DR. LARRY BRIDGE
Back Into The Conversation
story by LINDSEY LENOIR photos by PAUL NURNBERG
“The Art Of Conversation Is The Art Of Hearing As Well As Being Heard.”
– William Hazlitt
The field of Audiology has evolved in many ways over the 10+ years that Dr. Larry Bridge has been in practice. His knowledge, compassion, and expertise play a vital role in catering to the needs of his patients. Dr. Bridge and his colleagues at The Beaufort Sound, Hearing and Balance Center understand that successful treatment doesn’t come with a “one-size-fits-all” mindset. “No set of ears is exactly the same, so what may work for one patient may not for another,” Dr. Bridge explains. The Beaufort Sound is a practice eager to meet the individual needs of their patients, utilizing alternative treatments and advanced hearing technology to achieve long-term solutions and options for their individual hearing and balance needs. This audiology practice wants to “get you back into the conversation and back into the mainstream of life.”
“Hearing” the Call
Dr. Bridge was born in Philadelphia, PA, and moved to the South more than 25 years ago. After graduating high school, he attended college at East Carolina University (ECU). Early on, his undergraduate studies were centered around psychology with a focus on counseling. However, according to Dr. Bridge, “Midway through my sophomore year, I transitioned into audiology. I have always been intrigued with hearing and am a huge fan of music and sound, so I thought I would look into audiology. Luckily, ECU was one of the few universities in the United States that offered courses, so I decided to take one and go from there. After my first few classes, I knew that this was going to be the profession I worked in for the rest of my life. Audiology, to me, was so simple. I grasped the content and concepts easily, and felt that with what I had already learned in my psychology and counseling courses, this would be a great fit for me.” Dr. Bridge would later finish his Doctorate at Louisiana Tech University. “At LA Tech, I wrote my dissertation on the effects of earbuds/headphones on iPod users. I believe that I was one of the first to actually perform a study using iPods (everything prior was on tape or cd players). Back then, we were using the first generation iPods, and things have changed significantly since then. Our research showed that upwards of 20% of individuals listening to music daily were listening to levels that could be hazardous to their hearing over time. I think now that earbuds are more commonplace, I could see that number being significantly higher. Especially when you take into account those wearing them when working out, doing lawn work, or wearing them around loud noises. I see more and more that my patients are beginning to notice hearing impairment at a younger age.”
Before graduating in 2009, Dr. Bridge would meet his future wife, Megan. With a Doctorate in Audiology in hand, the two would move to Atlanta so he could complete his residency. The couple was married in September 2010. Today, they live and serve the Beaufort community, along with their three beautiful daughters: Brielle, Caroline, and Adelyn. Dr. Bridge is currently part of The Rotary Club of Beaufort and was the committee chair of the annual Gala that took place in January. “It was a wonderful fundraiser at the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club that allowed us to put upwards of $10,000 back into the city of Beaufort through local scholarships for students, honoring local police officers, firefighters, and military personnel.” The Beaufort Sound also aids the community by attending local health fairs, offering free hearing screens and hearing aid cleanings and checkups. “We have also done screenings at local preschools for early detection of hearing loss.”
Common Complaints and Treatment Options
Dr. Bridge explains, “The field of audiology is ever-changing. In a world of over-marketing hearing aids through print, TV/ radio ads, and online, the Beaufort Sound is more than just a hearing aid store. We always look out for what is best for the patient walking through the door and never want someone to think they are just a number, or we are trying to sell them something.”
The Beaufort Sound, Hearing and Balance Center treats a plethora of hearing needs. Patients range from young children to older adults. Dr. Bridge stresses, “Interacting with patients daily and being able to help change lives through the ability to hear is what keeps me going day in and day out. I know that The Beaufort Sound is changing lives every day.” Common complaints range from hearing loss to vertigo and tinnitus. “The most common thing we deal with in the office is hearing loss. There are three main types of hearing loss that we diagnose. The most common is Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SNHL). This type of loss is due to damage to the cochlea, which is our sense organ for hearing. This can be due to excessive noise exposure (such as gunfire or lawn equipment without hearing protection), ototoxic medications, or just the aging process in general. Sensorineural hearing loss is usually treated with hearing aids. The second type of hearing loss is Conductive Hearing Loss (CHL). This type of hearing loss prevents sound from getting to your cochlea and can often be corrected. Causes of CHL can be middle ear infections, sinus infections, earwax, or eardrum perforations, just to name a few. The third type that we typically see is mixed hearing loss, which is a combination of the two.”
According to Dr. Bridge, recent findings from a University of Michigan study show that older adults that are fitted with a hearing aid for newly diagnosed hearing loss have a lower risk of dementia, cognitive decline, and depression. Additionally, wearing a hearing aid has been shown to lower their risk of fall-related injuries compared to those who leave hearing loss uncorrected. “One of the hardest things as an audiologist is seeing individuals with hearing loss becoming withdrawn from conversations with family and friends, or nodding their head pretending they heard what was said.” Dr. Bridge diagnoses hearing loss through a series of comprehensive tests. “We really spend a lot of time educating the patient on the results of the test and what are the best options as to correct their hearing loss.” For some patients, it may be the use of hearing aids, for others, it may be different coping strategies. “We also do specific testing and treatment for vertigo, more specifically Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). A lot of people are unaware that some instances of vertigo are easily treated by different head/body maneuvers, and I perform these here in-office.” Dr. Bridge says that he also treats a lot of patients for tinnitus, or ringing in the ear. “During the evaluation, I try to get down to the root cause of the tinnitus or ringing and then determine a plan of action moving forward, so that we can help it to go away or at least alleviate the symptoms.”
A Word of Advice
From the doctor: “As far as preventative measures go, the best thing anyone can do is always wear hearing protection in the presence of loud noise. Never fire a gun or use lawn equipment without it! The most common cause of hearing loss is noise exposure, and something as little as one gunshot can cause permanent hearing loss and/or tinnitus. We recommend that everyone over the age of 50 have at least a baseline hearing test performed. Depending on the results, follow-up testing could be performed every few years. For patients that have been diagnosed with hearing loss or those who work around loud noise, we recommend that you have your hearing tested annually.”
To schedule a hearing consultation with Dr. Larry Bridge, call 843.522.0655 or visit www.thebeaufortsound.com
