The world of hearing aids can be intimidating. With multiple manufacturers and models, it can feel akin to purchasing a vehicle. A minority of adults with hearing loss are actually fit with hearing aids, while the average length of time between noticing an issue and seeking treatment is seven years. Fortunately, licensed providers are available to act as guides, with “guides” being the keyword. While providers are very knowledgeable and reliable sources, the question of which type of hearing aid … [Read more...] about Which Hearing Aids Are Right for Me?
Audiology
How to Reduce Background Noise
Have you ever noticed the background noise in a restaurant or other gathering area? Some spaces seem to promote noise, while others don’t. Some areas seem to boost background noise by using hard reflective surfaces, seating that is close together, high ceilings and music piped into the seating area. What is the reasoning when creating places that are not comfortable to sit and have a conversation? For restaurants, the management wants to have the tables turned over to the next patron as quickly … [Read more...] about How to Reduce Background Noise
Hyperacusis: Hearing That is Too Good
Most of us are aware of hearing loss and the difficulty associated with not being able to hear conversation or other important sounds. What about the people who suffer (suffer is the correct word to use here) with hyperacusis? One in 50,000 people reportedly suffer from hyperacusis. What is Hyperacusis? The definition of hyperacusis varies and may even seem unclear. Most audiologists define hyperacusis as a condition in which a person has intolerance to a level of sound. It can be defined as a … [Read more...] about Hyperacusis: Hearing That is Too Good
Environmental Noise May Cause Health Issues
Most people are not aware of the excessive noise in their daily lives. Noise comes from traffic sounds, trains, airplanes, roadwork, construction sites, even noise from people near you talking and listening to music, etc. Your brain is constantly processing all the sound, deciding what it wants to focus on and what is to be ignored. Even when you sleep, your ears are working, picking up and filtering the sound to different parts of the brain. This constant stimulus causes mental fatigue and … [Read more...] about Environmental Noise May Cause Health Issues
Understanding Tinnitus: Ringing in the Ears
More than 50 million people are bothered by tinnitus and approximately 20 percent of those people are severely affected by it. Tinnitus is a sound that is heard without any external stimulation. It can be high or low-pitched; it may sound like humming, clicking, buzzing, whistling, chirping or roaring. The sound may come and go and sometimes people say the loudness of their tinnitus changes. Tinnitus is a symptom, not a disease and is not threatening to one’s health. Most tinnitus can … [Read more...] about Understanding Tinnitus: Ringing in the Ears
Understanding Musical Ear Syndrome
Musical ear syndrome, also known as musical hallucinations or auditory hallucination, is more common than you might believe. It can cause enormous stress on the individual experiencing it. It is more likely to be a song or music without words but a few people have reported to me that they hear songs with words. I find in my practice that people are embarrassed to tell anyone about what they hear and are secretly afraid that they are going crazy. One source estimates that auditory … [Read more...] about Understanding Musical Ear Syndrome
Understanding the Connection Between High Blood Pressure and Hearing Loss
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major risk factor for stroke and heart disease, which affects nearly 70 million adults in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This adds up to one in three adults! In addition to people with hypertension, the CDC states that one in three adults is living with elevated blood pressure or prehypertension. Prehypertension is not hypertension, but the blood pressure levels are above what is considered normal. What … [Read more...] about Understanding the Connection Between High Blood Pressure and Hearing Loss
Changes in Hearing After Head Injury
Approximately 1.4 million individuals suffer from traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year in the United States. The most common causes of injury are automobile accidents, falls, assaults/blows, sports-related injuries and explosive blasts. Internal causes of brain injury are strokes, edema, meningitis, tumors and even certain medications. The resulting hearing loss symptoms a person suffers are varied depending on the damage. Injury from Automobile Accidents The brain may be shaken … [Read more...] about Changes in Hearing After Head Injury
What is it Like to Have a Hearing Loss?
As an audiologist, I see hearing impaired individuals every day. One of the most rewarding activities of my job is to teach the family members what it is like to have a hearing loss and how to better communicate with hearing impaired people. What can the hearing impaired person hear? I think that understanding what a person really can and can’t hear is the key to successfully living with or working with a hearing impaired person. It is crucial to understand what can change the … [Read more...] about What is it Like to Have a Hearing Loss?
Speech Understanding in Wind
Wind noise has been an ongoing issue since the beginning of hearing aid use. I remember 30 years ago talking to people about managing wind noise when they were wearing a body-worn hearing aid. I asked people to change the direction they were facing so their back was to the wind or stand sideways to the wind. I helped parents design headbands to be worn over the ear level hearing aids to protect the hearing aid on their child from wind exposure. I recommend that people wear baseball caps with … [Read more...] about Speech Understanding in Wind
