[NFBV-Seniors] Handout From Julie Greenfield's senior Seminar Hearing Loss Presentation

Nancy Yeager nancyyeager542 at comcast.net
Thu Nov 9 19:47:15 UTC 2017


NVRC DBHL 11 4 17 

Julie Greenfield 

1. 

Introduction to NVRC 

2. 

Where Did my Hearing Go? 

3. 

Hearing Aids 

4. 

Hearing Assistive Technology

5. 

Communication Strategies 

NVRC 

Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons 

Mission: Empowering deaf and hard of hearing individuals and their families through education, advocacy and community involvement. 

Services: Information and referral, outreach, education, hearing screenings, ASL interpreting, and advocacy for deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened, and

DeafBlind residents in Northern Virginia. 

Visit www.nvrc.org to learn more about us. 

Address Phone numbers can be found on the website 

Service Areas are: 

Arlington County Fairfax County Louden County 

NVRC Works with VDDHH - Virginia Department for Deaf and Hard of Hearing 

NVRC has Assistive Technology Demonstration Room 

Where individuals can set up an appointment and visit with a Technology Specialist , Debbie Jones and try out a variety of technical solutions from Cordless

Amplified Phones, Captioned Phones, Fire Alert Systems and Alarm Clocks. 

Accessible Meeting Room 

Which has a Audio Loop System that works with individuals Hearing Aids or Cochlear Implants, along with Large Screen Flat Tv’s that have live captions

from a court reporter along with Sign Language Interpreters. 

Where did my Hearing Go? 

Has anyone experienced asking people to repeat themselves , having difficulty understanding people on the phone , problems at Family or large group gatherings,

feeling left out of the conversation. 

So…how do we hear? What could be going on? 

Your ear is divided into 3 parts: The outer ear - functions like a catcher’s mitt, capturing all the sounds of life and funneling them into the ear canal.

 

Middle Ear - When the sounds reach the ear drum it vibrates and sends those sounds into the middle ear . Think 

of the middle ear as an airy echo chamber that houses the 3 tiniest bones in your body – the hammer (Malleus), the anvil (Incus) and the stirrup (more

commonly called the stapes). Those little bones form a lever system which vibrates with the sounds as they pass through the ear drum and sends those sounds

along to the inner ear. 

The inner ear (3) houses the cochlea, a snail-shaped structure filled with fluid and thousands of little hair cells. These hair cells are responsible for

how well we hear, and when they degenerate or die off, we start to lose our ability to interpret what we are hearing, especially speech sounds. 

It’s important to note that sound travels through the cochlea and along the auditory nerve until it reaches its final destination - the auditory cortex

of the brain. Most of us don’t really think about it, but we don’t hear with our ears, we hear in our brain; our ears simply provide the transportation

of sound. 

Types of Hearing Loss 

1. 

Conductive: wax, fluid, etc., often temporary. 

2. 

Sensorineural: hair cell loss, nerve damage. Permanent. 

3. 

Combination conductive and sensorineural 

Some Causes of Hearing Loss 

Hearing loss in adults can either be inherited from your parents or acquired from illness, ototoxic (ear-damaging) drugs, exposure to loud noise, tumors,

head injury, or the aging process. This loss may occur by itself or with tinnitus (ringing in the ears). 

Very loud noise can cause permanent hearing loss. This is called noise-induced hearing loss. Listening to loud noise for long periods of time can damage

the hair cells in the inner ear. Noise-induced hearing loss usually develops gradually and painlessly. A single exposure to an extremely loud sound such

as an explosion can cause a sudden loss of hearing. This is called acoustic trauma.. 

Physical head injury can lead to traumatic brain injury (TBI), skull fractures, a hole in the eardrum, and damage to the middle ear structures, resulting

in hearing loss. 

Otosclerosis is a disease involving the middle ear. It affects the movement of the tiny bones in the middle ear. Otosclerosis can cause a conductive type

of hearing loss. This condition is often surgically treatable. 

