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Words - Your Hearing Loss Vocabulary

Acoustic Neuroma (aka Vestibular Swannoma): A benign tumor, which may develop on the hearing and balance nerves and cause gradual hearing loss, tinnitus and dizziness.
Assistive Listening Devices (ALD's): Technical devices that make communication easier in difficult listening environments. Are used to minimize the effects of noise, echoes, and distortion when a hard of hearing person must listen to speakers at a distance or a noisy place. "e.g. IR Systems, FM Systems"
Audio (Induction) Loop (AL) Systems: Induction loop systems consist of a wire (or thin loop pad) that is placed around the listening area, a special amplifier and microphone(s). Speech signals are amplified and circulated through the loop wire. The resulting magnetic energy field is detected and amplified by the "telecoil" or telephone switch circuitry common to many hearing aids, cochlear implants and induction loop receivers. The end result is a high quality amplified reproduction of the original speech signal. Intelligibility is greatly increased because the distance between the speaker and the listener(s) is bridged and background environmental noise is reduced. The loop is available in three formats 1) A hard-wired system built into the walls of a meeting room 2) A portable system that can be moved from room to room as required and 3) A smaller portable version used at customer service counters.
Audiologist: A professional with minimum of a Masters Degree in Audiology, specializing in the prevention of hearing loss and in the identification, assessment, diagnosis, management, and non-medical/non-surgical treatment (rehabilitation) of hearing and balance disorders. Includes fitting and dispensing hearing instruments.
Aural Rehabilitation Classes: Classes that teach communication strategies for successful Management of a earing loss. Components may include improve listening skills, speechreading instruction and information on useful technology, assertiveness and advocacy training.
Captioning: Text interpretation of the audio (sounds, voices) on a video or television program. Captioning may be Closed (appears when activated by a remote or other device), Open (present on screen without requiring a device to make it so), or Realtime (present on the screen with the aid of computer assisted technology)
CART: Communication Assisted Realtime Translation is the instant translation of the spoken word into English text using a stenotype machine, notebook computer and Realtime software. The text appears on a computer monitor or other display. This technology is primarily used by people have hearing loss or who are learning English as a second language.
Conductive (Bone) Hearing Loss: A type of hearing loss caused by injury to, or problems with, the outer or middle ear.
Cued Speech: A visual communication system - mouth movements of speech combine with "hand signals" to make all the sounds (phonemes) of spoken language look visually distinguishable.
Deaf (uppercase D): Members of a sociolinguistic and cultural group whose preferred mode of communication is sign language..
deaf (lowercase d): (aka oral deaf) Term used to describe persons with early onset hearing loss who have little or no residual hearing. Their preferred mode of communication is speech and speechreading.
Directional Microphones: A microphone in hearing aids that is more sensitive to sound from a particular direction.
Ear Nose & Throat (ENT) Doctor (Otolaryngologist): A medical doctor, specializing in disorders of the head and neck, especially the Ear, Nose and Throat, including hearing loss, tinnitus and dizziness.
FM Systems: An assistive listening device (ALD) that functions as a mini-radio station on a broadcast frequency that brings a speakers voice directly into the user's headset.
Hard of Hearing: Any person who has a hearing loss and whose usual means of communication is spoken language. This definition includes a broad spectrum of hearing loss, including those who are late-deafened and those deaf in childhood and educated orally.
Hearing Loss Support Group: A group for individuals with hearing loss and, or their family members that provides resources, information, education and encouragement.
Hearing Aids: Hearing aids include: 1) Behind-The-Ear (BTE) Hearing Aid: Arc shaped hearing aids that fit behind the ear. They vary in size, style and features. 2) Body Hearing Aid: Powerful aid that resembles a miniature tape recorder or radio, often clipped to a breast pocket or belt. 3) Bone Anchored Hearing Aid: Work by conducting - or carrying - sound through the bone in your skull. Sounds are heard when the vibrations of the sound are transmitted directly from the vibrating part of the bone conduction hearing aid through your skull to the cochlea, omitting out the outer and middle ears. Bone conduction hearing aids are an option for people who cannot use a conventional hearing aid. 4) Cochlear Implant: A surgical device for people who would receive little or no benefit from hearing aids. The internal parts are surgically implanted into the cochlear. The external part consists of a microphone, programmable speech processor, and transmitting coil. 5) Completely-In-The-Canal (CIC) Hearing Aids: Small aids that fits inside the ear canal. 6) In-The-Canal (ITC) Hearing Aids: Larger than the CIC; custom fitted for the hearing aid wearer.
