Hearing Care
About Hearing Loss • Diagnosis • Treatments
Dr. Kalpana DePasquale at St. Augustine Ear, Nose & Throat in Florida is a caring ear, nose, and throat doctor who understands the value of hearing and how it affects daily living. Dr. DePasquale provides comprehensive hearing and ear exams to identify the source of a hearing problem. Treatment for hearing is very individualized and depends on the cause and severity of the hearing loss. Dr. DePasquale will discuss treatment alternatives with you and formulate an individualized treatment plan.
About Hearing Loss
Hearing impairment or loss occurs if there is a problem in the hearing process in one or both ears. Hearing loss may be temporary or permanent. You should contact Dr. DePasquale if you notice changes in the way things sound or have a difficult time understanding others.
Common causes of hearing loss or impairment include:
- Aging
- Medications
- Ear infections
- Ear wax build-up
- Heredity
- Injury
- Loud noises
The main categories of hearing disturbances include:
Conductive Hearing Loss (CHL): is caused by problems with the outer or middle ear. Fluid build-up from ear infections can impair the vibrations of the eardrum or small bones.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL): results when the tiny hairs in the cochlea are damaged and cannot send signals to the brain or by damage to the nerve that sends signals from the cochlea to the brain.
Mixed Hearing Loss: People have both conductive hearing loss and sensorial hearing loss.
Tinnitus: is hearing unusual sounds in the ear that are actually not occurring in the environment, such as ringing, buzzing, hissing, blowing, or other abnormal sounds that may be heard in one or both ears. Ear disorders, medical conditions, or certain medications are frequent causes of tinnitus. Tinnitus is common and treating the underlying condition can help stop tinnitus. In some cases, devices or hearing aids can help filter or mask the abnormal sounds. Learn more about tinnitus.
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Diagnosis
Dr. DePasquale diagnoses hearing loss by reviewing each patient's medical history and conducting a comprehensive examination. A speech discrimination test is used to determine how well words are heard at various volumes. A thorough hearing evaluation is performed in a soundproof booth including air conduction testing, bone conduction testing and speech testing to determine a patient’s dynamic range. Thorough testing is the key to determining a patients hearing health care needs.
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Treatments
Treatments for hearing loss vary and depend on the cause and severity of hearing loss. Dr. DePasquale will discuss the most appropriate treatments for you. Common treatments include medication to treat ear infections or removal of ear wax build-up.
For more information on the comprehensive hearing care available at St. Augustine Ear, Nose & Throat or to schedule your personal appointment, call us today at (904) 461-6060.
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Hearing Care
About Hearing Loss • Diagnosis • Treatments
Dr. Kalpana DePasquale at St. Augustine Ear, Nose & Throat in Florida is a caring ear, nose, and throat doctor who understands the value of hearing and how it affects daily living. Dr. DePasquale provides comprehensive hearing and ear exams to identify the source of a hearing problem. Treatment for hearing is very individualized and depends on the cause and severity of the hearing loss. Dr. DePasquale will discuss treatment alternatives with you and formulate an individualized treatment plan.
About Hearing Loss
Hearing impairment or loss occurs if there is a problem in the hearing process in one or both ears. Hearing loss may be temporary or permanent. You should contact Dr. DePasquale if you notice changes in the way things sound or have a difficult time understanding others.
Common causes of hearing loss or impairment include:
- Aging
- Medications
- Ear infections
- Ear wax build-up
- Heredity
- Injury
- Loud noises
The main categories of hearing disturbances include:
Conductive Hearing Loss (CHL): is caused by problems with the outer or middle ear. Fluid build-up from ear infections can impair the vibrations of the eardrum or small bones.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL): results when the tiny hairs in the cochlea are damaged and cannot send signals to the brain or by damage to the nerve that sends signals from the cochlea to the brain.
Mixed Hearing Loss: People have both conductive hearing loss and sensorial hearing loss.
Tinnitus: is hearing unusual sounds in the ear that are actually not occurring in the environment, such as ringing, buzzing, hissing, blowing, or other abnormal sounds that may be heard in one or both ears. Ear disorders, medical conditions, or certain medications are frequent causes of tinnitus. Tinnitus is common and treating the underlying condition can help stop tinnitus. In some cases, devices or hearing aids can help filter or mask the abnormal sounds. Learn more about tinnitus.
Go Back to top>>
Diagnosis
Dr. DePasquale diagnoses hearing loss by reviewing each patient's medical history and conducting a comprehensive examination. A speech discrimination test is used to determine how well words are heard at various volumes. A thorough hearing evaluation is performed in a soundproof booth including air conduction testing, bone conduction testing and speech testing to determine a patient’s dynamic range. Thorough testing is the key to determining a patients hearing health care needs.
Go Back to top>>
Treatments
Treatments for hearing loss vary and depend on the cause and severity of hearing loss. Dr. DePasquale will discuss the most appropriate treatments for you. Common treatments include medication to treat ear infections or removal of ear wax build-up.
For more information on the comprehensive hearing care available at St. Augustine Ear, Nose & Throat or to schedule your personal appointment, call us today at (904) 461-6060.
Go Back to top>>