The Audiology Condition

Judy Huch, AuD and HHTM Staff:  Some who stumble across this blog site may wonder how in the world a blog can survive when its only topic is hearing loss and so many people do not recognize how pervasive and insidious hearing loss is.  We’ve compiled information on hearing loss for those folks, so they’ll know the score.  Pass along

By HHTM Staff Writer   Tucson is the world center for Melanoma and skin cancer, which is nothing to boast about.  That dubious title gives those of us in health care in Tucson an extra burden of care when working with patients. Audiologists are not dermatologists or physicians of any type.  We are hearing communication specialists and our diagnoses are

Last week’s post described people with hearing loss who compensate by dominating conversation. Today’s post considers silence on the part of those with hearing loss who come to our practices for hearing help. The opposite of talking isn’t listening. The opposite of talking is waiting.  Fran Lebowitz Silence is argument carried out by other means. Che Guevara    The Patient

by HHTM Staff Have you encountered people who speak loud and long, dominating conversations by turning a dialog into a monologue?  Maybe the loud person was in another group, but so loud that s/he interfered with the conversation you were trying to have?  If you’ve had these experiences, you likely wondered why the person was talking so loudly and why they weren’t interested

HHTM Staff The Plot An audiologist reported that a patient of long standing suddenly appeared for an appointment with pressure ventilation tubes (PE tubes) placed in both ear drums. He is over 90 years of age and has a 30+ year history of severe bilateral hearing loss, so the audiologist was surprised and concerned.  The surprise came from the fact

May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month.  As we head into summer, the next three months or more will be spent pursuing the splendors of the great outdoors.   We all know to wear sunscreen and hats to protect our skin. Some of us know to wear long sleeves and pants to ward off diseases from insect bites.  A few know

HHTM readers: The last post from Dr. Marincovich was the first of the concussion blogs.  Today’s post is the second part of this awareness campaign. Dr. Peter Marincovich earned his graduate degree in communicative disorders from Louisiana State University, and his Ph.D. in Audiology from the University of Memphis. A Santa Rosa native, Dr. Marincovich has practiced in his hometown

HHTM readers, we have a guest contributor this week who offers a very thorough and informative two-part blog on concussions. Dr. Peter Marincovich earned his graduate degree in communicative disorders from Louisiana State University, and his Ph.D., in Audiology from the University of Memphis. A Santa Rosa native, Dr. Marincovich has practiced in his home town since 1984, working with

HHTM Staff: The leprosy series comes to an end today with a look at what is known of leprosy’s effects on the vestibulocochlear nerve (VIIIn) and into the brain.  Sensorineural hearing loss without vestibular symptoms is associated with leprosy, independent of antibiotic treatment.  Hearing loss is likely under-reported; likewise, leprosy itself likely goes undetected for years in many who have

HHTM staff: This longer-than-expected series on leprosy nears an end with one more to follow after today’s post.  Leprosy is a complicated disease, hard to identify, easy to treat, hard to pin down auditory effects prior to diagnosis and treatment.  Even after the disease itself is diagnosed and hearing loss is reported, the audiologic diagnostic process is fraught. Past posts