Fauquier Hearing Aid and Hearing Testing Services Offered at Fauquier ENT

Even though our office has been offering hearing tests and hearing aid services in Fauquier County for over a decade, many people are still surprised when they learn they can get hearing tests, hearing aids, ear plugs, and other ear & hearing services in our office. The additional benefit is having a ENT specialist also present in the same office.

Furthermore, we offer a comprehensive suite of other related services including non-sedated ABR (auditory brainstem response) hearing testing to specialized custom ear plugs for hunters and musicians.

We evaluate all different ages from 1 day old infants to the 99 year old hearing impaired patient.

The full list of Fauquier Hearing services we provide include:

Comprehensive Hearing & Audiometric Evaluations

• Hearing Testing from Birth to Adult
• Newborn Hearing Screening and Follow-up
• Otoacoustic Emmission Testing (OAE)
• Auditory Brainstem Response Testing (ABR)
• Tone Burst Auditory Brainstem Response (TB-ABR)
• Bone Conduction ABR Auditory Brainstem Response (BC-ABR)
• Auditory Steady State Response (ASSR)
• Electrocochleography (ECoG)
• Central Auditory Processing Evaluations (CAPD)

Hearing Aid Services

• Hearing Aid Evaluations and Consultation
• Hearing Aid Dispensing
• Advanced Digital and Wireless Hearing Aid Technology
• Aural Rehabilitation Counseling
• Hearing Aid Service and Repair
• Hearing Aid Accessories and Batteries
• Resources for Parents of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

Balance Evaluations

• Electronystagmography (ENG)
• Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMP) for Meniere's Disease
• Vestibular Rehabilitation Counseling
• Canalith Repositioning 

Hearing Conservation

• Custom Swim Plugs
• Custom Hearing Protection
• Musicians Filtered Earplugs
• Earplugs for Hunters
• Custom Earmolds for iPods, Cell phones, Headsets
• Assistive Listening Devices and Technology 

For more information, please go to our webpage here.

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New Video Produced on Non-Sedated ABR/OAE Testing

Our office has produced a new video on non-sedated ABR/OAE hearing testing. Such testing traditionally required sedation as the patient was required to be absolutely still and quiet in order to obtain accurate test results. However, new technology now enables such testing to be performed without sedation. Furthermore, given the testing can be performed wirelessly, the patient can stand and walk around. Absolute quiet is also no longer necessary and the patient can actively play and even eat while testing is going on.

Read more about non-sedated ABR/OAE testing here.

Watch the video here.

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Physician Marketing Using Groupon

For those not in the know, Groupon is a website that offers coupons and other savings on local merchandise and services. Groupon also has recently rejected a takeover bid by Google.

I recently encountered this amazing deal on Groupon offered by an ENT colleague, Dr. Ghaheri:

"$149 for Four Laser Hair-Removal Treatments at The Center for Aesthetic Medicine at The Oregon Clinic (Up to $1,000 Value)"

I wonder if such marketing and medical discount offerings like this will become the future. Clearly, procedures and other types of medical treatments that are not covered by insurance will be applicable.

For example... here are some medical treatments/services I am considering to discount on Groupon:

1) Injection snoreplasty for snoring
2) Botox injections for facial wrinkles
3) Hearing services and products including hearing aids
etc

Click here to check out Groupon and create an account!

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Convert Your iPhone/iPod Into A Hearing Aid With EarTrumpet App!

This fascinating iPhone app called EarTrumpet was developed in collaboration with the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at University of California Irvine. The app claims to convert your iPhone/iPod into a hearing aid of sorts (hearing enhancer app is the term they use) via headphones with a built-in microphone (the ear buds that come with the iPhone work just fine). In essence, the microphone will pick up the surrounding sound and the app will instantly amplify the sound and play it into the headphones. The degree of amplification is customizable via the app.

Hearing testing is also available.

As per the manufacturer website, the EarTrumpet features include
• use of the built-in microphone on the supplied iPhone ear buds
• allows the user to select which frequencies to boost.
• choose the left or right ear to amplify
• store custom profiles once balance and equalization settings have been selected

You can download the app here which sells for $1.99 (much less than traditional hearing aids which go for $1000 and higher). Watch the tutorial of how the app works below.

On a further note, EarTrumpet was created by Allen Foulad, a medical student.

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Airline Sued Over A Toddler Screaming On The Airplane

Time Magazine published a story 7/20/10 describing a situation where Qantas Airlines was sued by a passenger who allegedly lost her hearing when a toddler on board screamed near her.

The passenger claimed that the Qantas flight crew was negligent in failing to take precautions to protect passengers and that she had suffered permanent hearing loss as a result.

Of note, the patient already wore hearing aids due to hearing loss.

Though most reasonable folks would side with the airline in that: "Plaintiff's injuries, if any, were caused by the arbitrary and volitional act of a three-year-old child. Flight attendants cannot predict when children aboard an aircraft are about to scream. There is no evidence that the child was screaming in the terminal, or on board the aircraft prior to the particular scream which allegedly caused the damage."

However, the passenger does have the legitimate point that loud noises can cause hearing loss... even sudden hearing loss.

Of note... the case was settled out of court.

Read more here.

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Sudden Hearing Loss Can Be Due to Erectile Dysfunction Medications (Cialis, Viagra, etc)

It's been a few years since the warning has come out from the FDA regarding sudden hearing loss in men who take viagra, cialis, and other erectile dysfunction (ED) medications. A recent study determined that it may actually double the risk of hearing loss. With sudden hearing loss, one can also experience tinnitus as well as ear fullness.

As such, it's nice to review this rare condition that may lead to permanent hearing loss, tinnitus, ear fullness for which only hearing aids may help. Of course, one can suffer this sudden condition without taking such medications.

If you experience sudden hearing loss (whether taking ED medications or not), see your local ENT as soon as possible as there is a window of opportunity during which certain interventions may help reverse and restore your hearing back to normal! Such intervention include:

• High doses of prednisone
• Intratympanic steroid injection into the ear
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Here are some sources on ED medications and sudden hearing loss:
FDA Warning
CNN
Wall Street Journal

Click here to read more about sudden hearing loss.

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CNN: Metallica Drummer Suffers From Tinnitus & Wears Earplugs When Performing

CNN on Dec 28, 2009 published a story on tinnitus (ringing of the ears) highlighting Metallica drummer, Lars Ulrich. Mr. Ulrich has suffered from tinnitus due to loud noise exposure and started wearing hearing plugs whenever performing to minimize further damage to his ears.

"Ulrich said he is concerned about young people, the so-called iPod generation, who listen to loud music, and may not be as vigilant about protecting their ears. 'If you get a scratch on your nose, in a week that'll be gone,; Ulrich said. 'When you scratch your hearing or damage your hearing, it doesn't come back. I try to point out to younger kids ... once your hearing is gone, it's gone, and there's no real remedy.'"

Our office sells ear plugs for musicians as well as hearing aids and other assistive listening devices. We also provide hearing tests.

Read the story here.

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USA Today on Hearing Aids

USA Today on November 2, 2009 published a story entitled "Your Health: Hearing aid guide cuts through the noise" in which best practices for buying a hearing aid is discussed. For the story, Dr. Debara Tucci at Duke University Medical Center was interviewed.

The advice is summarized by an FDA online guide (at fda.gov, click on "medical devices," then "hearing aids") that includes suggestions on how to get your hearing evaluated, how to choose a device and how to get it properly adjusted.

Our practice provides the full spectrum of hearing aid evaluation as well as hearing aid dispensing services (selling, repair, accessories, etc).

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