About 1 in 8 people in the United States age 12 or older have hearing loss in both ears. If you notice consistently muffled sounds or have a hard time filtering out background noise, you may be experiencing the first signs of hearing loss.
Helping you rediscover sound
Experiencing signs of hearing loss can feel overwhelming and frustrating at first. You may notice that your standard TV volume is louder than before or that you're constantly asking people to repeat what they last said. These are common signs that can point to hearing loss.
At Tufts Medicine, we can help you amplify your sense of sound with the latest hearing aid technologies and expertise. And should you be discovering your world of sound for the first time, we can ease you into your surroundings with speech-language therapy.
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Conditions
You might lose your hearing because of different problems with your ears. Hearing loss can happen in three main ways, depending on where the issue is: conductive (affecting your outer or middle ear), sensorineural (affecting your inner ear), or mixed (a combination of both). Some causes include:
Acoustic neuromas (vestibular schwannoma)
Autoimmune diseases
Eardrum perforation
Meniere's disease
Otosclerosis
Testing
Our team of licensed audiologists will conduct a variety of diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of your hearing problem. These tests may include:
- Pure tone air and bone conduction testing
- Speech audiometry testing
- Immittance battery testing
- Distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) testing
After the evaluation is complete, your audiologist will determine your severity and type of hearing loss to create a personalized treatment plan.
Treatments
When you think of hearing aids, you might imagine something a grandparent or older relative once wore - bulky, constantly needing adjustment and prone to harsh feedback.
Hearing aid technology has improved dramatically over the years. What you can find today offers higher sound quality, more connectivity options and a sleeker look than the devices of the past.
When selecting a hearing aid, your audiologist will consider many factors to find the right one for you, such as:
- Anatomy of your ear
- Desire for wireless connectivity
- Hearing loss severity
- Personal preferences
- Your ability to use your hands and fingers with small objects
Implantable hearing devices + cochlear implants
Different from traditional hearing aids that are worn in or behind the ear, an implantable hearing device is a more permanent solution that's surgically implanted in the ear to amplify sound. Together, we'll explore if a bone conduction hearing aid or cochlear implant is right for you.
Speech-language therapy
Hearing aids and cochlear implants can transform how you hear sound. As exciting as this is, we understand it can be a lot to adjust to, especially when hearing loss has impacted communication for so long. Speech-language therapy is used to help people overcome speech, language and cognitive conditions so they can communicate with confidence.
Our locations
From regular office visits to inpatient stays, find the healthcare you need and deserve close to home.
Our doctors + care team
Meet the doctors and care team devoted to supporting you every step of the way along your path to better health.