Island Hearing & Balance

Auditory testing determines the range of sound frequencies that can be detected by the human ear as well as the loudness level that can be detected at each frequency. The human ear can detect sounds from between 20 to 20,000 Hz, but the most common range of sound frequencies used in hearing are those of human speech, 500 to 4,000 Hz.

Aural rehabilitation is the process of identifying and diagnosing a hearing loss, providing different types of therapies to patients who are hearing impaired, and implementing different amplification devices to aid the patients hearing abilities. Aural rehab includes specific procedures in which each therapy and amplification device has as its goal the habilitation or rehabilitation of persons to overcome the handicap caused by a hearing impairment or deafness.

How you maintain your balance is a complex process that relies on information from your senses and coordinated movements from different parts of your body. Because of the complexity of balance control, diagnosing a balance problem and its specific cause or causes can be difficult. The good news is that there are a number of medical tests that can be very beneficial in accurately determining why you have a balance problem.

Have you recently fallen? Are you unsteady on your feet? Do you no longer participate in activities you enjoy because you have difficulty keeping balance? Research shows that rehabilitation and balance retraining can help people experiencing balance disorders.

Although falls contribute to more than 40 percent of hospital admissions in the elderly, balance and strengthening exercises have been found to significantly reduce the risk of falling.

If you suspect you may have hearing loss, it is important to seek proper testing and evaluation by an audiologist. The purpose of an audiological evaluation is to determine whether a hearing loss exists, and if so, the type and severity of your hearing impairment.

Ear protection for water & swimming is available in two varieties: Soft Moldable Silicone plugs and Pre-Molded Rubber plugs. Both are excellent choices for protecting the inner ear from water, which is important since water in the ears can lead to problems like swimmer's ear. Both of these types of swim ear plugs can be used to protect children and adults.

Vertigo is a type of dizziness, where there is a feeling of motion when one is stationary. The symptoms are due to a dysfunction of the vestibular system in the inner ear. It is often associated with nausea and vomiting as well as difficulties standing or walking.

The most common causes are benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and vestibular migraine while less common causes include Meniere's disease and vestibular neuritis. Consumption of too much ethanol (alcoholic beverages) can also be notorious for causing symptoms of vertigo.

Gait training refers to helping a patient relearn to walk safely and efficiently. Gait training is done by our rehabilitation specialists who evaluate the abnormalities in the person's gait and employ such treatments as strengthening and balance training to improve stability and body perception as these pertain to the patient's environment.

Perhaps you've thought about getting a hearing aid, but you're worried about how it will look and wonder whether it will really help. Knowing more about the hearing aid options available to you, what to look for when buying a hearing aid and how to break it in may help alleviate some of your concerns.

Please call our office to schedule an appointment with one of our doctors to see if a hearing aid is right for you.

Is your hearing aid not working properly or defective? You can bring it to our offices and we will repair it to like new condition.