It is commonly accepted that we hear the world with our ears. Early man must have noticed that when the ear canals are blocked, hearing decreases. Everyone can observe the outer ear and a canal that travels into the head, but what is really happening when we hear a sound, say, a person talking, music playing or a warning alert? …

The importance of word testing. There is a conventional battery of tests, with a few variations, that give an audiologist diagnostic information about a patient’s ear health and hearing capabilities. Otoscopy allows the examiner to visualize the outer ear, including the external ear canal all the way to the tympanic membrane (eardrum) for malformations, blockages or signs of trauma or …

Tinnitus is defined as “phantom noise perception” – a real perception of sound that did not originate outside your body. Tinnitus was regarded by the ancient Egyptians as private messages directly from the gods! The ancient Greeks recognized tinnitus, but did not have such a positive attitude toward it. They thought you could “chase it away” with sound. Tinnitus is perceived by …