• QUALIFICATION: MBBS, MS (ENT)

Doctor’s Profile

Dr. Atul Kumar Mittal, MS (Otorhinolaryngology) is a preeminent name in the field of ENT. He has a rich experience of over 19 years to his credit, and has been associated with many prestigious organizations like Safdarjang Hospital, New Delhi. He is the Director for ENT at Fortis Memorial Research Institute. His areas of interest and expertise include, Minimal Access Endoscopic Sinus Skull Base Surgeries, Balloon Sinoplasty, Endoscopic Adenoidectomy and Sleep Surgery. His surgical skills span the complete continuum of otorhinolaryngology and he has performed more than 300 surgeries in the past year alone.

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According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, only about one out of five people who would benefit from a hearing aid actually use one. So kudos to you for beginning your better-hearing journey with us! Let’s squash those hearing aid misconceptions and myths now so you can be confident in taking the next step.

The following 10 myths and misconceptions about hearing and hearing aids are something you’ll want to hear!

One.

Myth: Personal sound amplifiers are the same as hearing aids.

Fact: The two are not one and the same. Amplifiers were created for recreational activities, increasing overall volume rather than adapting to your environment the way hearing aids do. These devices can actually damage hearing rather than help it and are not FDA approved to replace hearing aids.

Two.

Myth: Hearing aids will make everything sound too loud.

Fact: With advanced sound processing and noise-reduction technology, today’s hearing aids are ready for whatever listening situation you find yourself in. Going to a busy restaurant? A sporting event? Simply want to relax and watch television? Hearing aids are now fit to your unique hearing loss, your lifestyle, and your most frequent listening situations.

Three.

Myth: Buying hearing aids online or by mail saves me time and money.

Fact: Consumer information from the Federal Trade Commission warns consumers that “buying a hearing aid online or through the mail is risky. In fact, some states don’t allow hearing aids to be sold through the mail at all. That’s because an aid needs to be custom fitted and tested to be sure it’s working properly.”

As an AudigyCertifiedTM practice, we utilize an ongoing education process for our entire office that ensures we are experts at figuring out your better-hearing goals, diagnosis, and listening lifestyle, as well as how to provide support for each piece.

Four.

Myth: Hearing aids are ugly and remind people of old age.

Fact: Today’s consumers are more connected than ever before, with mobile access anywhere and everywhere. This ever-evolving technology has stemmed to hearing aids. New technology means countless fits for all lifestyles, from receiver-in-the-canal hearing aids to those that are designed to be virtually invisible. You could say that hearing loss is more noticeable than a hearing aid!

Five.

Myth: Hearing aids are just too expensive.

Fact: Well-fit, well-maintained devices, along with care from a hearing care professional, are invaluable. Your hearing care professional is able to adjust your new technology to your lifestyle so the devices can perform at an optimum level. They are also there to help you relearn how to hear with the technology.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association says it perfectly: By working with a hearing care professional, you are purchasing professional care and services to ensure that the correct hearing aid is selected and that proper programming of the hearing aid is completed, plus additional follow-up services.

Six.

Myth: Hearing aids will restore my hearing to normal.

Fact: Hearing aids are called “aids” because they help — they don’t cure. They help retrain your brain to pick up the sounds that hearing loss has conditioned the brain to miss. Because of this, getting your hearing aids to work for you instead of the other way around is a process, not a single appointment.

Seven.

Myth: I can hear in one ear, so I only need one hearing aid.

Fact: When one ear is slightly better than the other, we learn to favor that ear for the telephone, group conversations, and so forth. It can give the illusion that “the better ear” is normal when it isn’t. Most types of hearing loss affect both ears fairly equally, and about 90% of patients are in need of hearing aids for both ears.

Eight.

Myth: I’ve tried hearing aids before and they didn’t work for me.

Fact: Hearing aid technology changes as rapidly as any other technology out there. Advancements in digital hearing aids make for clearer speech, less background noise, and an overall more enjoyable and natural listening experience. Again, it’s important to go to a trusted hearing care professional at an AudigyCertified practice to help get the most appropriate device and to learn how to use it properly.

Nine.

Myth: I only have trouble hearing certain sounds, not hearing in general, so I don’t need hearing aids.

Fact: Sound familiar? Hearing loss is just that: a loss of certain sounds. Hearing care professionals program hearing aids to amplify the sounds you’re missing and enhance the hearing that’s left. If you’re missing some of the sounds, you’re missing all of the conversation.

