Hearing Aids 411

Hearing "Motors" - Nature Supercharges Your Hearing

2011-02-14T15:11:00.000-06:00

A study out of the University of Utah, co-authored by the Chair of the Bioengineering Department, Dr. Richard Rabbitt, has demonstrated that the human ear actually has tiny, “flexoelectric motors” that rev up to better enable us to hear by amping up sounds mechanically rather than neurologically.

In other words, your ears have tiny motors to soup up your hearing – all the more reason to take care of your hearing today and tomorrow. Keep what you got, folks.

Dr. Richard Rabbitt
reports on
flexoelectric motors
in your ears. Vroom.

In an interview published by the University of Utah News Center, Professor Rabbitt put it this way, “We are reporting discovery of a new nanoscale [really teeny] motor in the ear. The ear has a mechanical amplifier in it that uses electrical power to do mechanical amplification.”

The Utah News indicated that, “Previous research elsewhere indicated that hair cells within the cochlea of the inner ear can “dance” – elongate and contract – to help amplify sounds.

The new study shows sounds also may be amplified by the back-and-forth or “dancing” of stereocilia, which are the 50 to 300 hair-like nanotubes projecting from the top of each [cochlear] ear cell.”

William Brownell, a co-author of the study and professor of Otolaryngology at Baylor Collage of Medicine in Houston, whimsically described the discovery in terms we can all understand.

Brownell says the new study shows how the flexoelectric effect can account for the amplification of sound in the cochlea. Stereocilia essentially are membranes that have been rolled into tubes so the fact that a membrane can generate acoustic [mechanical] energy is novel. Imagine hearing a soap bubble talk.”

Flexoelectrical Energy

Katie Brenemen, a bioengineering doctoral student at the University of Utah and co-author of the study, stated that this energy may also be a part of digestion and memory formation. In other words, flexoelectrical energy may be a newly introduced source of power used throughout the body, not just at the end of the cochlear hair-like projections.

In a recent post by Ed Yeates of KKSL newsradio Professor Rabbitt was quoted as saying, “What we are reporting here is a new motor that really hasn’t been understood in the past. It’s the stereocilia, the little tubes on the top of the cell.” Inside the inner ear, the little dancing hair-like tubes actually act like electric motors.” [that amplify sound before being sent to the brain where it will be further processed.]

Any discovery in how we hear and process sound offers hope to those with hearing loss. This research will lead to new types of hearing aids that take advantage of these natural motors that boost hearing naturally. Hearing aids targeted at stereocilia may well improve the quality of sound produced by hearing aids and even enable those with moderate to severe hearing loss to hear more clearly and more naturally.

Hearing Professionals Fighting Elder Abuse

2011-02-07T14:50:00.002-06:00

Hearing Health Professionals Take Front Line Position in War Against Elder Abuse

Our Golden Years
Protected by Hearing Professionals

It’s the kind of story that makes you angry. Elder Abuse. It’s becoming more prevalent (or more cases are being reported), it crosses all lines of race, income, ethnicity, religion and other social segments, and health care providers, all of them, now play a key role in not only identifying cases of abuse, but also in preventing abuse from continuing.

The Sad Secrets of Elder Abuse

In the past, abuse of the elderly has been a sad secret, occurring most often in home settings where detection is difficult. The numbers associated with this tragedy describe the breadth and width of the problem:

25% of suicides occur in people over 60 years of age, at least some of which are driven by continued abuse.

A recent survey calculated 565,747 reports of elder abuse – up 19.7% since 2000.

Adult protective services at the local and state levels investigated 461,135 reports of elder abuse.

APS substantiated 191, 908 reports of abuse (all ages) – a 15.6% increase since numbers were last compiled in 2000.

That works out to 8.3 reports per 1,000 senior citizens.

46,794 reports of self-neglect were proven by APS.

Estimates indicate only 16% of elder abuse is actually reported.

Five million victims a year.

Hearing Health Care Providers Take Front Line Position

In the past, claims by the abused were often dismissed and ignored – even by the medical community. But not anymore. There’s simply too much concrete evidence that the problem exists.

In most states, health care providers, teachers, counselors and other professionals who suspect elder abuse are required, by law, to report their suspicions. It’s no longer a matter of choice or even discretion on the part of the health care provider. If the suspicion exists, it must be reported and the patient must be protected.

For that reason, members of the hearing health community are now trained in the detection of abuse among their senior patients.

The Tell-Tale Signs of Elder Abuse

The hearing health community has been taught to look for a variety of different kinds of abuse some senior citizens experience at the hands of relatives and under-trained or under-supervised staff.

Abuse can be physical, emotional, sexual, financial or plain and simple neglect. Hearing professionals are taught to look for signs of abuse: bruising, lacerations, burns, bed sores, patient withdrawal and an unwillingness on the part of the caregiver to allow the professional to consult privately with the patient – all potential indicators of abuse.

The problem, most regrettably, will continue. But hearing health care providers, along with the rest of the medical community, maintain their position on the front lines in the war against elder abuse.

Learn more about elderly hearing loss at HealthyHearing.com.

Genetics And Hearing Loss

2011-02-04T15:00:00.000-06:00

Genes are the building blocks of who we are. Genes make up DNA, found in every cell, and each set of genes creates the unique individuals we are. The color of our hair, skin color, eye color, big muscles, tall, short, bald or prematurely gray – all laid out in an incredibly complex genetic map. Your genetic map is totally you, unlike any other human.

Researchers in Germany and England have now identified a newly-discovered type of gene, called microRNA, as the cause of the loss of hearing with a laboratory-proven, genetic basis.

Hearing Loss
May Be Genetic

Now, there are a number of known hearing loss conditions associated with genetic mutations, but researchers have only scratched the surface in analyzing the complex structure of DNA. Now, with this latest research, a new kind of DNA, labeled microRNA, is reported, and, well, you start to get an understanding of just how complex the problem is.

Researchers in Germany traced the early loss of hearing to a specific region on the double-helix that forms the structure of DNA. A specific mutation in something called a “seed region” of the double DNA helix causes gradual, early hearing loss in children.

Labeled miR-96, this gene is responsible for the development of the hair-like structures that line a tiny, snail-shaped organ, called the cochlea, located deep within the inner ear.

The cochlea is responsible for converting sound waves into electrical impulses that are then sent to the hearing centers of the brain for interpretation.

Using lab rats, bred to experience genetically-based hearing loss, experiments showed a similar mutation in mouse DNA, offering scientists quantifiable evidence to conclude that, in many instances, early, progressive hearing loss is the direct result of the mutation of a new class of gene – one scientists are just beginning to examine more closely.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this study is the discovery of a new class of gene, one that, through mutation in both mice and humans, is the culprit in cases of early loss of hearing. The connection between microRNA – the new classification of DNA – opens extensive avenues for new, more advanced, disease-specific research.

Learn more genetic research discoveries and how they impact the future of hearing loss treatments at Healthy Hearing.

Party Ear: You Hear What You Want to Hear

2011-02-02T15:18:00.000-06:00

You’re at a crowded fete with lots of noise, the band is playing and the noise level keeps going up with each round of drinks. You’re swimming in noise. Yet, you can focus on a single voice and carry on a conversation despite the din. How?

Conventional Wisdom

You hear in stereo. Because the ears at set apart from each other, sound waves reach each ear at slightly different times. This difference in sound recognition between ears is what enables us to determine the direction of the sound, also known as directionality.

The brain, through experience, is able to calculate the direction of the sound instantly.

But wait. If the ability to focus on a single voice within a lot of chatter and clatter is based on our ability to determine sources of sound within the room, how do we explain the ability to focus on a telephone call while the party is in full swing. You can do it, thanks to that amazing brain of yours.

New Views

Researchers now suggest that we’re able to maintain focus on our little group, or quiet conversation, by differentiating sound by pitch. The brain focuses on the pitch – the sound quality – of important conversations while dismissing party background noise as unimportant. These sounds, while heard and processed, don’t take on importance within the hearing portion of the brain.

