Hearing loss is the most common chronic condition after arthritis and high blood pressure, affecting millions in the United States. The causes of hearing loss, referred to as a “silent disability,” are widespread and can affect any age. It can result from an ear infection, noise exposure, physical injury or a more serious condition, such as a tumor, or it can be part of the natural process of aging. Many times, the cause is idiopathic, meaning it is simply not known. Often, other conditions occur with hearing loss, such as tinnitus (noises in the ear – “ringing” or “crickets”).

University Physicians Hearing Care has a specialized team of professionals who can evaluate all aspects of hearing and balance and offer a full range of treatments. Our physician specialists provide the latest medical and surgical treatments, including cochlear implantation and bone-anchored hearing aids, and our audiologists offer the latest hearing aid technology customized to individual needs.

Services

• Hearing (audiometric) evaluation
• Electrophysiologic tests
• Behavioral tests
• Dichotic speech tests

Additional services

• Central auditory processing

  A variety of disorders can affect the way the brain processes auditory information, including problems determining the direction of sound and perceiving differences between speech sounds. For those with central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), background noises make it difficult to understand speech, depending on the severity of the disorder.

• Cochlear implants

  On April 30, 2003, the first cochlear implantation at the University of Mississippi Medical Center was performed on a 3-year-old girl with congenital deafness. Since then, the state’s only teaching hospital has provided this gift of hearing to more than 150 patients ages 9 months to 75 years.

• Hearing aid evaluation and services

  For the millions with hearing loss that is not medically or surgically treatable, a hearing aid fitted by a certified audiologist may be the answer. A small electronic device worn in or behind the ear amplifies sound, allowing those with decreased hearing to listen, communicate and participate in daily activities. The hearing aid receives sound through a microphone, amplifies sound waves and then sends them to the ear through a speaker.

• Tinnitus retraining therapy

  Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) is a common problem, but it can be intolerable for some. Tinnitus retraining therapy combines exposure to low-level, broad-band noise and counseling to help patients cope with the noise and its frequent accompanying decreased tolerance of sound (hyperacusis).

• Vestibular testing and therapy

  Function tests help hearing specialists determine if there is a problem with the vestibular (balance) portion of the inner ear leading to dizziness, vertigo or balance symptoms. If dizziness is not caused by the inner ear, it may be a symptom of brain, medical or psychological problems.

  • Electronystagmopgraphy (ENG, VNG)
  • Rotation tests
    • Computerized dynamic posturography (CDP)
    • Vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (VEMP)