WHY DO I HEAR BUT NOT UNDERSTAND?
Do you sometimes feel people are mumbling or not speaking clearly? Do you find it difficult to follow a conversation in a noisy restaurant or crowded room? If so you might be interested in some recent findings. The most common type of hearing loss is sensorineural, in which the inner ear becomes damaged. Sound travels through the ear canal, the ear drum (tympanic membrane), the middle ear, and is transmitted to the inner ear (cochlea). As sound-generated vibrations enter the cochlea, they cause microscopic hair cells to vibrate, which in-turn transmit neuro-electrical impulses to the brain. When these hair cells become damaged, they cannot vibrate in the appropriate way. The resulting impulses to the brain are dampened or garbled, making comprehension difficult or impossible. Damage to hair cells is irreparable. But compensation is possible. It took years for your brain to learn to interpret the meaning of sounds. If the neurons that carry signals to the brain are experiencing prolonged lack of stimulation because of damaged hair cells (auditory
deprivation), they degenerate, leaving dead regions where certain sound frequencies can no longer be interpreted. In other words, “use
it or lose it” applies to hearing too. Fortunately, recent advances in digital hearing technology make it possible to detect damaged and dead regions within the inner ear. Using “visual speech mapping” and “real ear measurement” processes, the highly trained audiologists and hearing instrument specialists at AccuQuest Hearing Centers (a national network of over 170 locations) can target regions of frequency loss and compensate for damaged hair cells. This targeted stimulation of neurons can aid in making speech comprehensible again. Hearing loss, regardless of degree, can interfere with one’s ability to participate in a world that greatly depends on communication for social, educational, and occupational activities. Not all hearing loss can be fixed with hearing aids, but there’s a good chance we can help you with yours. Please give us a chance to help before your loss worsens. Our local experts have been trained in the most advanced fitting procedures on the most sophisticated technology available. Call today for a FREE Screening and 30 day satisfaction-guaranteed trial on ALL purchases. Call us today!