Ménière's disease affects the inner ear. The cause of Ménière's disease is unknown. It usually begins between the ages of 30 and 50. A person with Ménière's

disease will often have a combination of sensorineural hearing loss, dizziness (vertigo), ringing in the ear (tinnitus), and sensitivity to loud sounds.

This type of hearing loss is managed by a doctor and audiologist. Some people with Ménière's disease report mild symptoms, but for others the symptoms

are much worse. The hearing loss comes and goes, but over time some loss becomes permanent. 

Autoimmune inner ear disease. This sudden-onset hearing loss is fast, dramatic, and should be medically treated as soon as possible. With swift medical

treatment, the hearing loss from this disease can be reduced. 

Ototoxic medications can cause hearing loss. Some drugs known to be ototoxic are: 

• 

Aminoglycoside antibiotics (such as streptomycin, neomycin, or kanamycin) 

• 

Salicylates in large quantities (aspirin) 

• 

Loop diuretics (lasix or ethacrynic acid) 

• 

Drugs used in chemotherapy regimens (cisplatin, carboplatin, or nitrogen mustard) 

Age - Presbycusis is a sensorineural hearing loss that occurs gradually later in life. The condition affects hearing 

in both ears over time. Speech begins to sound muffled or unclear because the ability to hear high pitch sounds is thefirst to go. Rhyming mistakes can

occur—for example, the high-pitched sound /t/ in the word tin is heard as / f/ in the word fin, causing confusion: “The roof is made of tin” is heard as

“The roof is made of fin.” 

• 

Hair cells in cochlea begin to die off 

• 

Usually the hair cells near the entrance to the cochlea 

• 

Those hair cells programmed for high frequencies 

• 

High frequency hearing loss is a normal part of aging 

Start having difficulty with following letter sounds: 

Ts and Ds 

TIME and DIME 

SH/CH 

Tee-SHIRT and TEACHER 

Fs and Vs 

FINE and VINE 

Without clear consonants, conversation can sound 

• 

Muffled 

• 

Garbled 

• 

Distorted 

• 

Like a foreign film without subtitles 

High frequency hearing loss makes it challenging to understand 

• 

Speakers with higher voices or accents 

• 

Conversation when many folks are speaking at once 

• 

Speech in a place with poor acoustics 

• 

What people are talking about if we don’t know the topic 

Hearing Loss: Impact on Feelings Parallel Reactions* 

You might feel: They might feel: 

• 

Frustrated Frustrated 

• 

Angry Angry 

• 

Guilty Guilty 

• 

A reduced quality of life A reduced quality of life 

The Outcome? 

Wanting to withdraw from the conversation 

Hearing vs. Understanding: Auditory Fatigue 

Hearing loss is exhausting! --- for everyone in the conversation! 

Hearing Aids can Help 

Hearing Aids: Why no one wants them 

• 

They make me look old! 

• 

Too expensive! 

• 

I don’t want people to notice! 

• 

I don’t need them yet. 

• 

My friends say they don’t work! 

Styles 

• 

Behind the Ear (BTE) 

• 

Behind the Ear – Open Fit 

• 

In the Ear (ITE) 

• 

In the Canal (ITC) 

• 

Completely in the Canal (CIC) 

• 

Last one - ITD - In The Drawer! Frustrating Sometimes 

Technologies •Telicoil 

⁃ 

Interacts with electromagnet field 

⁃ 

Useful on phone and with listening systems/devices 

• 

Bluetooth 

⁃ 

Provides wireless connection with cell phone, TV 

Loop systems 

NVRC’s meeting room is equipped with induction loop for listeners who have telecoils in their hearing aids and cochlear implants. Loop systems are becoming

popular in public venues such as museums and churches. 

How do hearing aids help? 

• 

Will amplify many sounds 

• 

Often make one-on-one conversation easier 

• 

Help with location of sounds 

• 

Help with balance 

• 

Help with the natural, stereo effect of sound 

But they don’t always! 