Ten.

Myth: Tinnitus is an incurable disease.

Fact: Tinnitus is not a disease; it’s a condition resulting from things like loud-noise exposure and neurological damage. There is no cure, but there is treatment. Hearing care professionals can help you determine whether tinnitus is present and whether it is mild, moderate, or severe. They can then create a customized treatment plan that may include hearing aids, earwax removal, changing medications, or other alternatives.

Now that you’ve gotten an earful of facts from us, you’ve probably noticed a theme: the importance of a hearing care professional. Make sure you take the time to find one whom you trust, who takes the time to get to know you and your hearing needs. This is essential to getting the most out of your technology and, in turn, your life

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What causes Chronic Ear Infections

The middle ear produces secretions which usually drain out through the eustachian tube to the throat. The eustachian tube is also critical for maintaining airflow through the ear and equalizing air pressure, which is essential for balance. When the fluids don’t drain properly, the bacteria present in the fluid gives rise to an infection.

Children are more likely to suffer from ear infections because the tubes are smaller and at a similar horizontal level hampering drainage, most often when the tubes are swollen or blocked with mucus from other illnesses like the flu. The ear infections typically occur with regularity in children under the age of 3 years.

Treatment of Chronic Ear Infections In Children

Doctors today usually have a wait-and-watch approach towards ear infections in infants with symptomatic relief since the infection often clears up on its own. When this condition continues, specific treatment for the infection needs to be undertaken.

For treating chronic infections, the doctor may prescribe a course of antibiotics.  When the infection fails to responds to the antibiotics, fluid builds up in the middle ear remains for longer time or hearing loss begins , a minor surgical procedure  (Myringotomy)is advised.

Myringotomy the surgery is especially recommended for infants since having persistent fluid in the ear might impact their hearing and speech development.

Under this surgery, a small ventilation tube or grommet, made of metal, plastic or Teflon, is placed in the eardrum to help drain the fluid. The tube releases pressure and acts as a vent until the eustachian tube returns to normal functioning.

Myringotomy is simple, low risk and takes less than half an hour. The surgeon makes a small incision in the eardrum, drains the liquid and then places tiny tube connecting the middle ear and the outer ear. The surgery is usually done in both ears and is called bilateral myringotomy.

The surgery significantly reduces the pain, the severity of symptoms experienced, and over time reduces the infection and its reoccurrence. Any loss in hearing is often restored. The tubes, which are invisible, stay for six to nine months and usually fall out by themselves.  At times, the infection reappears in which case the procedure would need to be repeated.

If left untreated for long, chronic ear infection may, in addition to causing hearing loss, also affect other areas of the ear such as the small bones in the middle ear or the eardrum itself. Surgical procedures are also needed in these cases to repair them.

Questions? Call +254 733 994 368 or E-mail: wecare@pathwayintl.co.ke

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However, it may be time to resurrect what you remember on the topic.

In this post, learn more about the connections between your ears, nose and throat and what these systems can tell you about your overall health.

The Functions of the Ears, Nose and Throat

According to Merck, the ears, nose and throat all have individual yet related functions.

For example, both the ears and the nose are sense organs. Together, they regulate our ability to smell, hear and maintain our balance.

The throat, of course, is designed for passage of vital elements such as oxygen, fluids and food. It can also convey other things, such as phlegm, mucus and draining toxins coming from the ears or nose.

The Relationship Between the Ears, Nose and Throat

The sinus cavities that are connected to the nose exist all across the skull. These membraneous cavities assist with air conduction and filtration, resonance chambers for hearing and fighting off infection.

Because all three are lined with similar membranes, according to Everyday Health, they share some common health hazards.

In other words, since a major role of those membranes is fighting off germs, when the nose gets infected, the ears and throat often feel it too, and vice versa.

Clearing Up Infection in All Three Systems

Once you come down with sinusitis, the post-nasal drip can quickly cause irritation in the equally sensitive membranes of your throat. The sinuses, meanwhile, often swell as they fill with mucus, causing pressure headaches (“sinus headaches”) and ear blockage that often makes even nearby sounds appear to be coming from far away.

This interconnectedness requires a proactive approach. The more you can do to reduce sinus passage swelling and post-nasal drip, the less chance of the infection spreading between ears, nose and throat.

By: Don Beasley, MD

Any Questions? Give us a call at: +254 718 994 368 / 733 994 368 or E-mail us at: wecare@pathwayintl.co.ke

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