Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
Sarah Sesslar, Au.D. – Doctor of Audiology
Imagine trying to fall asleep every night with the sound of a roaring motor or high-pitched whistle playing in your ears. For many of the more than 50 million Americans who experience tinnitus, or ringing in their ears, this is a reality. For those with tinnitus, there have been few clinically viable and effective treatments in the past. Most patients are told that “there’s nothing you can do about it” or that they will “just have to learn to live with it.” Thankfully, this is no longer true. Tinnitus therapy, now available in discreet masking devices worn on the ear, are a ROARING (pardon the pun) success!
Q. How does tinnitus therapy work?
A. The goal of tinnitus therapy is habituation, or the process of “ignoring” a stimulus without exerting any conscious effort.
Q. Is there a link between hearing loss and tinnitus?
A. Approximately 90% of people with tinnitus also have hearing loss. This is not surprising because both conditions involve the ear and the brain. Untreated hearing loss can lead to more than just tinnitus. It can leave you without the ability to understand speech.
Q. How do tinnitus devices work?
A. The new tinnitus therapy devices allow us to treat just tinnitus, just hearing loss, or both at the same time with one device. Our computer software allows us to customize the device for the patient. Not everyone with tinnitus needs tinnitus therapy, some find that just correcting their hearing with a hearing device will alleviate their tinnitus. This is why the tinnitus evaluation is so important; this is not a one-size-fits-all treatment.
Q. How much does it cost?
A. A device that can provide tinnitus therapy and/ or correct hearing loss starts at just $999 per ear and can go up from there, depending on the amount of technology that the patient requires.
Q. Does it Work?
A. Yes! And I finally get to tell my long-suffering tinnitus patients that there finally IS something I can do to help them! With this ground-breaking technology, we can treat their tinnitus, and that’s exciting!
At Decibels Audiology, our in-depth hearing exams are performed by university trained Audiologists who truly understand the relationship between hearing loss and underlying medical conditions. This is why more than 250 local physicians refer their patients to our office. All Audiologists at Decibels Audiology are university trained and are Doctors of Audiology.
Complimentary Hearing Tests
At Decibels Audiology our hearing tests are always FREE. It’s our way of giving back to the community and encouraging patients to get a baseline hearing test by age 55!
Family Owned
We are one of the ONLY independently owned Audiology practices in SWFL, and are proud to sell and service hearing aids from ALL manufacturers.
We REPAIR aids!
Because we work with all manufacturers, we can fix almost anything. Hearing aid repairs start at just $99!
Dr. Sarah Sesslar, Au.D
Dr. Sarah Sesslar, Au.D., originally from Ohio, joined Decibels Audiology and Hearing Aid Center in the Fall of 2015. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Hearing, Speech, and Language Sciences from Ohio University in 2009 and earned her Doctorate in Audiology from The Ohio State University in 2013. Dr. Sesslar completed her externship and continued as a Doctor of Audiology at Charleston Ear, Nose, & Throat Associates in Charleston, South Carolina. Throughout her experience as an Audiologist, Dr. Sesslar has enjoyed working with patients to support their hearing in a variety of challenging environments and to care for their overall health and wellness. Dr. Sesslar and her husband, Kyle, are adjusting to life in southwest Florida quite nicely. They along with their goldendoodle, Poppy, enjoy the Florida sunshine and watching Ohio State football games.
North Naples
3000 Immokalee Rd #8
Just East of Jason’s Deli
South Naples
971 Michigan Avenue
Just Northeast of Bascom Palmer
Decibels Audiology and Hearing Center
PLEASE CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT
239-631-5731
napleshearingaids.com
