3311 Bethel Road S.E., Suite 110
Port Orchard, WA 98366
360.895.3347
Providing Quality Hearing Healthcare with Honesty and Integrity for |
Helpful Links and Information
| We are committed to providing our patients with superior digital hearing aid technology with simplicity, sophistication and style. Hearing aid technology continues to improve and change as do other aspects of the technology world. Recently there have been some exciting advancements made in digital hearing aid technology including binaural communication between the two hearing aids, Blue Tooth Wireless compatibility with hearing aids from cell phones and other technologies, as well as some new applications in directional microphones to maximize comfort and speech intelligibility in noise. To learn more from some of the specific hearing aid manufacturers that we work with, please investigate the links below and contact Dr. Nilsson with any questions that you may have. We look forward to the opportunity to serve you. |
Manufacturers |
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Oticon |
www.oticonus.com |
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ReSound
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www.gnresound.com |
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Sonic Innovation
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www.sonici.com |
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Unitron
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unitronhearing.com |
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Widex |
widexusa.com |
Below are some helpful links for our patients struggling with some specific hearing health issues. Please feel free to further investigate some of these and contact Dr. Nilsson with any questions. |
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Tinnitus is a ringing, buzzing, hissing, or whistling in the ears or the head. It can be low, medium or high pitched. It is commonly a subjective symptom often associated with hearing loss, although it can be present in those without hearing loss. There are numerous reasons why a patient can experience tinnitus. Just some of those reasons include sensorineural hearing loss, ototoxic medications, damage from loud noise exposure or NIHL, or middle ear pathology. For more specific information, click here to visit the American Tinnitus Association (www.ata.org). For additional information on tinnitus and also for some information on hyperacousis, which is an abnormal sensitivity to everyday sounds, please click here for an article written by Mark Ross, Ph.D. of Gallaudet University www.hearingresearch.org/Dr.Ross/Tinnitus.htm. |
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| Auditory Processing Disorders |
Auditory processing is simply defined by how our brain processes what we hear. However auditory processing disorders are anything but simple. In some people both with and without hearing loss, there can be a problem with the brain’s ability to process auditory information, similarly to someone with dyslexia, who has a problem processing visual information. The person receives certain auditory information in a degraded manner. These disorders can be difficult to diagnose because the area of the brain where the pathology is said to occur can be different in different patients. Auditory processing disorders can be even more difficult to treat. There are several different categories for auditory processing disorders and there are several specific tests that can be administered in children above the age of seven and also in adults. For more information about auditory processing disorders in children, please click here to visit the website of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/auditory.asp). Dr. Nilsson also has some additional resources in the office if you are interested. |
| Ototoxic medications | Ototoxic medications are medications that can cause hearing loss or damage to the hair cells of the cochlea or the hearing mechanism. The cochlea is located in the inner ear. Certain medications can also be vestibulotoxic, which means they impact the balance center of the inner ear. Ototoxic medications can include, but are not limited to certain antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, diuretics, and chemotherapy drugs. Some ototoxic medications can result in an increased susceptibility to damage to the hearing from noise. For a list of some of these medications, please click on a webpage provided by Timothy C. Hain, M.D. a Professor of Neurology, Otolaryngology, and Physical Therapy and Human Movement Science at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago IL. (http://www.tchain.com/otoneurology/disorders/bilat/ototoxins.html) |
| Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) | Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is defined as hearing loss that occurs from exposure to loud sounds in the environment. These loud sounds damage the tiny hair cells of the cochlea (or hearing mechanism) in the inner ear. It occurs as the result of exposure to loud sounds in our environment. This damage can occur from prolonged exposure to loud sounds over several years or can be the result of a single incident, called a noise trauma. Exposure to loud sounds can cause auditory fatigue and other physical symptoms and can be prevented by not exposing yourself to these sounds or limiting your exposure to these sounds by protecting your hearing with hearing protection devices (HPD’s) such as earplugs or earmuffs. For more information on NIHL, please click on the link to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/noise.asp). |
| Presbycusis | Presbycusis is defined as hearing loss due to the natural progression of aging. Hearing loss can be a common problem among elderly populations. Sometimes other family members such as spouses or children notice a problem before the person with the problem notices it. This is because it often occurs gradually so it can be difficult to recognize. The presbycusic patient may turn the television up louder than others are comfortable with, ask for frequent repetition, or suddenly stop wanting to attend social functions because of noise and difficulty hearing. For more information, please click on a link to an article provided by the Cleveland Clinic (http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/1000/1006.asp?index=5840&src=newsp). |
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