Dr. Holger Schulze, a neuroscientist at the Leibniz-Institute for Neurobiology in Germany, a lead researcher on the phenomenon of cocktail party ear, stated, “It has been known for 20 or 30 years that it is possible without directional information to do the job [focus on a single conversation while blocking out unnecessary noise] but we didn’t know how it [the process] works, where in the brain this happens. Now we know it’s in one small area of the auditory cortex.” FYI, the auditory cortex is where electrical impulses produced by sound in the environment are processed in the brain.

Researchers now believe that different noises and voices are “arranged in a circle in the auditory cortex.”

“Within a circular map you can connect each region with all other regions equally well," Schulze told LiveScience. "This is important if you want one region to be able to inhibit all other regions equally well. If it [the sound-sorting process] was linear, you could only inhibit your neighbors."

One area sends neurotransmitters to other areas to say, 'Stop listening,'" Schulze said. "But there must be some residual activity left so that if you hear something that catches your attention you can selectively switch focus."

In other words, the brain prioritizes all of these different sounds, focusing on the individual with whom you’re speaking while ignoring the less important noise, or at least relegating it in importance. However, a small portion of the brain keeps track of important incoming so when you’re asked a question, one part of your auditory cortex can process an answer while relegating other noises to lower priority status.

“Though we can distinguish individual voices without knowing where they are coming from, if we have directional information this process is even easier. Both the pitch-sorting mechanism and directional sorting are usually going on simultaneously,” Schulze concluded.

Learn more about hearing research and even how you skin helps you hear, visit HealthyHearing.com.

Hearing Loss: What’s The Connection with iPods and MP3 Players?

2011-01-31T13:25:00.000-06:00

A recent study, conducted at Ghent University in Belgium and published in The Archives of Otolaryngology –Head and Neck Surgery a journal of the JAMA/Archives provides more proof that it’s not just workplace noise that causes noise induced hearing loss.

In fact, even when you’re off the job, you’re still at risk of causing permanent hearing loss simply by listening to your iPod or MP3 player too loud too long. The report states:

Enjoy the music.
Just be smart about it.

"It is well known that excessive occupational noise exposure can lead to noise-induced hearing loss. The increasing popularity and availability of portable music players has caused concern about the potential hazardous effects on hearing. Excessive noise exposure can lead to metabolic and/or mechanical effects resulting in alterations of the structural elements of the organ of Corti [the inner ear organ in mammals that contains auditory sensory cells or 'hair cells']. The primary damage is concentrated on the outer hair cells, which are more vulnerable to acoustic overstimulation than inner hair cells."

Test subjects listened to music for one-hour segments. They were tested both before and after the experiment to determine if listening to loud music did, indeed, cause hearing loss. It does. Here’s why.

Typically, people use MP3 players to block out surrounding noise and escape into their own little amped-up worlds. In order to achieve this degree of separation from the hustle and bustle of a crowded city street or the roar of the subway pulling into the station, MP3 lovers have to crank up the volume to dangerous levels.

Other studies have shown that typically, those of us who enjoy our tunes on the go increase the volume to dangerous levels in order to block out surrounding noise, so if the environment is quiet, the volume is lower. There’s a direct relationship between the noise that surrounds us and how high we turn up the volume of our MP3 players to block out those unwanted noises. And that means we turn them up loud!

This loud music places stress on the hearing mechanism causing the production of free radicals that are the culprits in NIHL. However, there are healthy iPod habits you can do to lessen the damage done by over-exposure to loud music from your favorite media player.

So, what can music lovers do to protect their hearing?

Never listen to loud music for more than 60 minutes at a time.

Give your ears at least 90 minutes of quiet time before turning on your portable media player again.

Turn down the volume – a lot. Listening at lower sound levels enables you to listen longer before causing permanent damage.

Increase your awareness of hearing loss. If you think you might be experiencing a little hearing loss, regardless of your age, chances are you do have hearing loss.

Purchase a quality pair of headphones. The ear buds that come with your MP3 player are low-cost and they produce a lot of distortion – noise that isn’t part of the music. A better quality head set will deliver more music and less distortion.

Purchase an over-the-ears head set. These foam-padded ear covers block out the noise around you so you can enjoy your music at lower volumes.

Go unplugged some days. Leave the MP3 player at home. The world around most of us is noisy enough.

You’re in charge of the sounds that enter your ears for interpretation by the brain. You make the decision as to how loud you listen to your MP3 player and how long you listen to it. That means you have control over noise induced hearing loss. You can stop it from getting worse.

In fact, if you’re smart, you can prevent it all together.

Hitting the Road with Hearing Loss

2011-01-28T16:13:00.000-06:00

Driving Safety and Hearing Loss

No one wants to give up their driving privileges. It’s for old people, the infirm or those with more than a few senior moments throughout the day. However...

According to the Federal Highway Administration, drivers over 75 have the second highest number of fatal automobile accidents.

Older drivers are more likely to be injured and require hospitalization than younger drivers.

Older drivers are more likely to die in automobile accidents than their younger companions on the road.

21% of Americans report some sort of vision impairment even if they wear glasses!

Hearing loss, common among the older crowd, affects 33% of drivers over 65 years of age.

Seniors reflexes slow with age, making driving – especially on busy highways – a dangerous adventure for the driver, passengers and others sharing the interstate.

Some seniors experience a degree of dementia as more and more of the synapses in the brain become disconnected. This affects the ability to make quick decisions or to react intuitively, creating more than a mere nuisance on the road.

Older drivers lose coordination, balance and other basics required for safe driving.

If You Can’t Hear It, You Can’t Avoid It

Most of us think of driving as a vision thing. As long as we can SEE the road, we’re okay. Not so, unfortunately.

You may not realize it but a lot of safe driving is related to the driver’s ability to hear potential danger before even seeing it. Good hearing is essential to good driving.

Think about it. You HEAR a car coming before you see it rounding the curve. You hear the ambulance siren before you see the ambulance, you hear the idiot passing you on the right before you see him whiz by you.

The ability to hear is essential to safe driving. At some point, many of us will be faced with the unpleasant prospect of telling our parents that they shouldn’t be driving any more, or they shouldn't be driving at night or until they have their eyes and hearing tested.

But it’s unlikely that mom or dad will admit that they aren’t safe drivers, even after several close calls. So, it falls to the children to take the keys away – even if the folks battle you all the way. In some states, seniors can get restricted driving licenses that allow them to drive during daylight, for example.

If all else fails, and you KNOW a parent shouldn’t be driving, contact the state Department of Motor Vehicles, which will re-test the questionable driver and determine if s/he should be allowed behind the wheel of the family car.

Remember, it’s not just about seeing well. It’s often more important to be able to hear potential road hazards than to see them. The ability to hear gives drivers the ability to react appropriately. Safely.

Need more information on hearing loss and solutions. No problem. Stop by Healthy Hearing before your next road trip and drive safely and hear better. Just makes sense, right?

Ear Candling: A Dangerous Practice That Can Cause Hearing Loss

2011-01-27T14:29:00.001-06:00

Ear candling is an ancient practice used by the Maya, the Egyptians and other ancient cultures to purify the soul. Hey, what did they know about medicine back then? Sounds reasonable.

REALLY? You think this is a good idea?

Ear candling involves placing a hollow, cone-shaped candle inside the external ear canal – thin end first. Then, the candle is lit at the broad end, creating a warm vacuum inside the cone-shaped candle. In turn, this vacuum is supposed to suck out ear wax and the debris that collects inside the ear canal as we go about our lives..

You can buy ear candles at health food stores, in part because of the folklore that’s evolved around the use of candling. Proponents claim that it: stimulates the body’s circulation, increases blood flow to the body’s lymphatic system, removes growth of fungi within the ear canal, relieves tension in the face and neck regions, removes ear wax, relieves tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and a bunch of other stuff including opening spiritual centers in the body. Pure mumbo-jumbo.

First, let’s get one thing straight. Ear wax is icky. Nobody likes it but it’s produced naturally by the body, and for good reason.

Ear wax, also called cerumen, is produced by glands at the outer edges of the ear canal. Why? Well, it’s sticky as well is icky and it catches all of the debris, sticks, twigs, bugs and other stuff that can collect inside the ear canal.

