Expert: Harriet B Jacobster, Au.D. - 6/23/2009

Question
A friend of mine in her late 60's has ear nerve damage.  She said the "hairs" (possibly silia?)are lying down, with the cause "being exposed to loud sounds" which she has no recollection of.  She wears a hearing aid but can't talk on the phone and has to read lips.  I don't know how this hearing aid helps her, quite frankly.  The Whisper Hearing center treats her condition and says there is nothing more that can be done.  I just want to make sure there is not some cutting edge technology that she might be a candidate for.  Thanks in advance for your advice.

Answer
Hi Diane,
The "hairs" that your friend is referring to are "hair cells" of the inner ear.  These nerve cells do have little "stereocilia" that when stimulated, help to transmit the sound impulse.  These stereocilia are very delicate and can be permanently damaged by a variety of causes, the most common of which is noise.

Now, noise exposure does not mean what you and your friend think.  Any sound that is not "speech" is technically noise; thus, even the roar of traffic is noise. Even driving with the car window open is noise.  

Now, depending on the extent of her loss and when she started wearing the hearing aids, she may have a more difficult time adjusting to the hearing aids.  Without the details of her hearing loss, I cannot even begin to make a judgment on the appropriateness of her hearing aids.  However, to say that there is nothing more that can be done is wrong.  There is plenty.  

Your friend must return to the Whisper Center and talk to them about 1) the latest technology in hearing aids; 2) Assistive Listening devices that can help her hear on the phone and other sounds such as the alarm clock, etc; and 3) a program of Aural Rehabilitation.  The bottom line, a hearing aid is merely an "aid."  It is not the end all and be all for the treatment of hearing loss.  Aural Rehabilitation is the equivalent of therapy for hearing better.  

I want to refer you to this site for the Better Hearing Institute: http://www.betterhearing.org/index.cfm
Your friend may also want to join a support group.  She should check this site to see if there is a local chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America near her:  http://hearingloss.org/

If your friend is not satisfied with the answers and treatment she receives from the Whisper Center, then she needs to seek another professional.  

Hope this helps.
Dr. Harriet B. Jacobster, AuD
Board Certified in Audiology