Sensorineural Hearing Loss

The most common type of tinnitus, the kind associated with hearing loss, is not curable. Improving quality of life revolves around two key approaches.

For people with more severe hearing loss, the first steps to improving outcomes—aiding and restoring hearing, providing oral and/or sign language—are only the beginning.

Cochlear implants (CIs) are surgically implanted devices that bypass the damaged structures of the inner ear to create a sense of sound.

Genetic Testing for Hearing Loss: Free Options, Comprehensive Insights, and Future Therapies

Bone-anchored hearing systems provide clear sound by bypassing damaged parts of the ear and delivering vibrations directly to the inner ear.

Genetic Testing for Hearing Loss: Free Options, Comprehensive Insights, and Future Therapies

Every person with hearing loss, regardless of communication mode, can achieve big things. It takes courage to live defy expectations and determination to overcome hurdles. But it can be done.

Dr. Ruffin recently met with the HLAA-WA to learn more about the hearing loss community in Washington state. Karen Utter and Warren Weissman, leaders of the organization, responded with a warm welcome. Their excitement for having an ear surgeon with hearing loss is reflected in the article that they wrote. We are excited to work with the larger hearing loss community to improve outcomes for those with hearing loss.

Dr. Ruffin's 2018 talk at Singularity University's Exponential Medicine conference, a gathering of leaders in medicine and industry on how fast-moving technology can deliver better outcomes for patients. The video has closed captions.

Choosing your hearing “kit” can be paralyzing. Thankfully, my background in hearing science makes it easier for me. Because I work in some of the noisiest and mission-critical environments, like the operating room, I’ve learned what really works for me. Read below to read some of my thoughts:

This is a fantastic article and a great reminder to challenge employment restrictions on hearing loss. Policies restricting opportunities for hard of hearing people are rarely well thought out. Most hearing people cannot imagine functioning without full hearing. Thus, employers and agencies are often unfamiliar with what people with hearing loss can do with appropriate accommodations.

In the past, hearing loss was often seen as less serious than other health issues. In recent years, its impact on health has become better understood. Untreated hearing loss can lead to withdrawal and social isolation. This can lead to depression and anxiety. But did you know that loneliness has severe health consequences? Its effect on mortality is as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.