Once this gunk is stuck in the ear wax, it’s slowly and gently moved out of the ear canal to the outer ear where it can be wiped away. Ear wax is supposed to be there.

Now, most of us have been taught to clean our ears using cotton swabs. Problem is, using a swab pushes debris that’s collected in the ear canal deeper into the canal and closer to the delicate bits. It makes the problem worse by undoing what ear wax is supposed to do – keep debris away from the ear drum and the rest of that hearing apparatus.

Here’re the facts: ear candling doesn’t work AND it’s dangerous. Check out some of these horror stories:

A Canadian woman who underwent ear candling ended up in the hospital with a glob of melted candle wax embedded in her ear canal. Doctors couldn't remove the candle wax in the emergency room and surgery was required. The “patient” ended up with a hole in her ear drum and measurable hearing loss that will never return.

An Alaskan woman started a fire in her home using one of these things. She survived. The home was a total loss.

According to those in the know, ear candling leads to self-immolation (you set yourself on fire accidentally), ear infections, house fires and, again, hot candle wax dripping into the ear canal itself.

In other words, ear candling is dangerous and it doesn’t work. Seeing a hearing professional when you have an excessive amount of ear wax does work.

Learn about how to safely remove ear wax at HealthyHearing.com.

If You Suspect Child Hearing Loss - ACT NOW

2011-01-25T15:06:00.000-06:00

Hearing Problems In Children

School is where kids learn the skills required to live in our society, to make a contribution, earn a living and enjoy all that the world has to offer.

Hearing loss in children
of any age slows development

Humans learn to speak by imitating the sounds they hear around them. However, when young people experience hearing loss, they lose the ability to hear sounds to imitate. It’s up to parents to determine if their child has hearing loss, the extent of any hearing loss and address the problem with hearing aids designed especially for kids.

The sooner hearing loss in children is detected the better. Today, there are hearing aids designed to fit infants who test for hearing loss, improving the child’s ability to hear, imitate sound and speak.

Contact your school district and ask to have your child’s hearing tested at regular intervals. Most school systems have a certified hearing specialist on staff to identify and address hearing loss.

When hearing loss is detected, see a hearing professional – an audiologist or hearing practitioner. These professionals fit and tune youngsters with hearing aids that are rugged, discrete and easy to maintain.

These hearing aids are designed to stay in place during rough and tumble recess activities and, because these hearing aids can be tuned, they deliver the highest quality sound in a low-profile package.

Also, protect your teen’s ears. Limit loud listening to 60 minutes a day. Any more than that and your child is damaging the listening mechanism – permanently. One test? If you can hear the tunes coming from your teen’s MP3, it’s way too loud.

Kids don’t think about hearing loss 30 years from now, but you do.

Learn more about hearing loss in children at Healthy Hearing..

Hear Better, Earn More

2011-01-24T11:38:00.002-06:00

Study Reveals Connection Between Hearing Health and Earning Power

If you’ve been passed over for promotions, if you’re unemployed or underemployed, if you think you could and should be earning more, you might be surprised at the findings of a study conducted by the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) that establishes a clear, unambiguous relationship between how well you hear and how much you earn.

Stay In touch. Earn more.
LOTS MORE!

The study involved 80,000 households across all segments of the population and revealed some startling statistics:

Undetected and untreated hearing loss can cost a household up to $12,000 each year in lost wages.
Individuals with untreated hearing loss are more likely to be unemployed or underemployed, leading to lower levels of job satisfaction.

The study also revealed that hearing loss – especially when experienced early in one’s career – will have a negative impact on everything from body image to self-esteem to cognitive skills development.

Hearing impaired individuals, who make up 2% of the total

U.S.

population, are more likely to make mistakes on the job or misunderstand directions from supervisors. This creates the perception among co-workers that hearing impaired individuals lack essential problem-solving and social skills necessary for success in today’s high-octane workplace.

Other findings are just as startling. 31 million Americans experience hearing loss yet only 23% of these people use a hearing aid. The study showed that 90 to 95% of workers with hearing loss would benefit from using a hearing device. However, many workers – especially those in mid-career or nearing retirement age - are aware of the stigma associated with hearing aid use. However, what they aren’t aware of is the tremendous strides made within the hearing aid industry over the past decade.

Today’s digital hearing aids are discreet and very high tech, making adjustments to changing sound conditions up to 1000 times a second! The use of a hearing aid not only increases earning power, it improves overall workplace success with more promotions, greater responsibilities and an improvement in other “quality of life” matters.

The conclusions of the Better Hearing Institute study? A hearing loss costs you money. Up to $12K a year. It also increases the likelihood that you won’t move quickly up the ladder to success in the workplace. Conversely, if you do have your hearing tested and you do address any hearing loss through the use of today’s hi-tech hearing aids, you can expect to earn to your full potential and achieve the workplace success you desire.

Only you can make things better. Make an appointment with an audiologist today.

Ear Protection for the New Year

2011-01-20T13:57:00.000-06:00

Start Off the New Year Right and Protect Your Hearing

A simple pair of foam ear plugs
can protect your hearing from loud
noise. And they don't cost a bundle.

What can you do to protect the hearing you’ve got (because once it’s gone it’s almost always gone for good). Go proactive. Increase your awareness of the noise around you. And take steps to prevent long-term exposure to loud noise. It’s not hard, you know, and the pay off is better hearing longer.

Here are some tips for hearing protection from loud noise and permanent hearing loss:

If convenience and cost are your top priorities, pick up some moldable foam ear plugs at the local pharmacy.

If you plan on running that chain saw all day, or you work on a noisy factory assembly line, consider buying a pair of “over-the-ear ear cuffs.” They’re comfortable, even when you wear them all day long, and they come in two varieties.

You can purchase ear cuffs that block out all noise or, if you spend a little more, you can purchase “hear-through ear cuffs.” These allow you to hear your floor manager’s directions while still blocking out the extraneous noise that surrounds you.

Now, what about iPods, MP3 players and other portable sound systems? First, scroll down the volume. Second, give your ears a break. Experts recommend that you listen to loud music no more than 90 minutes a day. Finally, toss out the ear buds that came with your MP3 player and buy a pair of over-the-ears headphones. These headphones block out a lot of the background noise, allowing you to hear more music at a lower volume.

And, if you really want to go all out, consider buying yourself a pair of noise-cancellation headphones. These noise cancellation headphones produce sound waves that counteract the sound waves coming at you from all directions.

So, the human body does all it can to protect your hearing, but the human body can only do so much. The best defense against hearing loss is a pro-active stance toward reducing the amount of noise around you and protecting the hearing you have through the use of ear plugs, ear cuffs, hear-throughs and noise cancellation devices that eliminate noise electronically – even when you’re surrounded by LOUD noise.

Healthy Hearing has more information and tips on hearing protection that are simple and effective.

Cheap Hearing Aids: High Dissatisfaction Rates AND More Hearing Damage

2011-01-19T10:54:00.002-06:00

Michigan State University Study Reveals Hearing Aid Wearers Dissatisfaction

Michigan State University researchers Professor Jerry Punch and Susanna Love Callaway published the results of a study comparing consumer satisfaction and hearing aid costs and the results were predictable.

“…low-cost amplifying devices can look tempting to individuals with hearing impairment because of the significant cost differences,” Dr. Punch said. “But our research found that cheap hearing devices generally don’t meet the fitting requirements to help a hearing-impaired person and could potentially damage a person’s hearing.”

Cheap Hearing Aids Cause More Ear Damage

The MSU research is important to consumers, Callaway said. “Aside from being of extremely poor quality, very low-cost hearing aids - those under $100 - have the potential to damage your hearing because they send very loud sounds into the ear. The study’s mid-range hearing aids ($100-500) were of higher quality and were not considered a safety hazard.”

There is no “one-size-fits-all-hearing-solution.” Your hearing loss is different – unique in fact. So, in order to get the most and best use from a hearing device, it must be configured to address your particular needs. You don’t get that with the mail order models. If your hearing device isn’t properly set up by a hearing specialist you won’t be happy.

