Dr. Mark Mehle, M.D.
Disabilities are not one size fits all. Similarly, not every disability is visible. These are called invisible disabilities, and hearing loss fits in this category. “Hearing loss is very real, but it’s not something you see”, says Dr. Mark Mehle, an ENT-otolaryngologist in Cleveland, Ohio. (ENT stands for ear, nose, throat). Dr. Mehle handles cases of patients with ear, sinus and thyroid issues, or who need head and neck surgery.
Dr. Mehle handles cases of patients with have ear, sinus and thyroid issues, or need head and neck surgery.
Dr. Mehle traveled with Liner Legal in September to Arizona to teach disability lawyers from around the country how to interpret a hearing test (an audiogram) and how to use that interpretation in disability claims. “Audiograms are very specialized and can be difficult to read until you learn how,” says Dr. Mehle. “Once you learn how to read a hearing test, then interpreting that test becomes easy and knowing the level of disability becomes a lot more straightforward.”
Otolaryngology was a field that attracted Dr. Mehle because it’s one of the few medical and surgical combined specialties. It’s a field where Dr. Mehle is able to find and fix problems for people. “The rewards are little and repeated,” he says. “It’s making that little difference or that rare big difference in somebody’s life that will allow them to get back to normal functioning.”
Advice for People Experiencing Hearing Loss
For those experiencing hearing loss, Dr. Mehle offers a valuable piece of advice. “Make sure your physician and your lawyers know you have hearing loss,” he says. “If you don’t mention it, people don’t know about it.” He explains that they can treat most forms of hearing loss, via surgery or hearing aids. Very rarely does he meet a patient with a level of hearing loss that he can’t help.
“There is a crossover where law firms and doctors are 100% in agreement, where we want to do what’s right for a patient,” says Dr. Mehle. “A disabled patient should have support.”
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