Glossary of Ear and Hearing Loss Terms

(dip-lah-KOO-sis by-nar-RAL-is) is a condition in which the same sound is heard differently in each ear.

(dip-lah-KOO-sis dis-har-MON-ih-kah) is a condition in which the same sound is heard at a different pitch in each ear.

(dip-lah-KOO-sis eh-KOE-ih-ka) as it’s name implies, is
where you hear the same sound repeated a fraction of a second later in the affected ear—thus you hear the original sound followed by an “echo” of the original sound.

(dip-lah-KOO-sis moh-nar-RAL-is) is where you hear a single sound as two different sounds in the same ear.

The capability of connecting a sound source, such as a TV or CD or DVD player directly into a hearing aid. DAI bypasses the hearing aid’s microphone by plugging a cord connected to a sound source directly into the hearing aid. Most hearing aids do not have the necessary DAI connections (called boots or shoes) so you have to ask for this specifically if you want it. Sometimes used to refer to the connection of an FM auditory trainer directly into a hearing aid.

A microphone that lets a person focus on a sound coming from one direction rather than picking up sounds equally from all directions.

A break or separation in the middle ear bones.

Hearing clarity—the ability to tell apart (discriminate between) similar-sounding words such as “fun” and “sun.” People with normal hearing generally have 100% discrimination. If your discrimination scores drop below 40% to 50%, you won’t understand much of what you hear, no matter how loud it is. Speech then sounds more like gibberish or a foreign language. Discrimination is always expressed as a percentage. Now called Word Recognition (WR) testing.

An audiologist who sells and fits hearing aids, evaluates hearing and provides some aural rehabilitation. Most audiologists are now dispensing audiologists.

A hearing aid that is mass-produced to be so inexpensive that it is thrown away once its battery has worn out—usually in 30 to 45 days.

The inexact reproduction of sound. Hearing aids, like all electronic devices produce a small amount of distortion. Typically, the closer to the maximum sound you run an audio device such as a hearing aid, the greater the distortion. Therefore, you should get a hearing aid that has enough power so you run it about half volume. This greatly minimizes distortion.

A test to determine whether you have BPPV. The test requires moving quickly from a seated position to lying down with your head at a 45-degree angle.

This is a general term that people describe variously as feeling faint, giddy, light-headed, unsteady or woozy. Others feel a sense of imbalance or disequilibrium. Very often dizziness is one of the first signs that a ototoxic drug is beginning to affect the balance system.

An inherited condition in which one parent carries an abnormal dominant gene. More technically, a single gene of the gene pair that produces a physical characteristic (such as hearing loss) without reference to the other gene in the gene pair. Dominant characteristics are passed by only one parent. Thus each child born to a parent with a dominant gene for hearing loss will have a 50% chance of being hard of hearing himself and will carry this dominant gene, and a 50% chance of having normal hearing and not carrying the dominant gene.

A sudden case of acute vertigo such that the person loses their balance and drops to the ground as though they had been hit by a sledgehammer. Some people with severe Meniere’s disease experience drop attacks from time to time.

See Desired Sensation Level.

See Digital Signal Processing.

The range of loudness between the softest sound that a person can hear and the loudest sound they can stand (Uncomfortable Loudness Level). Hearing aids should be adjusted to keep all sounds within this range—although this is not always possible if you have a severely-collapsed dynamic range. The normal dynamic range is about 120 dB, while the dynamic range of a person with a severe or profound hearing loss may only be about 30 dB.

Any impairment of hearing involving difficulty in processing the details of sound as opposed to any loss of sensitivity to sound. Also refers to any pain or discomfort in the ear from exposure to sound.

See Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder.

See Electrical Auditory Brainstem Response testing.

The inch-long pathway leading from the outer ear to the eardrum. The ear canal produces cerumen (ear wax) and contains hairs that prevent bacteria and foreign objects from reaching the eardrum.

An impression or cast of the ear canal made to determine the exact size and shape of an ear. The impression is used to make in-the-ear hearing aids, earmolds for BTE hearing aids or custom-made ear plugs.

The presence and growth of bacteria or viruses in the ear. (See also Acute Otitis Media).

See Pressure Equalization Tube.