• 

Amplify sounds, but don’t always help with clarity 

• 

Do not overcome background noise 

• 

Must be programmed properly and fit well 

• 

Don’t overcome distance 

• 

Do not help with understanding challenging speech patterns/habits 

Hearing Assistive Technology Can Help 

• 

Communication Devices 

• 

Alerting Devices 

• 

VDDHH Technology Assistance Program (TAP)- Virginia Department for Deaf and Hard of Hearing 

Corded and Cordless Telephones Captioned Telephones TV Listening Systems Personal Amplifiers: “PockeTalker” personal amplifiers Alerting Devices - Alarm

Clocks, Door bell alert systems, and Smoke Detectors 

All these devices can be tried by appointment at the NVRC Technology Demonstration Room We only demo the technology we do not sell any technology. 

Thru VDDHH Technology Assistance Program 

• 

Telephones and alerting devices 

• 

Borrow for 30 days 

• 

Keep it if you like it 

• 

If you don’t meet financial eligibility guidelines, you might qualify for a discount through the state. 

What About Cell/Smart Phones? 

Most newer cell phones are hearing aid compatible but need to work with your specific hearing aid Not all hearing aids have Telcoil or Bluetooth - many

hearing aids can have both but be aware when purchasing. 

Communication Strategies that can Help 

• 

Let the speaker know you need to have them face you 

• 

Ask him/her to:(what do you need?) slow down, repeat, rephrase 

• 

Be assertive 

• 

An assertive approach has: 

• 

Direction - Be clear with your request 

• 

Rationale - Provide a reason 

• 

Courtesy - Sugar, not vinegar 

• 

Indicate where you need to stand or sit - 

• 

Do you have a “better” ear? 

• 

Make sure the person speaking is on your ‘good’ side if possible. 

• 

Admit it! Don’t Bluff! 

• 

Admit it if you are lost in the conversation. Perhaps you are tired or the room is too noisy. Hearing loss can be exhausting. 

• 

Bluffing: often you can’t hide your hearing loss, so it’s better to be open about it. 

• 

Let the other person know what you understood…or thought you understood 

Can you change the environment? Problem Solution 

TV or music on in background Can you turn it off? Too many people talking at the same time Can we have one person talking at a time? Speaker to far away

Move Closer Too noisy Find a quieter setting 

Come visit us at NVRC 

Questions

NVRC DBHL 11 4 17 (3).pdf

Julie Greenfield 

1. 

Introduction to NVRC 

2. 

Where Did my Hearing Go? 

3. 

Hearing Aids 

4. 

Hearing Assistive Technology

5. 

Communication Strategies 

NVRC 

Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons 

Mission: Empowering deaf and hard of hearing individuals and their families through education, advocacy and community involvement. 

Services: Information and referral, outreach, education, hearing screenings, ASL interpreting, and advocacy for deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened, and

DeafBlind residents in Northern Virginia. 

Visit www.nvrc.org to learn more about us. 

Address Phone numbers can be found on the website 

Service Areas are: 

Arlington County Fairfax County Louden County 

NVRC Works with VDDHH - Virginia Department for Deaf and Hard of Hearing 

NVRC has Assistive Technology Demonstration Room 

Where individuals can set up an appointment and visit with a Technology Specialist , Debbie Jones and try out a variety of technical solutions from Cordless

Amplified Phones, Captioned Phones, Fire Alert Systems and Alarm Clocks. 

Accessible Meeting Room 

Which has a Audio Loop System that works with individuals Hearing Aids or Cochlear Implants, along with Large Screen Flat Tv’s that have live captions

from a court reporter along with Sign Language Interpreters. 

Where did my Hearing Go? 

Has anyone experienced asking people to repeat themselves , having difficulty understanding people on the phone , problems at Family or large group gatherings,

feeling left out of the conversation. 

So…how do we hear? What could be going on? 

Your ear is divided into 3 parts: The outer ear - functions like a catcher’s mitt, capturing all the sounds of life and funneling them into the ear canal.

 

Middle Ear - When the sounds reach the ear drum it vibrates and sends those sounds into the middle ear . Think 

of the middle ear as an airy echo chamber that houses the 3 tiniest bones in your body – the hammer (Malleus), the anvil (Incus) and the stirrup (more

commonly called the stapes). Those little bones form a lever system which vibrates with the sounds as they pass through the ear drum and sends those sounds

along to the inner ear. 