Anyone considering the purchase of a hearing aid should consider the effect improved hearing has on the quality of life.

There are always places to cut corners; hearing quality should not be one of them. This is something that will impact your life every minute of every day – for the better. That’s why you want the best hearing devices your budget will allow.

How Much Should You Spend?

Figure a minimum of $1,000 an ear for a device that can be fitted by a professional to your hearing needs. It may not have every feature, but it does what you want it to and it delivers sound you can adapt to quickly.

If you move up into the $1,500 an ear range, sound quality will improve a bit and you’ll pick up some handy features – automated volume control, feedback suppression and so on. These units are also a bit more durable.

Just remember, those hearing devices are going to be with you every day. So, don’t blow the budget out the back door but stay clear of hearing devices under $100, and keep away from “one-size-fits-all” devices. Purchase a device that can be tuned to your individual hearing loss.

Healthy Hearing has more information on what to look for researching hearing aids on the web.

Hearing Research: Your Ears Can Help You See Like A Bat

2011-01-06T15:14:00.000-06:00

Bats don’t see very well, but when it comes to hearing sound, they can see great. They can eat a bunch of mosquitoes by employing a form of sonar – echolation – to snatch skeeters right out of the sky – in total darkness.

Other animals use echolation to navigate. In addition to bats, dolphins send out sonic signals and use the echoes produced by these signals to help them through the day without getting eating by a whale, making it a good day, indeed.

We use it, too, though not as much as we could. But when trained to use echolation to locate objects that can’t be picked up visually, people with vision problems improve their ability to get around without assistance.

A team of researchers at the University of Alcala de Henares (UAH), a well-respected school in Spain, conducted research on human subjects who employed echolation to help them, not only avoid objects, but to help identify them.

According to the study’s author, people with vision impairment can learn to distinguish a tree from pavement using nothing more than echolation. Echolation helps us identify the location of a sound, almost instantaneously. Because the sound reaches the right and left ear a split second apart, the human brain is programmed to identify the source of a sound long before we see the thing creating the sound.

In addition to protecting us from potential danger, echolation places us in the environment, as part of a cheering crowd or as a quiet, solo hiker out for an afternoon stroll.

“In certain circumstances, we humans could rival bats in our echolation or bisonar capacity,” explained Juan Antonio Martenez, the study’s lead author. Martenez points out that human echolation skills are underutilized and proposes to employ a special clicking sound to create echoes that help us see in the dark – just like that gnat-snatching bat.

The study’s authors conclude, “The ideal sound is the ‘palate click’, a click made by placing the tip of the tongue on the palate, just behind the teeth, and moving it backwards, although it is often done downwards, which is wrong,” Martenez explains.

According to the study, no special skills are required and it doesn’t take years to tune your echolation skills. Simply by heightening awareness of the role hearing plays in “seeing” the world is a big step toward more effective use of this device.

In as little as two weeks, test subjects with varying degrees of site loss were able to identify pavement from trees and, more importantly, where objects were in relation to themselves.

And while not a solution to vision impairment, the study authors put forth a compelling argument that echolation is (1) under-utilized as a tool by humans and (2) can be learned in a relatively short time – a benefit to those with total loss of sight who, with a little practice, can use sound to move down a busy sidewalk.

So, use your hearing to “see” more clearly. Echolation is a great tool, and you can learn to detect the world around you in just two weeks.

Hearing Loss: You Don't Have To Live With It Anymore

2010-12-21T14:35:00.000-06:00

It’s hard to believe that a new year is upon us but here we are in 2011 already. How time flies.

And in that time, you may have noticed that you don’t hear as well as you did just a few years back. Not surprising. Hearing loss is common as we grow older. But age isn’t the only factor that impacts your ability to hear. Other factors come in to play and hearing professionals report seeing patients in their 20s and 30s these days thanks to the noisy world in which we live.

Don't Miss Out On All Fun
Anymore! Hear The World
Around You Again.

Well, we’re living in the Age of Digital – digital computers, cell phones, PDAs, digital downloads, uploads and yes, today digital hearing aids are the norm. These little machines are smart, stylish, comfortable and convenient. Unfortunately, many of us recognize that we don’t hear as well as we did in years past but we accept hearing loss as inevitable.

It’s not. In fact, by making a few lifestyle changes and getting fitted with a pair of today’s high-tech hearing aids, you can live the life you used to live and hear the richness of life the way it was meant to be heard.

Usually the first question we ask when we notice that the person on the other end of the telephone line sounds a little softer than usual. Well, there are lots of reasons people lose some of their ability to hear.

Growing older is, indeed, one of the most common reasons behind hearing loss.

Exposure to loud noise is often a contributing factor to hearing loss. Loud noise, over a long period of time, takes its toll on our ability to hear.

Disease is another common cause of hearing loss. People with diabetes are more susceptible to hearing loss. Ear infections, caused by viruses and bacteria, can quickly and permanently damage the hearing mechanism nature gave us. There are lots of diseases that contribute to hearing loss.

Medications are also responsible for hearing loss as an unwanted side effect. Certain drugs used to treat cancer, for example, can cause hearing loss. These ototoxic drugs also include drugs you probably use all the time: aspirin and tylenol.

Trauma to the head or hearing mechanism is yet another reason folks lose their hearing. A serious concussion, for example, can lead to hearing loss. Combat troops who are exposed to loud, unexpected explosions also experience hearing loss.

The first step, once you identify that you don’t hear like you did back in the day, is to see an audiologist or hearing aid dispenser – an expert in hearing, hearing loss and hearing solutions. These highly trained and certified professionals will perform a top-down hearing evaluation to determine the scope and degree of hearing loss you have.

These hearing professionals offer a number of solutions from which to pick. In most cases, a pair of hearing aids will get you back in the game and keep you in play longer.

So make yourself New Year resolution to visit your local hearing aid professional for a top-down hearing evaluation. Maybe next year you'll be able to hear them play Auld Lang Syne. :-)

Hearing Loss: New Genetic Research Holds Treatment Promise

2010-12-20T15:26:00.001-06:00

Can Gene Therapy
Prevent Hearing Loss?

Research, conducted at the Center for Sensory Biology at the Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, has revealed that lab rats can be genetically altered to withstand higher levels of sound for longer periods.

Dr. Paul Fuchs, who wrote up the study, stated "We don't really know how things work in the ear at a cellular and molecular level. We're just starting to make those discoveries."

The findings of the Fuchs study are resonating throughout the hearing health community. The U.S. News report quotes Robert D. Frisina, who’s the associate director of the University of Rochester’s (NY) International Center for Hearing and Speech Research:

“The findings might also lead to drugs that could prevent noise induced hearing loss, one of the most common forms of acquired, permanent hearing loss, as can occur in recreational activities, such as hunting or shooting, and from occupational settings, including factory or military work.”

The interaction between the cochlea and the brain can modify and protect hearing to a degree but it’s foolish to misinterpret these test results. The fact is that exposure to loud noise does cause damage – permanent, irreversible damage – to human hearing in many millions of cases.

However, the results do hold out the promise of drugs in the future that can protect hearing. This research shows that, through genetic manipulation, laboratory rats are better able to withstand loud noise without permanent damage. A “stronger” hearing system, in other words. However, none of the experts who reported on Dr. Fuchs’ study suggested that a cure for hearing loss was at hand.

While the Johns Hopkins study should be seen as a hopeful message to those with hearing loss, the study does NOT suggest that hearing loss is a thing of the past. Far from it. Chances are, you’ll do some damage to your hearing sometime today.

Turn down the volume and hope that science can develop preventative solutions to existing hearing loss.

Learn more about new research concerning genetic hearing loss at Healthy Hearing.

Reasons For Hearing Loss: Your Gym Equipment

2010-12-15T14:24:00.000-06:00

While a good workout is good for everything from muscle tone and balance to weight control and improved heart and lung function, for those of us who plug in when we work out, we might be doing more damage than good.

A recent study reveals that we tend to increase the volume on our iPods to cover background noise. Think about it. When you’re walking down a busy city street, you turn up the volume to close out the din that surrounds you. Traffic noise. People noise. Jackhammers. Subways. Plugging in is a great way to shut out the world and give yourself a little “inner space.”

