Professional Hearing Management
Hearing Loss, Tinnitus And Prevention Of Cognitive Decline Through Comprehensive Care

Hearing loss and tinnitus are the most common neurologic conditions, affecting nearly 1.5 billion people worldwide. And although most people associate hearing loss with hearing aids, perhaps the more important association is between hearing loss and declines in memory. Within hearing healthcare, accurate diagnostics and cognitive screenings are the gold-standard to ensuring the patient receives proper treatment via F.D.A.-regulated prescriptive hearing aid technology and aural rehabilitation. An intricate understanding of how hearing loss and tinnitus impact the brain is also crucial, as the ability to process information, memory retrieval and decision making can be significantly compromised with these conditions. Comprehensive evaluations are paramount to assess auditory health and cognitive function before formulating the best treatment plan.

Nobody understands this better than Dr. Vasilike Rauch, a doctor of audiology and CEO of Professional Hearing Management.

A trusted hearing health center, Professional Hearing Management in Valparaiso, IN distinguishes itself with a patient-centric approach to treating hearing loss, tinnitus and associated conditions. It emphasizes holistic assessments and interdisciplinary collaboration,guaranteeing that patients receive the proper treatment of their hearing loss and tinnitus.

“Hearing loss and tinnitus can increase the risk of cognitive decline and dementia,” says Dr. Rauch. “Thus, our comprehensive diagnostic assessment looks at the entire brain and hearing system to determine the cause of your hearing loss and tinnitus, how it impacts your brain, if you are at increased risk for cognitive decline, and what best treatment is available for you.”

Professional Hearing Management’s legacy is rooted in the expertise of Dr. Rauch, who gained extensive experience working as the Director of Audiology and Neurotology at the Ear Institute of Chicago, one of the foremost reputable neurotology practices in the country. During her time there, she handled many challenging cases, including post-surgical auditory nerve tumor cases, osseointegrated implants, cochlear implants, tinnitus, and sound sensitivity cases. Serving as director of the Cochlear Implant Program and as part of the research foundation also gave her deep knowledge of how hearing and cognition are interconnected.

Drawing on Dr. Rauch’s rich diagnostic background and in-depth know-how of advanced hearing and tinnitus treatment options, Professional Hearing Management is able to successfully treat the most complex cases of hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as the common age-related hearing loss that nearly 70 percent of older adults experience.

KNOWLEDGE.EXPERTISE.EXPERIENCE.

The impact of untreated hearing loss on a patient’s ability to remain independent can be significant. It can adversely affect the brain and gradually cause cognitive overload. For example, hearing loss causes the brain to work harder to decipher sounds. This increased cognitive effort exhausts resources devoted to other physiological functions like memory, decision-making and attention, leading to cognitive decline over time.

Understanding the complex interaction between the ear and the brain, the team at Professional Hearing Management goes beyond examining the ear and treating surface-level symptoms.

It conducts robust diagnostics to thoroughly evaluate every possibility of rectifying auditory impairment and improving the patient's overall well-being.

Through a comprehensive evaluation process, Dr. Rauch assesses patients' auditory perception and their comprehension and processing of sound. Through subjective questionnaires, the team understands a patient’s issues.

Depending on the outcome of Dr. Rauch’s cognitive screening and comprehensive diagnostic hearing and tinnitus assessment, her patients can trust they will receive the proper follow-up care. Dr. Rauch and her team specialize in the treatment of hearing loss and tinnitus by providing prescriptive hearing technology that will help patients hear their best in every environment, including noisy restaurants. In addition, Dr. Rauch has a nearly 90 percent effective treatment rate when it comes to reducing her patient’s tinnitus. Thankfully, given her vast experience and connections throughout the medical field, Dr. Rauch also works with a vast network of medical doctors, should her patients need a referral to an ENT, neurologist or other specialist.