The inner ear (3) houses the cochlea, a snail-shaped structure filled with fluid and thousands of little hair cells. These hair cells are responsible for

how well we hear, and when they degenerate or die off, we start to lose our ability to interpret what we are hearing, especially speech sounds. 

It’s important to note that sound travels through the cochlea and along the auditory nerve until it reaches its final destination - the auditory cortex

of the brain. Most of us don’t really think about it, but we don’t hear with our ears, we hear in our brain; our ears simply provide the transportation

of sound. 

Types of Hearing Loss 

1. 

Conductive: wax, fluid, etc., often temporary. 

2. 

Sensorineural: hair cell loss, nerve damage. Permanent. 

3. 

Combination conductive and sensorineural 

Some Causes of Hearing Loss 

Hearing loss in adults can either be inherited from your parents or acquired from illness, ototoxic (ear-damaging) drugs, exposure to loud noise, tumors,

head injury, or the aging process. This loss may occur by itself or with tinnitus (ringing in the ears). 

Very loud noise can cause permanent hearing loss. This is called noise-induced hearing loss. Listening to loud noise for long periods of time can damage

the hair cells in the inner ear. Noise-induced hearing loss usually develops gradually and painlessly. A single exposure to an extremely loud sound such

as an explosion can cause a sudden loss of hearing. This is called acoustic trauma.. 

Physical head injury can lead to traumatic brain injury (TBI), skull fractures, a hole in the eardrum, and damage to the middle ear structures, resulting

in hearing loss. 

Otosclerosis is a disease involving the middle ear. It affects the movement of the tiny bones in the middle ear. Otosclerosis can cause a conductive type

of hearing loss. This condition is often surgically treatable. 

Ménière's disease affects the inner ear. The cause of Ménière's disease is unknown. It usually begins between the ages of 30 and 50. A person with Ménière's

disease will often have a combination of sensorineural hearing loss, dizziness (vertigo), ringing in the ear (tinnitus), and sensitivity to loud sounds.

This type of hearing loss is managed by a doctor and audiologist. Some people with Ménière's disease report mild symptoms, but for others the symptoms

are much worse. The hearing loss comes and goes, but over time some loss becomes permanent. 

Autoimmune inner ear disease. This sudden-onset hearing loss is fast, dramatic, and should be medically treated as soon as possible. With swift medical

treatment, the hearing loss from this disease can be reduced. 

Ototoxic medications can cause hearing loss. Some drugs known to be ototoxic are: 

• 

Aminoglycoside antibiotics (such as streptomycin, neomycin, or kanamycin) 

• 

Salicylates in large quantities (aspirin) 

• 

Loop diuretics (lasix or ethacrynic acid) 

• 

Drugs used in chemotherapy regimens (cisplatin, carboplatin, or nitrogen mustard) 

Age - Presbycusis is a sensorineural hearing loss that occurs gradually later in life. The condition affects hearing 

in both ears over time. Speech begins to sound muffled or unclear because the ability to hear high pitch sounds is thefirst to go. Rhyming mistakes can

occur—for example, the high-pitched sound /t/ in the word tin is heard as / f/ in the word fin, causing confusion: “The roof is made of tin” is heard as

“The roof is made of fin.” 

• 

Hair cells in cochlea begin to die off 

• 

Usually the hair cells near the entrance to the cochlea 

• 

Those hair cells programmed for high frequencies 

• 

High frequency hearing loss is a normal part of aging 

Start having difficulty with following letter sounds: 

Ts and Ds 

TIME and DIME 

SH/CH 

Tee-SHIRT and TEACHER 

Fs and Vs 

FINE and VINE 

Without clear consonants, conversation can sound 

• 

Muffled 

• 

Garbled 

• 

Distorted 

• 

Like a foreign film without subtitles 

High frequency hearing loss makes it challenging to understand 

• 

Speakers with higher voices or accents 

• 

Conversation when many folks are speaking at once 

• 

Speech in a place with poor acoustics 

• 

What people are talking about if we don’t know the topic 

Hearing Loss: Impact on Feelings Parallel Reactions* 

You might feel: They might feel: 

• 

Frustrated Frustrated 

• 

Angry Angry 

• 

Guilty Guilty 

• 

A reduced quality of life A reduced quality of life 

The Outcome? 

