Most of the popular general

health care Web sites devote a section to hearing loss

and hearing care. At www.drkoop.com , one of the most visited health

care sites on the Internet, you can learn about the signs

and symptoms of hearing loss, find definitions of terms

relating to hearing health and read news and research

articles about hearing loss and treatment.

It's certainly appropriate

that Dr. C. Everett Koop, the former Surgeon General of

the United States, is involved with a Web site about

hearing loss. Dr. Koop uses two hearing aids and has

always been outspoken about the problems of hearing loss

and the important benefits provided by hearing aids.

Another unique feature of

health care Web sites is the ability to tap into online

support groups, where you can ask questions, discuss

concerns and share experiences with others in situations

similar to your own. These virtual communities are

typically listed as "message boards" on the

home page of the Web site you're visiting. These sites

share insights from people living with hearing loss,

their spouses and children, and even their coworkers.

There are a number of Web

sites by consumer groups dedicated to the needs of those

with hearing loss, their family and friends. For example,

www.shhh.com is sponsored by Self Help for Hard

of Hearing People, Inc. (SHHH), a nonprofit organization

with about 250 local chapters across the U.S. The Better

Hearing Institute Web site can be reached at www.betterhearing.org . The professional associations of

audiologists, hearing aid specialists and physicians also

have Web sites, usually with separate sections for their

own members and for the public.

There are so many sources

of information that it can be overwhelming. Perhaps the

best way to search the Web for information is through a

"portal" or specialized "search

engine" devoted to hearing loss. These programs

provide access to virtually every Internet site related

to hearing loss. For example, www.searchwave.com , an Audiology search engine, lists

a menu of topics related to hearing loss, such as

Personal Pages, Advocacy-Self-Help, Science and Research,

Professional and Manufacturers.

If you click on

Advocacy-Self-Help, you can reach more than 50 consumer

groups around the world, including Hear Now (an

organization that collects and donates used hearing

aids), Lions Hearing Aid Programs, American Tinnitus

Association, and H.E.A.R. (Hearing Education and

Awareness for Rockers).

Certainly, the World Wide

Web will never replace a visit to a hearing care

professional, but when used properly, health care Web

sites can support the work of professionals and increase

the general level of information available to people

seeking hearing help.

More information about

hearing is available at www.digilife.com .