“We consider both our patient’s needs and the results of their diagnostic assessment in order to give our patients the right hearing treatment,” says Dr. Rauch. “We advise a multidisciplinary approach if additional medical attention is required.”
In addition to prescriptive hearing aid technology, Professional Hearing Management offers additional treatment options like cochlear implants and auditory rehabilitation. Aural rehabilitation, akin to physical therapy, aims to improve cognitive skills such as processing, memory and attention impacted by hearing loss. Patients are encouraged to participate in the rehabilitation process with individualized exercises and tools that foster independence, social engagement and cognitive health. Using a multimodal approach that includes aural rehabilitation, objective verification and subjective monitoring throughout the hearing treatment journey, the practice maximizes results and enables patients to live fulfilling lives.

This comprehensive approach is also how Professional Hearing Management helps patients best manage their tinnitus. Tinnitus, defined as the perception of a phantom sound, most often occurs as the neural connections between the ear and the brain are damaged; be it from age, noise exposure, common medications, etc. These ‘phantom sounds’ are best thought of as your brain’s ‘check engine light’. Recent studies have indicated that tinnitus may be linked to a significantly increased risk of developing dementia in the next decade. Fortunately, prescriptive hearing technology has been demonstrated to be the most effective way to reduce the experience of tinnitus. In fact, this prescriptive technology is also recommended by the American Academy of Otolaryngology to be used to treat tinnitus in patients with minimal (or no perception) of hearing loss. Unfortunately, neither over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids or personal sound amplification devices (PSAP) have been found to effectively treat tinnitus. Professional Hearing Management is proud to be a leader in treating tinnitus and only prescribes cutting-edge, FDA-regulated technology to successfully treat tinnitus.

Professional Hearing Management considers the neurological foundations of the patient’s tinnitus and follows a 6-step treatment plan. It offers diagnosis through comprehensive testing, implements targeted treatment plans and tracks treatment outcomes.

Based on individual hearing profiles and providing different algorithms and outputs for soft, average and loud inputs, the technology enhances hearing in specific listening situations. It compresses loud noises, improves clarity of speech, boosts volume for soft speakers and increases cognitive function as indicated through many studies.

Patients instantly note great relief when the sound stimulation to their brain is restored, with many reporting that their tinnitus symptoms have completely disappeared. According to recent surveys, 91 percent of respondents are satisfied with the technology for treating their tinnitus and hearing loss.

A DEDICATED CARE APPROACH

The practice's transformative experiences are largely attributed to a personalized approach. Every patient who enters the facility is welcomed with compassion and understanding. Throughout the process, their individual needs and goals are carefully considered. By establishing deep connections with patients, Professional Hearing Management learns how the patients’ hearing loss and tinnitus has influenced their goals and way of life, enabling tailored solutions.
One notable success story is that of a 28-year-old patient with tinnitus, which hindered his ability to sleep, remain productive at work and enjoy time with his family. He arrived at Professional Hearing Management after many failed attempts at visiting other doctors and essentially being told ‘there’s nothing we can do’. “Through our comprehensive diagnostic battery, we were quickly able to discover that his tinnitus was associated with early-stage hearing loss. The damage in his ears and in his brain was taxing him. While the exact cause of his tinnitus is likely tied to noise exposure and family history, we were able to effectively treat him and help alleviate his tinnitus,” says Dr. Rauch.

Dr. Rauch facilitated the patient’s recovery, listening to and solving his distressed feelings and mental challenges around the hearing condition and reducing his tinnitus from severe to mild in a few months through a combination of prescriptive hearing technology and empathetic counseling.

“When my patients with severe tinnitus disturbance do that well, it is the most gratifying part of my position, making what we do worth it,” says Dr. Rauch.

FOSTERING AUDITORY & COGNITIVE HEALTH

Dr. Rauch envisions promoting better knowledge of tinnitus and hearing loss through educational programs, community events, and the publication of educational materials.

Her latest book, HEARING: The Pathway to Countless Connections, provides insights into the importance of treating hearing loss and tinnitus. She is currently writing a children’s book to address adolescent hearing problems.

Through these efforts, Dr. Rauch hopes to enable people to seek prompt intervention and act as an advocate for their hearing health. She also plans to expand the services locally and globally to improve the accessibility of life-changing hearing treatments to patients.

Built on knowledge, experience and an unwavering commitment to patient welfare, Professional Hearing Management continues to illuminate the path toward auditory health.