EARWAX

Earwax, known as cerumen, is part of the ear’s natural process to keep dust and dirt from reaching the eardrum. Normally, dust and dirt are trapped in the earwax, which then dries up and falls out of the ear. But some people experience a build-up of earwax, which causes a blockage that reduces hearing. 

Hearing aid and earplug users have a higher incidence of earwax blockage than other. However, using a cotton swab to clean your ear can also contribute to earwax build-up. 

It is recommended that you do not use a cotton swab 

to clean your ear as it may pierce the eardrum.

Symptoms of earwax blockage include decreased or muffled hearing, dizziness, ear pain or ringing in the ears. Wax-softening drops and irrigation of the ear with warm water are two home remedies. For more difficult cases, please contact our office 218-454-3777 and schedule an appointment to remove your earwax build-up.

Dr. Sarah Nelson

The Treatment of Tinnitus

For most tinnitus sufferers, there is no cure. There is no pill or surgery that has been shown to eliminate tinnitus in scientific studies that have been replicated and accepted by the healthcare community.

There are some important exceptions to this. Some forms of tinnitus, particularly middle-ear tinnitus, can be treated. Sometimes a medication can cause tinnitus, and stopping or changing medications can eliminate the tinnitus (check with whoever prescribed the medication).

There are two broad categories of treatments that help people adjust to their tinnitus.

• Counseling. Counseling can be beneficial with thoughts and emotions, hearing, sleep and concentration. One example of this approach is Tinnitus Activities Treatment, which includes individualized collaborative counseling in each of these areas.
• Sound Therapy. Many tinnitus sufferers report that the presence of background sound reduces the prominence or the loudness of their tinnitus. The background sound can be present in the environment (e.g. fan noise). There are non-wearable devices that produce pleasant background sound (e.g. raindrops). Additionally, wearable maskers or sound generators are available that produce a 'shhh' noise (these can also be combined with hearing aids). The use of hearing aids improves communication, reduces the stress associated with intensive listening, and also can partially mask the tinnitus. Music can also be very effective in non-wearable and wearable devices.

If you or someone you know suffers from tinnitus, I urge you to contact me as soon as possible to schedule a consultation.  218-454-3277.

Have a great day!  Dr. Sarah Nelson

IMPACT OF TINNITUS

 Tinnitus affects everyone differently. The most common areas in which tinnitus has a direct influence are:

• THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS.  Some are annoyed, bothered, depressed, anxious or angry about their tinnitus.  They think and focus on their tinnitus often. 
• HEARING.  For some, the sound of tinnitus competes with or masks speech of environmental sound perception. 
• SLEEP.  Many tinnitus sufferers report that their tinnitus interferes with their sleep. It also makes it more difficult to get back to sleep when they wake up during the night.
• CONCENTRATION.  Some tinnitus sufferers report that they have difficulty focusing on a task because of their tinnitus.  This might include reading a book or the newspaper.

Have a great day!

Dr. Sarah Nelson

Tinnitus (ringing in your ears)!

Tinnitus is the perception of a sound that has no external source. Some of the more common sounds reported are: ringing, humming, buzzing, and cricket-like. It can be constant or intermittent and is heard in one ear, both ears or in the head. Tinnitus can originate in the middle ear (behind the eardrum) or in the sensorineural auditory system.

The most common causes of tinnitus are:

• Noise exposure (e.g. from shooting or machines at work)

• A natural part of the aging process

• Head injury (e.g. from a car accident or fall)

• As a side effect of medications (e.g. aspirin — see ototoxic drugs)

Impact and treatment of tinnitus will be discussed in next blogs! You can contact me at 218-454-(EARS)3277 for a consultation.

Have a great day!

Dr. Sarah Nelson

Doctor of Audiology and a hearing aid dealer

What’s the difference between a Doctor of Audiology and a hearing aid dealer?

Hearing aid dealers or dispensers are licensed by a state or provincial board. Their range of studies includes audiogram (hearing test) interpretation, prescribing appropriate hearing aids and a complete understanding of how hearing aids function. Their training focuses solely on audiometric testing and hearing aid fitting.  

Audiologists have either a master's or doctorate degree in audiology. Audiologists who sell hearing aids must also be licensed by the state or province they practice in.

Audiologists have a greater knowledge of human hearing and balance than other hearing professionals. They study the intricate designs and workings of the entire human ear and the physics of sound and hearing. Audiologists don’t perform ear surgery or prescribe treatment for diseases of the ear.

Please call for a consultation, 218-454-EARS (3277).

Have a great day!

Dr. Sarah Nelson

MYTH: Your hearing loss cannot be helped.

FACT: This might have been true many years ago, but with modern advances in technology, nearly 95% of people with a sensorineural hearing loss can be helped with hearing aids.

There are many MYTHS out there.  Talk to a professional about the FACTS.

Call for a consultation today.  218-454-EARS (3277).  

Happy Mothers Day!

Dr. Sarah Nelson

What You Can Do To Protect Your Hearing

If you work in an at-risk occupation, check with your employer to make sure that your jobsite has an effective program to adequately protect your hearing, meeting federal or state regulations.

Wear hearing protection, such as earplugs or earmuffs, consistently when using loud equipment at work or at home. Foam earplugs are available at your pharmacy, earmuffs can be purchased at sporting goods or safety equipment stores, and specialized hearing protection is available from hearing clinics.
 

Limit exposure to noisy activities at home. Monitor your listening level and how long you are listening to personal listening devices (like MP3 players, such as iPods). Encourage your children to use their headphones conservatively. Consider investing in higher quality earphones that block out background noise, to help you moderate your listening levels in noisier places. Note: being able to overhear your child's headphones is not a good way to tell if they are listening too loud! If you can hear it, their music might be too loud, but just because you can't hear it, that doesn't mean the levels are ok.
 

Buy quieter products (compare dB ratings and ask for low-noise products).

Keep an "eye" on your hearing – see a hearing health professional routinely for hearing testing, or if offered through your employer, ensure you know your hearing test results and track it year-to-year.

An Ounce of Prevention

Be alert to risks of hazardous noise in your life. Since prevention of hearing loss is so critical, make sure that your family (especially children), friends, and colleagues are aware of the hazards of noise and how they can protect themselves. Remember: One-third of permanent hearing loss is preventable with proper hearing loss prevention strategies.

Have a great day!

Dr. Sarah Nelson