There’s a lot of external noise coming at you at the gym. How many gyms have TVs blaring in front of the line of treadmills or exercise bikes? There’s the noise made by the workout equipment. Each treadmill adds to the overall sound threshold.

Then there’s the noise that your body makes when you engage in exercise. If you’re doing it right, there’s a lot of huffing and puffing going on in there. "Heavier breathing and the distracting sounds from the exercise machines could be factors. People also like to make the music louder because it pumps them up,” an author of the study explains.

People listening to tunes in a quiet environment tend to listen at lower listening levels because there’s no competing sound. They can focus on their music or audio book at lower sound levels.

Add background noise and volume/listening levels increase. Again, listening levels tend to sync up with the sounds around you. The louder the ambient sound, the louder you turn up your MP3. But then, when you add the internal huffing and puffing, the study reveals that those who use iPods during workouts listen at 75% of max volume – and that’s definitely moving into the hearing danger zone.

Learn more about the effects of noise, such as noise at work, noise levels in restaurants and more at Healthy Hearing.

Hearing Screening Test: Do You Have Hearing Problems?

2010-12-14T15:01:00.001-06:00

Hearing problems and hearing loss are often gradual so it’s not something you may notice right away. There are signs, however – signals that indicate it’s time to see a hearing professional. Check out these questions and be honest in your answers – a good place to start on your journey to hearing health:

Have friends, family, neighbors or co-workers told you to have your hearing checked?

Are you the only one in the room comfortable with the TV blasting?

Are you exposed to loud sound levels over long periods of time, i.e. your workplace is noisy or you listen to an MP3 player every waking minute?

Do you have trouble hearing in large, enclosed spaces like an auditorium?

Can you distinguish the voice of a dinner companion through the din of a loud restaurant?

Are you able to clearly hear the voices of children and women without straining?

Do you ever experience “ringing in the ears?”

Can you hear the birds twittering in the trees?

Does your favorite music sound as good as it used to?

Get the point?

A hearing screening test is usually performed by an audiologist – a highly-trained hearing professional, many of whom specialize in their fields. Some audiologists specialize in hearing aid technology to “remediate” hearing loss. That's who you want to see.

Search over 4300 local, independent hearing professionals at Healthy Hearing.

Elderly Hearing Loss: Hearing Better Than Thought

2010-12-13T14:40:00.000-06:00

Aging & Hearing Loss:
It's NOT Inevitable

More than 50 million people will experience hearing loss by 2030 so we’re going to have a lot of folks saying “What’d ya say?” in the years ahead.

The fact is, we still have a problem with hearing loss in this country. Today, 32 million people experience some degree of hearing loss. But it’s a problem with a simple solution – an increased awareness of the importance of hearing to the quality of life, and taking steps to protect hearing as we age.

Research points to a number of factors that contribute to improved hearing among seniors:

Stricter rules about workplace noise (thanks to OSHA sound level standards)
Fewer workers in loud workplaces like factories and mines, though that office can also get a little loud at times
Reduced smoking among younger generations has had a positive impact on hearing health – another reason to kick butt
Ear infections, which used to cause permanent hearing loss, can now be treated with antibiotics so there’s less hearing loss caused by disease

The good news, then? Hearing loss is not necessarily a natural part of the aging process. That’s real good news.

Now, all you have to do is take advantage of this age related hearing loss research and take a more proactive approach to protecting your hearing. There are plenty of sounds you won’t want to miss in the years ahead.

If you feel that you or a loved one should get their hearing tested, search from over 4300 local hearing centers near you.

Mild Hearing Loss: Signs and Solutions

2010-12-10T16:45:00.000-06:00

You may not notice any loss of hearing but those around you may find that you’re missing half the conversation – their half.

Do you have trouble hearing in large spaces like an auditorium or concert hall? That could well be a sign that something’s amiss down there in your ear canal.

Hearing Loss Takes The
Fun Out Of Life

Do you have problems hearing through background noise? We’re surrounded by background noise – sounds we don’t want to hear.

Does noise “mask” the sounds you want or need to hear? Ever hear phantom sounds or ringing and pinging in your ears? This is a common phenomenon. Is the volume on the TV slowly creeping up? Last year, a comfortable listening level was a setting of 8. This year, it’s up to 9.

There are lots of signs and signals that indicate hearing loss. However, the most likely source of indications is you! You know you position yourself directly in front of the speaker to pick up visual clues from the lips. You have trouble hearing people on your cell – and you’ve got the volume maxxed out! You’re the one who notices the little things that add up to one big conclusion.

Time to get your ears checked. Visit an audiologist for a hearing evaluation.

If you aren’t ready for a technological solution, i.e. a pair of hearing aids, here are some recommendations that will help day to day:

Be aware of loud noise situations and wear ear protection to protect the hearing you have left.

Don’t use cotton swabs to clean your ears despite what mom told you. It’s dangerous and may make a mild problem a severe problem with the slip of a hand.

Position yourself directly in front of the speaker, especially when there’s a lot of background noise. You can pick up visual cues and they do help in understanding what is being said.

Don’t hide hearing loss. Tell family, friends, co-workers and others that you got “a little hearing problem in your bad ear.” No big deal. People will be glad to accommodate you.

Ask people to look directly at you when they speak. (Remember, nothing to hide.)

Eliminate background noise when you can.

Do NOT buy those ear amps you see on TV. These cheapie devices enable users to crank up the volume, sometimes to dangerous levels, causing even more hearing loss.

For people with mild hearing loss, often the best solution is called a BTE, or behind-the-ear, hearing aid. Most of use think of BTEs when we think hearing aids. Today, they’re lightweight for all-day wearing comfort, they come in a variety of colors from flesh tone to sparkly orange and they pack a lot of features into that tiny, little casing.

Need more information on early signs of hearing loss? We’ve got the information you need to become an educated consumer and an advocate for your own good hearing at Healthy Hearing so stop by. You’ll like what you hear.

8 Reasons For Hearing Loss

2010-12-09T15:38:00.000-06:00

The ability to hear the sounds around us is an important quality-of-life issue. Sure, hearing enriches our lives, whether it’s listening to Mozart or playing with a grandchild. Sounds make life more enjoyable, more worth living. But it’s not just about quality of life.

The ability to hear is a safety issue. Drivers, for example, who experience hearing loss are less likely to hear potential road hazards – a car coming up on their right or coming around a blind curve. We often hear driving hazards before we see them.

There are lots of reasons
for hearing loss.

Loss of hearing is also a workplace issue. People with untreated hearing loss are less productive on the job. They make more mistakes because of mis-heard directions.

The fact is, hearing loss affects all aspects of life and 28 million Americans report some degree of hearing loss, yet fewer than one-quarter of those do something about it – like have themselves fitted with hearing aids.

It’s a noisy world, folks, and once your hearing is gone it’s usually gone for good.

1. Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’

Driving around in a ’57 Vette, with the top down, the wind blowing through your hair and the CD blasting is fun. And cool. But driving with the top down, over time, can lead to hearing loss.

2. Medications

Some drugs come with serious side effects. Ototoxic drugs include many chemo-treatments for various kinds of cancer. But check this out: a drug most of keep in the medicine chest and take regularly is also known to contribute to hearing loss. That commonly-used drug? Aspirin.

3. Kick Butt

Smoking tobacco restricts blood flow. With each cigarette, you damage your hearing just a little bit, But over time, that damage is cumulative. You’re going deaf for your nicotine fix.

4. Workplace Noise

The factory floor, the assembly line, the jack hammer, the chainsaw – many of us have jobs that expose our ears to damaging levels of sound from 9-to-5 throughout the work week. Wear ear protection.

5. Ear Buds

Hearing loss is caused by long-term exposure to loud noise, so if you’re listening to your favorite tunes at ear splitting volume any longer than 90 minutes a clip and you’re doing damage to your hearing.

6. Diabetes

Diabetes, when untreated, affects blood flow. One hearing professional put it this way: “Impairment of blood flow to the ear is bad. It [your hearing] can go dead, like a stroke.” If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, eat a better, healthier diet, keep your weight down and test your glucose levels following doctor’s orders.