Wanting to withdraw from the conversation 

Hearing vs. Understanding: Auditory Fatigue 

Hearing loss is exhausting! --- for everyone in the conversation! 

Hearing Aids can Help 

Hearing Aids: Why no one wants them 

• 

They make me look old! 

• 

Too expensive! 

• 

I don’t want people to notice! 

• 

I don’t need them yet. 

• 

My friends say they don’t work! 

Styles 

• 

Behind the Ear (BTE) 

• 

Behind the Ear – Open Fit 

• 

In the Ear (ITE) 

• 

In the Canal (ITC) 

• 

Completely in the Canal (CIC) 

• 

Last one - ITD - In The Drawer! Frustrating Sometimes 

Technologies •Telicoil 

⁃ 

Interacts with electromagnet field 

⁃ 

Useful on phone and with listening systems/devices 

• 

Bluetooth 

⁃ 

Provides wireless connection with cell phone, TV 

Loop systems 

NVRC’s meeting room is equipped with induction loop for listeners who have telecoils in their hearing aids and cochlear implants. Loop systems are becoming

popular in public venues such as museums and churches. 

How do hearing aids help? 

• 

Will amplify many sounds 

• 

Often make one-on-one conversation easier 

• 

Help with location of sounds 

• 

Help with balance 

• 

Help with the natural, stereo effect of sound 

But they don’t always! 

• 

Amplify sounds, but don’t always help with clarity 

• 

Do not overcome background noise 

• 

Must be programmed properly and fit well 

• 

Don’t overcome distance 

• 

Do not help with understanding challenging speech patterns/habits 

Hearing Assistive Technology Can Help 

• 

Communication Devices 

• 

Alerting Devices 

• 

VDDHH Technology Assistance Program (TAP)- Virginia Department for Deaf and Hard of Hearing 

Corded and Cordless Telephones Captioned Telephones TV Listening Systems Personal Amplifiers: “PockeTalker” personal amplifiers Alerting Devices - Alarm

Clocks, Door bell alert systems, and Smoke Detectors 

All these devices can be tried by appointment at the NVRC Technology Demonstration Room We only demo the technology we do not sell any technology. 

Thru VDDHH Technology Assistance Program 

• 

Telephones and alerting devices 

• 

Borrow for 30 days 

• 

Keep it if you like it 

• 

If you don’t meet financial eligibility guidelines, you might qualify for a discount through the state. 

What About Cell/Smart Phones? 

Most newer cell phones are hearing aid compatible but need to work with your specific hearing aid Not all hearing aids have Telcoil or Bluetooth - many

hearing aids can have both but be aware when purchasing. 

Communication Strategies that can Help 

• 

Let the speaker know you need to have them face you 

• 

Ask him/her to:(what do you need?) slow down, repeat, rephrase 

• 

Be assertive 

• 

An assertive approach has: 

• 

Direction - Be clear with your request 

• 

Rationale - Provide a reason 

• 

Courtesy - Sugar, not vinegar 

• 

Indicate where you need to stand or sit - 

• 

Do you have a “better” ear? 

• 

Make sure the person speaking is on your ‘good’ side if possible. 

• 

Admit it! Don’t Bluff! 

• 

Admit it if you are lost in the conversation. Perhaps you are tired or the room is too noisy. Hearing loss can be exhausting. 

• 

Bluffing: often you can’t hide your hearing loss, so it’s better to be open about it. 

• 

Let the other person know what you understood…or thought you understood 

Can you change the environment? Problem Solution 

TV or music on in background Can you turn it off? Too many people talking at the same time Can we have one person talking at a time? Speaker to far away

Move Closer Too noisy Find a quieter setting 

Come visit us at NVRC 

Questions

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