The Hearing Aids Guide

Hearing Aid & Hearing Loss Glossary

Acute otitis media (AOM) - An inflammation of the middle ear visible by a bulging red eardrum.

Acquired hearing loss - Hearing loss developed after birth. Noise, disease, drugs and old age can cause acquired hearing loss.

Anvil - Common name given for the incus bone, which is one of the three bones in the middle ear that transmit sound to the inner ear.

Audiogram - In a hearing test, a graph of the minimum loudness required for a person to be able to hear a sound by frequency or pitch.

Audiologist - A professional trained to evaluate hearing loss and prescribe, fit and adjust hearing aids.

Audiology - Study, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of hearing disorders.

Auditory nerve - The nerve that transmits auditory information to the brain.

Auricle - Portion of the ear protruding from the head, also called the pinna.

BTE - Behind-The-Ear hearing aids, which are suitable for all types of hearing loss. The largest of all hearing aids.

Cerumen - Also known as ear wax.

CIC - Completely-In-the-Canal hearing aids, which are suitable for mild to moderate hearing loss. The smallest of all hearing aids.

Cochlea - The inner ear, which looks like the shell of a snail. The cochlea contains tubes filled with a liquid and tiny hair cells. The hair cells move due to sound, which is transformed into electrical signals that are sent by the auditory nerve to the brain.

Conductive hearing loss - A problem in the outer or middle ear that makes it difficult for the sound to reach the inner ear. The most common causes are ear wax, a perforated eardrum, fluid in the middle ear, or damage to the middle ear bones.

Congenital hearing loss - Hearing loss that is present at birth. Congenital hearing loss can be hereditary, due to an infection or due to birthing complications.

Ear canal - The part of the ear through which sound is sent to the middle ear.

Eardrum - Also called the tympanic membrane, which is tissue at the end of the ear canal that vibrates in response to sound.

Earmold - The part of a BTE hearing aid that is inserted in the ear. Earmolds are custom-fitted to the exact shape of the ear canal.

Feedback - Loud, high-pitched whistling sometimes heard from hearing aids.

Hammer - Common name given for the malleus bone, which is one of the three bones in the middle ear that transmit sound to the inner ear.

Hearing loss - The difference between the level of sound that can be heard by someone with impaired hearing against someone with normal, average hearing. It is usually expressed in decibels.

Inner ear - The part of the ear that converts sound vibrations into electrical signals that are sent to the brain.

ITE - In-The-Ear hearing aids, which are suitable for someone with mild to moderate hearing loss.

Middle ear - The part of the ear that conducts sound to the inner ear.

Occlusion - The sensation caused from having a hearing aid in your ear, making it feel plugged up and sounds that seem to emanate from a barrel.

Otitis media (OM) - Infection or inflammation of the middle ear, which initiates from infections that cause sore throats, colds and other respiratory problems that then spread to the middle ear.

Otosclerosis - A condition where the bones of the middle ear become immobile due to bony growth.

Ototoxins - Medications that can damage hearing.

Oval window - The junction between the middle ear and the inner ear.

Pinna - Portion of the ear protruding from the head, also called the auricle.

Presbyacusis - Hearing loss associated with old age.

Programmable hearing aid - A digitally hearing aid that is adjusted with a computer or handheld device. The hearing aid is configured to precisely match the characteristics of the individual hearing loss.

Real Ear to Coupler Difference (RECD) - Factors that account for the acoustical differences between a child’s smaller ear canal and that of an adult.

Sensorineural hearing loss - The most common form of hearing loss, which occurs when the hair cells inside the cochlea are damaged and unable to transform the sound vibrations into electrical signals. Sensorineural hearing loss is permanent.

Semicircular Canals - The organ of balance connected to the cochlea.

Stirrup - Common name given for the stapes bone, which is one of the three bones in the middle ear that transmit sound to the inner ear.

Tympanic membrane - Another name for the eardrum.

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