7. Sickle Cell Anemia

People with sickle cell anemia experience everything from fatigue to hearing loss to joint pain because the red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body are misshapen, curved like the garden tool – the sickle. Again, this restricts blood flow and, therefore, the delivery of oxygen to the hearing mechanism.

8. Ambient Noise

A subway pumps out over 100dBs. Traffic on a busy city street can easily reach levels higher than 100dBs..

The world has become a very noisy place. The solution? Put in some ear plugs. Hearing loss - it’s not just about aging anymore.

Need the latest information on hearing loss causes and solutions? Check out the news at Healthy Hearing.

10 Tips To Avoid Hearing Aid Repairs

2010-11-30T13:32:00.001-06:00

Digital Hearing Aids:
Take Care of Your Investment

Here are 10 tips to keep your hearing aids running at peak performance for years to come. And that means these tips are money savers because you won’t have to purchase a replacement if you take care of the ones you’ve got.

1. Remove your hearing aid at night and open the casing door

The biggest enemy of hearing aids is moisture and debris. By opening the casing each night, you allow air to ventilate the interior components and you don’t waste battery power while the device sits on the bedside table. Good tip and easy, too.

2. Consider the purchase of a hearing aid dehumidifier

If you’re prone to heavy sweating or to the heavy build up of ear wax, a hearing aid humidifier saves you lots of cash long-term.

3. Gently wipe clean the outer part of your hearing aid

Ear wax production is a natural, beneficial process, so simply wipe your devices clean with a soft dry cloth and you’re done.

4. Keep hearing aids away from extreme heat and cold

Don’t leave your hearing device in the hot car while you take a cool dip and try not to climb K2 where temperatures fall to -30 degrees.

5. Don’t wear hearing aids while applying hair products

If you’ve got your hearing aids in place and decide to spritz a little spray on your flip, some of that material will end up on the microphone of your hearing devices. These mics are tiny but powerful. When clogged with hair spray, mousse, gels and other hair products, your hearing device may not “hear” as well as it could.

6. Stay out of the pool

Yes, there are water resistant hearing aids that’ll hold up to the occasional splash in the ear, but these devices don’t like getting wet. That means swimming, showers, saunas or just running through the sprinkler, keep your instrument dry.

7. If you wear BTE hearing aids for pizzazz, change the tubing often

BTEs rest on the ear cup. The guts are encased in a small, discreet casing behind the ear in lots of cool colors. This power plant is connected by a thin, plastic tube to the microphone that rests on the edge of the ear canal. Those plastic tubes wear out. They get brittle, hard and they crack. Change these BTE tubes as needed.

8. Swap out microphone protectors

Hearing aid microphones are delicate, wide-frequency units that require protection. Swap out your mic protectors regularly.

9. Keep hearing aids away from children and pets

This is pretty obvious. If it’s on the ground, it goes in the mouth. Small hearing aids pose a choking hazard and a high-blood pressure alert as you see your CIC chewed to bits by the dog and the grandkids.

10. Finally, have your ears checked regularly

You bet hearing aids are expensive, but consider what they do – and in such a small space. These are quality of life instruments that you don’t want to replace as you see it circling the drain toward the garbage disposal. That’s gonna cost ya.

Discover more hearing aid care tips including child hearing aids care kits. If you need help repairing your hearing aids, find a local hearing center near you.

I’m Hearing Impaired, Not Deaf

2010-11-16T14:47:00.007-06:00

“I’m hearing impaired, not deaf. I just don’t listen.” - Kathy Buckley

Comic Kathy Buckley

Kathy Buckley is, indeed, hearing impaired. She’s also an extremely successful stand-up comedienne, a renowned author, playwright, actress and, oh yeah, she’s added motivational speaker to her list of accomplishments. Quite remarkable for any individual. Inspiring when you hear the whole life story of this charismatic performance artist.

Growing up in rural Ohio, Kathy wasn't told she was hearing impaired. “Until I was 8 years old, I thought everybody heard the way I did.” Early on, she was misdiagnosed and tracked with learning impaired students until one teacher realized young Kathy needed to be fitted with a hearing aid to mainstream. That’s all that was missing.

The recipient of numerous awards, including the CINE Golden Eagle Award for writing and producing the PBS special No Labels, No Limits, along with the Media Access Award for Outstanding Television Special, Kathy spreads her message: Don’t Buck with Me – the title of her autobiography.

Her main messages are all spot on:

Deaf people aren't dumb
Choose to be positive
Bring forth the best in YOU
Take the ‘dis’ out of disability
Get over it and get on with life

So, if today you are feeling a little blue, a little down – and maybe even a little sorry for yourself at look at Kathy for inspiration. She has made a career out of poking holes in hearing aid myths that shroud hearing loss and life’s tragedies, while inspiring all of us with great humor and a positive perspective on her life.

We can’t wait to see what this remarkable human being has planned for her long, bright future.

Head over to Healthy Hearing to meet lots of inspiring people who live with hearing loss every day including the 12 recent recipients of the annual Oticon Focus on People Awards, given to those who focus attention on common misconceptions about hearing loss, correct negative stereotypes, and motivate people with hearing loss to take advantage of the help that is available to them.

Hearing Damage: A Problem for 58,000 Returning Vets

2010-11-15T15:21:00.000-06:00

Conductive Hearing Loss Has The Military Looking For Solutions

A sound is captured by the outer ear, shuttled down the ear canal to the ear drum that vibrates, shaking three, teeny bones, which in turn rattle the cochlea that’s filled with fluid and hair like projections that convert sound waves into electrical impulses. But the human body and other animals also hear through sound vibrations that are felt, not heard through a process known as conductive hearing.

DANGER: LOUD NOISE

A report published by the Department of Veterans Affairs showed that 58,000 of the 1.3 million military who have served in Iraq or Iran are on disability for hearing loss. That’s a significant percentage, and one that concerns the military and should concern you. Even though soldiers are issued hearing protection, many refuse to use it fearing that the ear plugs will also block out the sounds of potential danger.

But not only is this a humanitarian problem for the military, it’s a financial problem – one that cost the government hundreds of millions of dollars each year. So, this isn’t some distant problem that doesn’t affect you. It affects you as a citizen and as a human being.

Sound also travels through the bones that make up the human skull. Margaret Wismer of the Bioacoustics Research Lab at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign has been working under the direction of the U.S. Air Force to learn more about the dangers of conductive bone hearing, and ways to improve hearing in the cases of severe or total hearing loss.

Wismer explained, “The Air Force is interested in reducing hearing loss by building better hearing protection devices for people that work in very noisy environments, which means under planes. The Air Force wants to know all the pathways by which sound can reach the inner ear and cause damage to hearing because even if you block the ear pathways, noise can still reach the eardrum through these [conductive] bones.”

The end result of the study and research taking place in Urbana-Champagne is to develop hearing protection that (1) enables soldiers in the field to detect danger before it becomes a danger, and (2) protects against hearing loss by exposure to IEDs and the roar of war, both conventional and concussive hearing loss.

So whether you are a returning vet or a civilian, learn more about how loud noises, such as noise at work and noise pollution can effect your hearing health and protect yourself!

Hearing Loss: 10 Signs You Are Going Deaf

2010-11-09T13:35:00.001-06:00

Today's Digital Hearing Aids Are:
Comfortable, Automated, Wireless & Stylish

Hearing loss is often gradual so it’s not something you may notice right away.

There are signs, however – signals that indicate it’s time to see a hearing professional.

Check out these questions and be honest in your answers – a good place to start on your journey to hearing health:

Have friends, family, neighbors or co-workers told you to have your hearing checked?
Are you the only one in the room comfortable with the TV blasting?
Are you exposed to loud sound levels over long periods of time, i.e. your workplace is noisy or you listen to an MP3 player every waking minute?
Do you have trouble hearing in large, enclosed spaces like an auditorium?
Can you distinguish the voice of a dinner companion through the din of a loud restaurant?
Are you able to clearly hear the voices of children and women without straining?
Do you ever experience “ringing in the ears?”
Can you hear the birds twittering in the trees?
Does your favorite music sound as good as it used to?
Get the point?

