Tag Archives: hearing loss

A Hearing Loss Epidemic?

A recent study from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland took a look at the possibility of an epidemic of hearing loss in the United States. Right now, one out of every three adults in the United States suffers from some degree of hearing loss. I have some hearing loss on the left side from my days in radio — for a long time, I used a broken pair of headphones that only worked on the left. I’d turn the sound up to compensate for only having one working speaker… and I’ve paid for it. The study team from Johns … Continue reading →

What Is a Cochlear Implant?

For people with severe or total hearing loss, a cochlear implant can help make it possible to hear! If regular hearing aids don’t help you at all, you may be a good candidate for a cochlear implant. A small device is placed under the skin, with electrodes that connect to the cochlea. This is the cochlear implant. You’ll also wear a microphone behind the ear, to pick up sound, and a speech processor that may be worn behind the ear or elsewhere on the body. Here’s how it works: the microphone picks up sound and sends it to the speech … Continue reading →

Dealing With Friends and Family Who Have Hearing Loss

It can sometimes be frustrating to deal with a friend or loved one who has hearing loss. You may feel like they aren’t paying attention to what you say, or just get tired of repeating yourself all the time. Talking to a person with hearing loss can be tiring and stressful! Here are some tips for better communication with a person with hearing loss. Use the person’s name so they know you are speaking to them. Face the person directly so they can see your mouth, your whole face, and the gestures you make. Even if they don’t catch every … Continue reading →

Make Life With Hearing Loss Easier

Living with hearing loss can be challenging. Some situations are easier than others — it will be far easier to talk to one friend or family member in the quiet of your home than to try to have a conversation in a busy restaurant! It takes a lot of effort to hear, sometimes, and that can be very stressful. You may be tempted to avoid certain social situations and/or worry about your safety — if you can’t hear a fire alarm or police car’s siren, for example. Hearing aids may be an obvious choice for improving your hearing. However, they … Continue reading →

Adjusting To A Hearing Aid

I can remember when I was in third grade, getting my first pair of glasses. Oh how I hated them at first! They made my nose itch. They made my ears feel funny. My hair was always getting tangled in them. It took me several weeks to get used to them. Expect the same thing if you’re adjusting to a new hearing aid. It may take weeks; it may take months! What you can expect: You may hear noises you haven’t heard in a long time — background noises you’d forgotten about will suddenly be back. Your own voice may … Continue reading →

Hearing Aids

Basically, a hearing aid is a device that makes sound louder. They do not restore normal human hearing but can help people with hearing loss communicate more easily. All hearing aids have certain basic parts in common. There is a microphone, to pick up sounds. There is an amplifier, to make that sound louder. There is a speaker, to send the sound to the ear. Finally, there are batteries to power the hearing aid. Size, look, and placement can differ; size does not indicate sound quality. Analog adjustable hearing aids are made based on your hearing tests. These are the … Continue reading →

Experts Think MP3 Players Could Damage Your Child’s Hearing

If your kids listen to MP3 players, you should be aware that some experts are worrying that in doing so your kids are at risk of damaging their hearing. University of California, Irvine, professor Fan-Gang Zeng, a specialist in hearing loss, says that he’s starting to see a lot of his students with hearing loss that you would normally see in a person 50- or 60-years-old. A colleague, Dr. Hamid Djlilian agrees. He reported that more parents were bringing their teenagers to him with complaints of ringing in their ears. The cause of the problem, expert believe, centers around the … Continue reading →

Now Hear This: What is Auditory Dysfunction?

One of Kyle’s first symptoms of autism was his failure to respond to his name being called. He would sit amongst his toys, engrossed in whatever he was doing, and not turn his head when I shouted to him. Once in a while he would look, but frequently he didn’t. His lack of response was so strange that we had his hearing tested. But functionally, Kyle had normal hearing. Even so, hearing is more than just the process of an ear manufacturing sounds–it’s also the brain’s ability to interpret the sounds and respond appropriately. Often kids on the autism spectrum … Continue reading →

Hearing Loss Terminology

If you work in a noisy environment or know someone who suffers from hearing loss, you may need to know these terms common in hearing loss prevention. Basic terminology: Acoustic trauma is a single incident that causes a sudden hearing loss. Examples of acoustic trauma are blows to the head and loud explosions. Decibel ( dB ) is the unit that expresses the intensity of a sound. The threshold for discomfort is between 85 and 95 dB and the threshold for pain is between 120 and 140 dB. A dosimeter measures sound levels over a specified interval. Hertz ( Hz … Continue reading →

Choosing Ear Protection

If you work in a loud environment, you have many options for protecting your ears. Why protect your ears? Prolonged exposure to loud noise can damage hair cells in your ears, leading to permanent hearing loss. You may have to try several different types of ear protection until you find one that is comfortable enough to wear for the length of your work shift. Expandable foam plugs are made from a formable material. You can roll the plugs into a small cylinder, then insert them into your ear canals. The foam will expand into the shape of your ear. People … Continue reading →