Health Talk
By Kandace Power Graves
Audiologist Julie Haro Grenier, M.A., CCC-A, F-AAA, of Doctors' Hearing Services Inc. (4740 S. I-10 Service Road, Metairie, 454-3277; 5640 Read Blvd., 241-9533; www.doctorshearingservices.com) discusses various aspects of hearing, what can go wrong and how to solve the problems.
Q: What are the most common things that can affect ears and hearing?
A: Common problems include muffled hearing due to excessive ear wax, fluid associated with sinus and allergy ailments, and ringing in the ears caused by nerve-type hearing loss.
Q: When should a person first have their hearing tested as a norm?
A: We perform hearing screenings on all newborn babies as ordered by their pediatricians and mandated by state law. We advise hearing tests for children who have delayed or abnormal speech patterns, a family history of hearing problems, or routinely before entering school.
Q: How do you test babies for hearing?
A: Either otoacoustic emissions (OAE) or auditory brainstem response (ABR) are used to test babies. These are computerized, painless tests performed by placing a tiny earplugs in the baby's ear. There is no cooperation necessary from the baby, as the baby usually sleeps through the procedure.
Q: What types of medical services do you offer for ear, nose, throat, allergy and sinus problems, and are these all related to how well a person hears?
A: The nose, throat, ears and sinuses of both children and adults are physically connected and frequently experience problems related to each other. We must utilize the full spectrum of medical and surgical treatments, including pharmaceuticals, allergy testing and shots, and elective surgical procedures.
Q: Who should wear swimming ear plugs or 'musicians' ear plugs? What about people who, say, work on a jackhammer in construction or at an airport?
A: Anyone who has a perforated eardrum, ventilation tubes (in their ears) or suffers from chronic external ear infections would benefit from swim plugs to avoid water in the ear canal. These can be custom-made for comfort. A different type of protective plug is needed for loud noise such as construction, hunting, or music, for example. These can be custom-made to filter unwanted volume or frequencies.
Q: What advances have been made in hearing aids? Are there different kinds for different conditions?
A: Because of computerized microchip technology, there have been dramatic advances in hearing aids in the past few years. Digital hearing aids have become smaller and have proven successful for most people. Each digital hearing aid is constructed individually to fit (a person's) ear canal exactly and is programmed to respond according to that individual's hearing needs. These programs are designed to suppress background noise and use directional microphones to amplify wanted sounds Ñ speech Ñ in front of the listener. The audiologist will take into account the individual's lifestyle, physical limitations, hearing deficits and economic constraints, among other factors, when recommending an appropriate hearing aid.
Q: When is a cochlear implant warranted?
A: A cochlear implant, performed in academic institutions, is reserved for people who have a severe-to-profound hearing loss in both ears and derive little or no benefit from hearing aids.
Q: What should people do as a habit to ensure hearing health?
A: Have regular physical exams of the ears, nose and throat; undergo periodic hearing testing; avoid physical trauma Ñ air travel and scuba diving; and protect ears from excessively loud noise. 
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