Week 1.1

Question 1

What are some signs of hearing loss in adults?

Answer 1

Asking for repetition
Reporting that people mumble
Trouble in background noise
Require you to face them
Trouble on the phone but not in person

Question 2

What are some signs of hearing loss in children?

Answer 2

Language delays
Articulation problems
Academic issues
Ear pain

Question 3

What are the effects of hearing loss?

Answer 3

1) Decreased audibility: sound needs to be louder
2) Decreased identification: distinguish sounds at differing frequencies
3) Decreased dynamic range: range of volume between where a person first hears a sound and where it is painful
4) Decreased ability to hear in noise

Question 4

What is the signal to noise ratio?

Answer 4

How loud something is compared to background noise. We want the SNR to be high for good hearing.

Question 5

What are some things that affect the lower limit of addable hearing loss?

Answer 5

SEVERITY OF HL: greater HL, greater benefit
ACCEPTANCE OF NOISE: how willing is someone to ignore background
ENVIRONMENT/EXPECTATIONS
STIGMA
AGE/COGNITIVE ABILITY
PERSONALITY
AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDERS
TINNITUS

Question 6

What are some things that affect the upper limit of addable hearing loss?

Answer 6

Traditional hearing aid may not be appropriate, but there are many other possible options (cochlear implants, bone anchored devices, etc)

Question 7

What medical issues must be addressed before getting a hearing instrument?

Answer 7

Vertigo
Earwax impaction
Tinnitus
Single-sided deafness
Sudden HL
Unilateral HL, cause unknown

Question 8

What are some factors that influence hearing aid adoption?

Answer 8

Experince, recommendation, family support, finances, minimizing need, stigma, attitude, knowledge