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Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic Offers Evaluation
President Bill Clinton's hearing aids made front-page news across the country. At Saint Louis University, it brought some attention to the audiology services provided by the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic in McGannon Hall.
| "Hearing loss does not only affect the elderly, as our 51-year-old president demonstrates." |
Audiologist and instructor Barbara Roe Beck fielded a handful of calls from people whose interest in visiting the clinic was prompted by Clinton's hearing loss. Beck couldn't be happier with people's increased awareness.
"Hearing loss does not only affect the elderly, as our 51-year-old president demonstrates," she explained. The clinic faculty's expertise and state-of-the-art equipment enable them to evaluate anyone from 6 months of age through adulthood. The clinic also provides rehabilitative services for those who are diagnosed with a hearing loss that cannot be medically treated. University faculty, staff, students and alumni receive a discount on the cost of the evaluations and services.
For young children, Beck said, "One of my main concerns is with parents who are told by well-meaning family, friends or physicians that if their child isn't talking by age 2 it is not a problem." If parents have any concern because their child is not talking or cannot be understood by someone other than immediate family members, Beck strongly recommends having the child's hearing tested. "Even if the hearing is normal, a speech-language evaluation needs to be done to determine the speech or language disorder and begin early treatment."
For school-age children, Beck's greatest concern is noise. Listening to loud music, whether rock or symphonics or from the school band, or being exposed to loud noises such as machines or firecrackers can cause permanent hearing loss. Any sound that reaches an intensity of 90 decibels may affect one's hearing, regardless of the cause, she said. Other concerns are swimming, which can cause fungus infections that must be medically treated to prevent damage, and trauma to the ear during sports or accidents that may affect one's hearing.
A Central Auditory Processing (CAP) disorder is an auditory learning problem that school-age children also can be tested for at the clinic. It may not involve hearing loss, but is an auditory learning problem that makes it difficult for the child to understand speech in the presence of background noise. Children with a CAP disorder often are easily distractible, hyperactive, inattentive and have difficulty following verbal directions.
One of the most unfortunate ramifications of both hearing loss and CAP, Beck said, is when parents realize their child was not intentionally disobeying or ignoring them. "I had a parent cry when she was told her child had a hearing loss," she said. Her sadness came from remembering the times she had punished the child "for not listening to me."
For adults, noise exposure also is a concern. Other concerns include a history of hearing loss in one's family; otosclerosis, a medically treatable hearing loss predominantly affecting women during and following pregnancy; and certain medications in which hearing loss is a side effect. And, of course, a certain percentage of people experience hearing loss as a function of age.
"So much can be done these days," Beck said of rehabilitative services for hearing loss. Multi-channel, digital hearing aids that can be programmed for a variety of sound environments (e.g., dinner parties, concerts, quiet conversation), and miniature hearing aids that fit completely in the ear canal are available. Improvements the last two or three years have made a big difference in the effectiveness of hearing aids. In addition, the clinic provides individual and group classes for people who want to improve their speech and reading skills.
If you complain that people are mumbling, garbling their words or that people don't speak as clearly as they used to, you may be experiencing hearing loss. Another common symptom is if you like to have the television turned up louder than the other members of your family.
If you are interested in scheduling an appointment to evaluate your hearing or a family member's hearing, call the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic at 977-3365.