A hearing test is usually performed by an audiologist – a highly-trained hearing professional, many of whom specialize in their fields. Some audiologists specialize in hearing aid technology to “remediate” hearing loss. Some focus on pediatric hearing loss, geriatric hearing loss, medical hearing loss and other hearing specialties.

Pick up the latest news on hearing problems and solutions to suit your needs, your life and your "style" at Healthy Hearing where you always like what you hear. See ya there!

Better Hearing: Exercise Can Improve Hearing

2010-11-08T14:21:00.001-06:00

Move Some! Hear Better!

According to a Netherlands-based study, a bit of activity increases blood flow to the brain, improving cognitive function, one of which is hearing.

Report author, Maaike Angevaren, studied the effects of aerobic exercise on the over-50 crowd and found we should all take a hike, or at least a nice walk.

Aerobic Exercises

Here are some tips for improving life AND improving hearing:

1. See the doctor before you start. Essentail. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP.

2. However, skip the gym. First, gym memberships are expensive. Second, do you want to sit on the stationary bike that portly gentleman just vacated?

The absolute best exercise, plain and simple, is walking.

3. Buy good walking shoes.

4. Work up slowly. Do a short, half-mile stroll on day one. Enjoy the sunshine, the birds, say ‘hi’ to the neighbors. Have fun. But do NOT do a 5K walk on day one. Why?

Your muscles and joints need to build strength over time. If you do a 5K walk the first day, you’ll ache the next day, you won’t go walking and you’ll decide that “walking’s not for me. Tried it once.”

5. Keep a walking log. A great motivational tool.

6. Fit it into your schedule. Make a walk part of your routine – your morning routine or evening routine. The great thing about a morning walk is the benefits stay with you all day. Sweet.

7. Listen to your body. As you walk you should never huff and puff. You should be able to carry on a normal conversation. Never gasp for air.

And, if you have an ache, take off a day or two to recover. Then, get back out there.

Your walking time is “me” time. Use it to plan your day, solve the problems of the world or just shut off your brain for 20 minutes or a half hour…or hour. Value this time and protect it from daily distractions.

Increase that blood flow and hear what you’ve been missing. Your brain and your ears will thank you for it in the years ahead.

Here are some more hearing health tips including additional information on how exercise can improve hearing.

Hearing Problems: Business Meeting Survival Tactics

2010-11-02T13:52:00.000-05:00

Hearing People At The Business Meeting

The key to “plugging in” to routine business activities is preparation, especially if you have a hearing issue. Here’s what you can do if you have difficulty in hearing people talk in meetings or you find it hard to hear the presentations:

1. Ask the event organizer/leader for advance copies of speaker notes, agenda, handouts and other printed matter associated with the event and the topics under discussion.

"What'd she say?"

2. Ask if FM broadcasting for assistive devices will be available. Many hearing aid manufacturers offer wireless connectivity, enabling hearing aid wearers to pick up FM and Bluetooth wireless directly through their hearing devices.

3. Do a little pre-event recon. Once you arrive at the event site, visit the hall where the main events will take place. Here’s what to look for:

Carpeting absorbs ambient noise like scraping chairs.
Glass windows also bounce sound. Drapes cut down on echo.
Plaster and flat, hard surfaces reflect sound.

4. Choose your seat and claim it. If you can claim a chair early, pick one that’s five or six rows back from the dais. You want to be close enough to be able to get visual cues by watching the speakers’ lips but not so close that you have an amplified speaker pumping 100dB sound waves through your hearing aid.

5. Conference calls. With wireless hearing aids you can listen in without having to turn up the speaker volume.

6. Provide Your Own Outboard Wireless Transmitter. Simply place the transmitter on the podium or in front of the speaker and pick up the softest sounds directly through the wireless receiver in your ear piece.

So, you’re never out of touch or out of control. Oh, and you don’t have to make a big deal about it, either. So you won’t stick out by staying plugged in.

Hearing Impaired Cell Phones: Choose The Right One

2010-11-01T14:47:00.001-05:00

Any electrical device creates what physicists call an electro-magnetic field or EMF. (Now aren’t you sorry you slept through physics class?). Your toaster creates an EMF, your blender – anything “electric” creates its own electro-magnetic field. Even a watch battery creates an EMF, as some new hearing aid wearers have discovered the hard way.

Is Your Hearing Aid In Sync
With Your Cell Phone?

The Federal Communications Commission – a federal agency in charge of broadcast TV, cable, downloads, uploads, wireless devices – if it has to do with chatting or sending critical docs overseas, the FCC monitors activity to ensure that broadcasters, cable companies, TV makers, iPod builders and everybody else involved in communications plays by the same rules and employs uniform standards for broadcasting.

In 2006, the FCC issued regulations for cell phone makers requiring these electronics giants to provide at least two cell phone handsets that could be used by hearing aid wearers.

This government commission requires cell phones to be labeled with two ratings – one for the hearing aid’s and cell’s microphones represented by the letter M – and one for the cell phone’s and hearing aid’s telecoil, represented by a T.

So, a cell phone or hearing aid might have a ranking of M3/T3 or M4/T3. The higher the M rating of a aid or cell phone the better. It indicates that there’s feedback cancellation circuitry in place to squelch feedback delivered to the hearing aid mic.

If you wear hearing aids, look for an M rating of at least 3. A rating of 4 is even better, though you may have to shell out a few more bucks for that slick little communications device you slip in your bag on the way to work or school.

Check out the new FCC ruling on hearing impaired cell phones at Healthy Hearing.

Induction Loops: Wider Use In Public Facilities

2010-10-28T15:25:00.001-05:00

Are You In The Loop?

Induction Loop Technology employs magnetic signals sent from a transmitting “induction loop” (it’s a hard-wired transmitter) directly to hearing aids.

Induction loops are now employed to deliver clear, customized sound directly to the hearing aids worn by more and more of us as we get older. In practice, hearing loops turn hearing aids into speakers that pick up signals generated by something called an induction loop.

This “induction loop” generates a magnetic signal that’s picked up by the telecoil technology (T-coil) found in most hearing aids, turning each hearing aid into a customized speaker system. The signal, generated from a microphone at the front of the listening hall, for example, is delivered directly to each hearing aid wearer in the auditorium, improving not only quality of sound but quantity of sound. You hear more of what you’re supposed to hear while hearing less background and other extraneous sounds in the environment.

Hearing loops create in-the-ear loudspeakers that deliver signals from any source directly to the hearing aids in the room. Of course, those who don’t wear hearing aids are unaffected, but the impact on hearing aid wearers is nothing less than another giant leap forward in hearing technology. Induction loop technology will change the way hearing aid wearers hear – forever!

Read more about induction loop technology and how it is being used in many public facilities.

Effects of Noise: Save Your Health and Hearing

2010-10-27T16:05:00.000-05:00

What Is Noise And What’s It Doing To Me?

People who study sound (acoustics) define noise as “complex sound waves that are aperiodic, in other words, sound waves with irregular vibrations and no definite pitch.” (Must have heard me practicing my bagpipes.)

In engineering (auto designers, aircraft builders, etc.) noise is defined as “ a signal that interferes with the detection of or quality of another signal.” That’s kind of a broad definition, but you get the idea.

Then there are specialists who study the impact and the effects of noise on our humanity – our humanness. The study of psychology and sound, aka, psychoacoustics defines noise as “unwanted sound.”

Noise Is All Around You

You can analyze those three definitions and they all have something in common. Noise isn’t good. It interferes with our ability to hear sounds of higher “quality.”

We all define noise differently, but we can agree on two basic facts: noise is unwanted and we live in a noisy world. The fact is that noise pollution is the most widespread form of pollution we have.

And this noise affects the entire body:

Noise increases blood pressure and the louder the noise the higher the increase.

Noise intensifies the effects of drugs, alcohol, aging and lethal carbon monoxide.

Noise alters the heartbeat itself, and not for the better.