Hearing Aid Dispenser (HAD): Depending on where you live in Canada, they are also known as Hearing Aid Dealers, Hearing Instrument Practitioners, and Hearing Instrument Specialists. A Hearing Aid Dispenser examines clients to determine appropriate type of hearing aid; may test patient's hearing; take ear impressions; fit and adjust hearing aids; and perform follow-up examinations and readjustments.
Hearing Ear Dogs: Specially trained dogs that alert persons with hearing loss about sounds in their environments such as door bells, smoke alarms, telephones etc.
Hearing Health Care Provider: A group of professionals providing diagnostic, testing, hearing aid selection and dispensing services to persons with hearing loss. This group includes Audiologists, ENT Doctors, Speech Language Pathologists and Hearing Aid Dispensers.
Hyperacusis: An over sensitivity to sounds that makes noises uncomfortably loud.
Infrared (IR) Systems: Similar to the FM System, but instead of radio frequency, IR uses invisible light to transmit sounds, requiring an unobstructed path between the source and the receiver.
Late-Deafened: An individual who may have grown up hearing or hard of hearing but, has lost all usable hearing at some point, usually as adults and after acquiring speech. May also self-identify as deafened or oral deaf.
Meniere's Syndrome: A disorder of the inner ear characterized by recurrent episodes of loss of balance combined with deafness and a ringing sensation. It is usually characterized by four symptoms: 1) Periodic episodes of rotatory vertigo or dizziness. 2) Fluctuating, progressive, low-frequency hearing loss. 3) Tinnitus. 4) A sensation of "fullness" or pressure in the ear.
Oral Interpreting: Provided by an interpreter who repeats and rephrases a speaker's words to provide more visibility and easier comprehension for the person with hearing loss.
Parent Support Group: A group that offers parents and family members opportunities to learn about and understand their child's hearing loss in a comfortable environment, provide a forum for sharing, and learn about new services and technologies.
Retinitus Pigmentosa: A progressive degeneration of the retina. Sometimes associated with deafness and known as Usher's Syndrome.
Self-Report Scale: A series of questions designed to assess the effects of hearing loss on an individual's life (social, emotional and vocational). It indicates the areas you are having the most difficulty with in adjusting to your hearing loss.
Sensorineural (Nerve) Hearing Loss: The type of hearing loss caused by damage or problems in the inner ear or auditory nerve.
Signaling (Alerting) Devices: Devices used to indicate the telephone, doorbell, or other loud sounds in the home or office by changing the auditory signal to visual or vibratory signals e.g. a door bell alarm, baby sound monitor.
Sign Language Interpreting: Sign Language interpreters facilitate communication between Deaf and hearing people through their knowledge of Sign Language and Deaf Culture.
Speech Language Pathologist: A professional with minimum of a Masters Degree in Audiology, specializing in identification, assessment, diagnosis, management and treatment of persons with speech, language, voice, fluency, cognitive and other related communication disorders (problems), including communication disorders that are due or related to hearing loss.
Speechreading: Speech reading (often called lip reading) is the ability to perceive speech by: (1) watching the movements of a speaker's mouth, (2) by observing all other visible clues including facial expressions and gestures, and (3) using the context of the message and the situation.
T-switch: A hearing aid with a T-switch contains a telecoil, which emits an electromagnetic field making it compatible to some telephones and a variety of assistive listening devices.
TTY (Teletypewriter): A TTY or TTY compatible device allows users to communicate over a telephone line, using text. A special telephone operator assists with communication with hearing people.
Telephone Devices: Devices used to assist telephone communication such as volume amplifiers, ringer amplifiers, call display and TTY's.
Therapy sessions: Counseling of individuals, couples, or family by trained professionals to develop an understanding of the hearing loss has affected their lives, develop coping skills, and identify alternate social, recreational, and employment activities.
Tinnitus: Refers to sounds, ringing and buzzing, that are heard in the head or ears. It is a sensation of sound not produced by any external source.
Usher's Syndrome: A hereditary disorder that combines congenital deafness with progressive visual impairment characterized by night blindness and tunnel vision.

Copyright © 2009 the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA)
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