Sound Advice

My Doctor Says I Have Nerve Damage...So A Hearing Aid Will Not Help!

Almost every day in my practice, a patient will come into my office and complain about hearing difficulty (in almost every situation) and say that their doctor told them that they couldn't be helped with a hearing aid because they have severe nerve damage. What is nerve damage and does your doctor really know what he or she is talking about?

The term "nerve damage" refers to sensorineural hearing loss or permanent hearing loss, which may have resulted from noise exposure, head trauma, surgery or aging. In every individual, there are approximately 40,000 - 50,000 hearing hair cells within our cochlea (the hearing mechanism). In most instances, patients with nerve damage still have 10,000 to 20,000 hearing hair cells working but the other 20,000 to 30,000 are not functional. The purpose of amplification (i.e., hearing aids) is to stimulate those active hearing hair cells in order for you to hear again. In fact, most patients who are benefiting from amplification have permanent nerve damage or sensorineural hearing loss. Only patients who are deaf cannot benefit from hearing aids. However, in those extreme cases, there may be other communication options such as a cochlear implant.

Remember, if your doctor tells you that you have nerve damage and a hearing aid will not help, call Dr. Leach so she can tell you the truth.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please call my office at 770-425-1095.