Address Hearing Loss in Greenville, SC
Dr. Thomas Sellner sees patients daily at Foothills ENT in Greenville, SC. While Dr. Sellner sees many different ear, nose, and throat conditions, he is also interested in discussing a common problem: hearing loss.
There's Nothing Wrong with My Hearing
Have you ever indicated to a loved one that their hearing is not as good as it used to be? Perhaps when you bring up a possible hearing loss to a loved one, they become defensive and reply,
"Well, there's nothing wrong with my hearing. I hear just fine, and what I want to hear!"
The first indication that you cannot hear as well as you once did means calling us for a hearing consultation. Your decreased hearing could be due to several reasons. We can uncover the reason behind your hearing loss.
Hearing loss affects everyone in all age groups, from newborns to seniors. We need to identify why the loss and realistic treatment options.
What Causes Hearing Loss?
While we can't reverse hearing loss, we have treatments to improve your hearing and manage your diagnosis. Some causes of this loss are,
- Congenital
- Frequent loud noises
- Ear injuries
- Aging
- Earwax buildup
- Fluid in the middle ear
- Swimmer's ear
- Ruptured eardrum
- Ear tumor
- Foreign object in the ear
- Head injuries
Types of Hearing Loss
Depending on the diagnosis, we can find out if your loss is temporary or permanent.
Conductive: sounds can't pass through the outer ear canal or middle ear.
Sensorineural: deafness develops when damage occurs to the inner ear over time. This type can be sudden deafness or take a few days to develop.
Mixed: happens when your middle or outer ear is affected.
Diagnosing Hearing Loss
Our providers perform a physical examination and check for infections. They may also order a CAT scan or MRI to rule out a tumor. They may also order testing through our audiologist, as this professional can tell the provider the degree of your loss. Hearing loss is classified into the following stages.
- Normal.
- Slight.
- Mild.
- Moderate.
- Moderately severe.
- Severe.
- Profound.
Treatment Options
Treatment options depend on your diagnosis.
We may order medications such as, antibiotics, corticosteroids, hearing aids, and cochlear implants. We may recommend surgical intervention in the form of inserting tubes to help the ear drain, repairing a ruptured ear drum, or removing wax buildup.
