some percentages, which will help you weigh the potential benefits of surgery versus the potential risks. An Ear Nose and Throat specialist will be able to help you discuss those risks.
If you decide or are advised against surgery you should get a hearing aid. They have improved significantly over the past few years and may be able to help your hearing a great deal.
You should not procrastinate too long. Hearing aids only work with the natural hearing you have left. The longer your brain is starved of good hearing input the harder it is to rehabilitate you back to good hearing.
If you are prone to ear infections because of your exposed middle ear, you may want to consider behind the ear hearing aids. They are not as pretty as the smaller in the ear models but they have the advantage that the actual bit that goes in your ear can be washed in soap and water, and cannot be damaged by an ear infection as an in the ear can be.
I would suggest you go and see a hearing instrument specialist or an audiologist for a full hearing test. Then take your test to the ENT specialist for a discussion on the pros and cons of surgery. Assuming the surgery is not the desired solution return to your hearing professional and ask to listen to a hearing aid system and discover for yourself what it sounds like. If you order a system get a one month trial and make sure the company you are dealing with has an extensive follow up program to ensure success.
Starkey/Audibel have a wonderful line of very sophisticated digital programmable BTE hearing systems to choose from. Including some amazing new technology released in the past few weeks.
Whatever you do, do something. Leaving a hearing loss for a long time makes fixing the problem that much harder. Good luck!