Courtenay Place, Waikanae and Paraparaumu...
Courtenay Hearing Centre has locations in Courtenay Place, Wellington, Waikanae, and Paraparaumu.
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One of the five senses
permitting you to detect sound
Humans are able to distinguish the minute differences in volume (intensity) and pitch (frequency) over a wide range of audible sound.
Sound is a form of energy, like, for example, electricity. Actions such as clapping your hands produce sound waves which travel to and are detected by the ears.
The ear is generally divided into three parts:
- The outer ear or the auricle helps direct sound into the ear canal. Both the auricle and the ear canal amplify and guide sound waves to the eardrum (known as the tympanic membrane);
- The eardrum is stretched across the front of a cavity encased in bone called the middle ear. The eardrum vibrates in response to sound waves, just like tapping a drum head. The middle ear cavity is like a drum body. Sound waves move the eardrum, which moves three tiny bones connected to the eardrum, which in turn moves fluids in the inner ear (cochlea);
- The cochlea, a snail-shell-like structure in the inner ear, is divided into three fluid-filled parts. Two are chambers for the transmission of pressure and in the third is the sensitive Organ of Corti which detects pressure impulses and responds with electrical signals which travel along the auditory nerve to the brain, where we recognize these signals as familiar sounds.
Hearing loss is a sensory impairment that can occur in any situation and to anyone at any time, affecting the ability to detect or understand sounds.
Age related hearing loss (Presbyacusis)
The ability of most adults to hear very high frequency sounds begins to decrease in early middle age. Hearing range also decreases, preventing the discrimination of certain sounds.
Due to the location of the high frequency sensitive hair cells (in the Cochlea), it is usually the high frequency sounds that are often affected first. This means that the ability to differentiate high frequency speech sounds such as ‘k’, ‘f’, ‘s’ and ‘th’ reduces and the person begins to misinterpret conversations.
It only takes one small sound to change the meaning of a word, for example, ‘cause’ and ‘pause’.
Generally, such hearing loss is quite a gradual process, meaning that the person experiencing it would be fine in a quiet setting. In a louder environment, he or she would have to strain to concentrate on one conversation, leading them to feel tired and frustrated.
When definite sounds are no longer heard, speech sound like mumbling and things stop making sense. This is when the hearing impaired start to withdraw themselves from social situations. Some may not even realise what is happening.
Over time this hearing loss will worsen, affecting sounds heard even in quiet surroundings. This leads to people having to speak up and television and radio volumes being increased.
This only resolves the issue of volume, not clarity. Again, the person may not even realise that they are doing it; it is friends and family that will notice the change.
There are many possible causes of hearing loss. These may be able to be treated medically or surgically by an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist (ENT). If not, then a hearing aid will need to be fitted.
The trained Audiologists at Courtenay Hearing Centre are specially trained to identify such hearing losses and fit appropriate amplification devices.
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