Can You Hear Me Now?
Oct 1, 2014
One in ten Americans suffer from hearing loss, and regardless of age, we all depend on our hearing and our ability to communicate every day.
Can you imagine life without sound? You’d be unable to experience day-today activities such as conversations with co-workers, friends and family, watching and listening to your favorite television show or song on the radio, having a conversation in a busy restaurant, or simply hearing the sound of sizzling bacon when it gets dropped into a hot frying pan. These are sounds that we connect with everyday life experiences, and we use them to socialize with the people and things we love.
Mr. Craig Rigler, an Audiologist at Lakeland Ear, Nose and Throat, recently discussed his experience with hearing loss as an Audiologist, how it occurs, treatment/ management options, and prevention tips.
“I’ve been working at Lakeland Ear, Nose and Throat exclusively for two years with Dr. Deborah Habenicht,” said Craig, who received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Audiology at Michigan State University. “Before that, I provided contractual audiological services for Dr. Habenicht and worked as a consulting audiologist for Lakeland’s Newborn Hearing Screening Program.”
A combination of life experiences and different academic interests led Craig to Audiology. In middle school, he had sessions with a school speech language pathologist to overcome stuttering.
“When my family first moved to Michigan, I began stuttering in school when giving oral reports and answering questions in class,” said Craig, whose family relocated to Michigan in 1987. “My teachers recommended speech therapy, and I was able to overcome stuttering by the end of the year.”
Those experiences, and the desire to help others, led him to pursue speech language pathology at Michigan State.
“Hearing is one of your five senses that is always ‘on’ and active throughout the entire day,” said Craig. “You can’t shut it off and turn it back on. Once it’s permanently damaged, it will never be completely normal. People need to respect that concept.”
Our hearing becomes damaged after prolonged, continuous exposure to loud sounds. This causes inner ear hair cell sensitivity to become destroyed. People exposed to hazardous “noise” usually experience ringing in the ears and muffled hearing upon being removed from the “noise.”
Over time, with continuous exposure, these symptoms become permanent. Properly worn hearing protection devices, such as earmuffs, earplugs and custom ear molds, help conserve your hearing and prevent induced hearing loss.
“Hearing loss is a slow, progressive process that develops over decades and is the result of prolonged exposure to dangerous noise levels,” said Craig. “One of the warning signs can be Tinnitus, which includes difficulty hearing on the phone, trouble following conversations when you’re in a group, having the television turned up louder than family and friends can tolerate, and feeling ‘plugged’ or ‘muffled’.”
Over 30 million Americans are routinely exposed to dangerous noise levels. You can determine a noise level is dangerous if you: have to raise your voice to be heard, can’t hear someone three feet away, or hear muffled speech or sounds after leaving a noisy area.
“Hearing loss causes people to feel isolated,” said Craig. “People like to feel as though they’re part of something. Those who suffer from hearing loss tend to ‘play along’ or act like they’re actively involved in the conversation or activity, when in fact, they don’t know what’s going on. My patients generally say that they want to hear because they’re missing out on life.”
For those suffering from hear loss, Lakeland Ear, Nose, and Throat offers an array of treatment options. This includes a series of outer, middle, and inner ear evaluations, which break down the auditory systems to get an understanding of how an individual hears speech. The goal is to identify if hearing is abnormal or normal for individuals of all ages.
“Teaching people is the most rewarding aspect of my job,” said Craig. “Patient care starts with education and continues with patience. People need to know how they hear before they can manage it.”