Q:  Is hearing loss or dizziness a normal sign of aging?

A:  No, many causes of hearing and balance disorders are not part of the normal aging process.  If your symptoms are caught early it can be treated and corrected.  Suffering in silence is not necessary!

Q:  Can hearing and balance disorders affect young people?

A:  Yes, hearing and balance disorders affect people of all ages, from infants to older adults.  As a result, these disorders disrupt our lives by causing problems with education, employment and general well-being.

Q:  If I need assistance with accessing community resources, is there someone who would be available to help me?

A:  Yes, we pride ourselves in the fact that we specialize in providing our patients with excellent and customized care.  Our program coordinator has been designated to meet your needs and expectations.  The coordinated care is guaranteed to follow you from diagnosis to treatment.  In addition, any assistance you may need with accessing community resources or needing help with your transition back to your life is provided by our program coordinator.

Q:  What is Cochlear Implant?

A:  A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing. The implant consists of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin (see figure). An implant has the following parts:

• A microphone, which picks up sound from the environment.
• A speech processor, which selects and arranges sounds picked up by the microphone.
• A transmitter and receiver/stimulator, which receive signals from the speech processor and convert them into electric impulses.
• An electrode array, which is a group of electrodes that collects the impulses from the stimulator and sends them to different regions of the auditory nerve.

Q:  What qualifies me for a Cochlear Implant?

A:  Children and adults who are deaf or severely hard-of-hearing can be fitted for cochlear implants. According to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) 2005 data, nearly 100,000 people worldwide have received implants. In the United States, roughly 22,000 adults and nearly 15,000 children have received them.

Adults who have lost all or most of their hearing later in life often can benefit from cochlear implants. They often can associate the sounds made through an implant with sounds they remember. This may help them to understand speech without visual cues or systems such as lipreading or sign language.

Cochlear implants, coupled with intensive postimplantation therapy, can help young children to acquire speech, language, developmental, and social skills. Most children who receive implants are between two and six years old. Early implantation provides exposure to sounds that can be helpful during the critical period when children learn speech and language skills. In 2000, the FDA lowered the age of eligibility to 12 months for one type of cochlear implant. (NIDCD--www.nidcd.nih.gov)

Q:  How does a Cochlear Implant work?

A:  A cochlear implant is very different from a hearing aid. Hearing aids amplify sounds so they may be detected by damaged ears. Cochlear implants bypass damaged portions of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve. Signals generated by the implant are sent by way of the auditory nerve to the brain, which recognizes the signals as sound. Hearing through a cochlear implant is different from normal hearing and takes time to learn or relearn. However, it allows many people to recognize warning signals, understand other sounds in the environment, and enjoy a conversation in person or by telephone. (NIDCD--www.nidcd.nih.gov)

Q:  How do I get a Cochlear Implant?

A:  Use of a cochlear implant requires both a surgical procedure and significant therapy to learn or relearn the sense of hearing. Not everyone performs at the same level with this device. The decision to receive an implant should involve discussions with medical specialists, including an experienced cochlear-implant surgeon. The process can be expensive. For example, a person's health insurance may cover the expense, but not always. Some individuals may choose not to have a cochlear implant for a variety of personal reasons. Surgical implantations are almost always safe, although complications are a risk factor, just as with any kind of surgery. An additional consideration is learning to interpret the sounds created by an implant. This process takes time and practice. Speech-language pathologists and audiologists are frequently involved in this learning process. Prior to implantation, all of these factors need to be considered. (NIDCD---www.nidcd.nih.gov)

Q:  What are the symptoms of vestibular disorders?

A:  The most frequently reported symptoms of vestibular disorders are dizziness, unsteadiness or imbalance when walking, vertigo, and nausea. These symptoms may be quite mild, lasting minutes, or quite severe, resulting in total disability. Because the vestibular system interacts with many other parts of the nervous system, symptoms may also be experienced as problems with vision, muscles, and thinking and memory (Vestibular Disorders Association).

Q:  Who is at risk?

A:  Vestibular disorders occur frequently and can affect people of all ages and all walks of life.

Q:  What causes vestibular disorders?

A:  Blows to the head and whiplash are a frequent cause of vestibular disorders in people under age 50. Ear infections such as otitis media and inflammation of the inner ear (labyrinthitis) may also cause damage to the vestibular and hearing structures of the inner ear. Viruses may cause some vestibular disorders. High doses or long-term use of certain antibiotics can also cause permanent damage to the inner ear. Other drugs, such as aspirin, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, sedatives, and tranquilizers, as well as many illegal drugs, can cause temporary dizziness but do not result in permanent damage to the vestibular system. Rarely, a slow-growing tumor on the nerve that leads from the inner ear to the brain (an acoustic neuroma) may interfere with the normal function of the vestibular system. (Vestibular Disorders Association)

Q:  How are vestibular disorders diagnosed?

A:  Because the vestibular system is in close proximity to the hearing apparatus, vestibular testing includes hearing tests. Eye movements often hold clues to vestibular dysfunction. To record eye movements, a technique called electronystagmography (ENG) is used. In ENG testing, electrodes are put on the facial muscles that control eye movement. The patient is then placed in a variety of situations, and the eye movements are electronically recorded. Balance is an essential component of vestibular functioning. During Balance testing, patients may be asked to stand on special platforms that record the movement of the body. This kind of testing is called moving platform posturography (Vestibular Disorders Association).

Q:  Will my insurance cover this treatments?

A:  We accept most insurance providers. However, if you are concerned about your coverage, please call your insurance provider or the Mid-Atlantic Hearing & Balance Program Coordinator for assistance.

Q:  Do I need a referral to come to the Mid-Atlantic Hearing and Balance Center?

A:  Depending on your insurer, you may or may not need a referral. Again, please consult your insurance company or contact the Program Coordinator with the Mid-Atlantic Hearing & Balance Program Coordinator for assistance.

Q:  What makes the Mid-Atlantic Hearing and Balance Center unique?

A:  We pride ourselves on providing personalized, coordinated patient care. Our center has sophisticated diagnostic services, medical therapies, and if necessary, surgical interventions, that are all streamlined through the Program Coordinator, who works with the professional hearing and balance team to meet each patient's individual needs.