Noise increases breathing rate, sometimes good, sometimes not so much.

Noise disturbs digestion.

Noise can cause upset stomach, ulcers, acid reflux and other stomach ailments.

Noise can lead to pre-mature childbirth.

Noise contributes to insomnia, even when the noise has stopped.

Noise contributes to irritability, impatience and other blood-pressure-boosting emotions.

However, you can enjoy healthy hearing for a long, long time, if you take steps to protect what hearing you have left. Here’s are some easy noise reduction tips:

Increase your awareness of the noise around you, i.e. listen.
Protect what you got. Sound levels below 80dBs are considered safe. No damage.
Unplug daily. Regularly, too. If you’re an IPod addict, listen at normal, human levels for no more than 90 minutes a pop. Then unplug.
Be aware of sounds in the workplace. Sure, factories are loud, but so’s a busy office.
Monitor recreational sound and use less of it.
Cover your ears. A no-brainer when you know you’re going to be exposed to loud noise.
Wear protective gear around the house. A pair of foam ear plugs, available at any drugstore, will set you back a few bucks.
See a hearing professional.

You know it’s a noisy world. You live here. But there are things you can do to lessen the impact noise has on you.

Need more information to keep the noise down? Good for you. Stop by Healthy Hearing for the latest and greatest in hearing protection in a noisy world.

7 Reasons to Protect Your Hearing

2010-10-26T14:12:00.000-05:00

Hearing Protection and Quality of Life

Hearing is such an engrained part of life, we often don't give it a second thought. It’s just there. 24/7. Yet, talk to people who have experienced hearing loss – even mild hearing loss – and you quickly discover why losing hearing can impact your quality of life:

1. Connecting With Others. We learn to speak by imitating the sounds we hear.

Even the most eloquent speaker starts small – with “Mama” and “Dada” and other simple words. Mothers and fathers teach their children to speak by speaking to them. The children hear the sounds and imitate them.

There’s a direct link between your ability to hear and your ability to feel emotions. Without hearing, you’re often left out.

We Connect With Others Through Hearing

2. Emotional Happiness. Isolation due to a lack of ability to hear often leads to depression, anxiety and a disconnect from the rest of the world. People who have experienced a loss of hearing are different from the rest of us. And that makes those with hearing loss – mild or profound – less engaged.

3. Spatial Placement. The ability to hear contributes to our understanding of where we are in space.

4. Safety. Your ability to hear a warning bell or alarm protects you from danger. The ability to hear cars coming toward you provide enough time to get out of the way. A shout from a friend or co-worker of potential danger goes unheard and, suddenly, we’re confronted with an unexpected danger. In fact, we often hear danger before we see it.

5. Cognition. Cognition is the ability to think, to reason and to figure out the world around us. Cognition is an important part of communication. The ability to think, to solve problems and meet challenges are diminished by hearing loss. We’re cut off from new ideas, new debates, new thinking skills.

6. Increased Self Awareness. The ability to hear and engage those around us shapes our self-image. We better understand ourselves relative to others. Closely related to self image? Self-esteem, self-respect, self-confidence. The “inner” you develops through interaction with the hearing world.

7. Quality of Life. Imagine life without music. Imagine life without the beautiful sounds of nature – the twittering birds, the babbling brook, the rumble of thunder in the distance. Hearing well is living life to the fullest.

Sounds are all around us. We may hear them, but do we listen to them? Some of us do. Some don’t.

Improve the quality of your life with a visit to Healthy Hearing for the latest information on hearing loss causes.

Cheap Hearing Aids: Lots Of Headaches

2010-10-21T11:37:00.002-05:00

Hearing Aids Are Not Where You Cut Corners

A while back, Michigan State University researchers Professor Jerry Punch and Susanna Love Callaway published the results of a study comparing consumer satisfaction and hearing aid costs and the results were predictable.

“…[cheap hearing devices] can look tempting to individuals with hearing impairment because of the significant cost differences,” Dr. Punch said. “But our research found that the low-cost aids generally don’t meet the fitting requirements to help a hearing-impaired person and could potentially damage a person’s hearing.”

Low Quality Hearing Aids Cause Even MORE Ear Damage

Really? Umm, Not A Good Choice for Better Hearing

Anyone considering the purchase of a hearing device should consider the effect improved hearing has on the quality of life.

Do yourself a favor. Buy good, get good, hear good. Simple.

Check out this article at Healthy Hearing on hearing aid prices and the relationship between cost and benefits.

6 Things You WANT For The Best Hearing Aids

2010-10-19T13:32:00.001-05:00

A Smart Shopper's Guide for the Best Hearing Aids

Today’s digital tech has enabled hearing aid designers to add features, develop a less-processed sound and improve hearing and wearing comfort – two of the biggest hassles of the old analog devices. Today, you don’t buy a pair of hearing aids. You purchase two computers programmed to help you hear better effortlessly, fitting seamlessly into your daily life.

1. Noise Reduction: Today’s hearing aids help overcome background noise while boosting the signal – the noise you want to hear from a dinner companion at a loud party or your foursome playing the back nine. Selective noise reduction is set by your hearing professional and can be adjusted as needed.

2. Directional Microphones: Today’s microphones provide directionality, which is nothing more than the ability to focus on what you want to hear while softening the background noise.

3. Speech Enhancement: Hearing aids are tuned to recognize speech from other noises based on the fact that speech changes pitch, loudness, direction and so on. The modern hearing aid distinguishes speech from noise, boosts the speech and limits the noise.

4. Automatic Feedback Suppression: Hearing aid technology is so automated it detects the possibility of feedback and cancels it electronically so you don’t hear it.

5. Broad Spectrum Frequency Response: Digital technology has expanded the frequency response – the highs and lows, producing a more natural sound, even for folks with moderate hearing loss.

6. Wearing Comfort: Today, wearing comfort is the watchword in hearing aid design. If it isn’t comfortable, you aren’t going to buy it, you aren’t going to wear it.

Hear Again. Have Fun Again!

Digital hearing aids, regardless of type, deliver wearing comfort. If you go for a completely-in-canal (CIC) that slips effortlessly and invisibly into your ear canal, you’ll forget the hearing aids are even there after a short period of transition.

Be a smart shopper. Look for the features that today’s hearing aids bring to improving the quality of your life. Hear again. Have fun again.

Before you head out to do some ear gear shopping, be sure to visit Healthy Hearing for some additional hearing aid reviews and to compare hearing aids.

7 Tips When You Go To Buy Hearing Aids

2010-10-18T11:33:00.005-05:00

Most of us have a hard time believing that there are people who prey on the weak and helpless but they’re out there. That’s why it’s important to know what you’re doing when you go shopping for a new hearing aid or a replacement for an older model.

1. There is no “free” hearing test. It’s a ruse to get you in the store. A real hearing professional – an audiologist, for example – will do a complete work-up on you from case history to measuring your ability to hear speech.

2. Avoid the “One-Brand-Only stores. They may carry the quality goods but they have a limited menu of options. And they may not have an option that fits your specific needs.

3. Look for an office. Hearing aid dispensers are often on the road making adjustments to customers’ devices. (All in a day’s work.) But, when you call the business, a human should answer, take down your information and have the hearing dispenser call when she returns.

4. Go with a licensed, accredited hearing professional. The regs change from state to state but all hearing aid professionals have to be licensed. And don’t be shy about asking to see that license. No license. No sale.

5. Read the fine print and if you can’t, ask a family member to read it for you.

6. Contact the Better Business Bureau for complaints against the business. If the file is 5-inches thick, what do you think? You got it. Keep on keeping on.

7. Don’t buy a hearing aid on the web. In fact, some companies won’t sell their devices online. These are delicate instruments that fit into or around your ear. They need adjusting, tweaking and the occasional tune up.

So, buy from the friendly hearing professional on the town square – the one who’s been there for 20 years.

Here is more "sound" advice when buying hearing aids.

Hearing Loss: Some Good News For Boomers

2010-10-07T15:27:00.003-05:00

A study, conducted at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, showed that Baby Boomers are still hearing well – healthy hearing – longer than their parents did. Hmmm, maybe those big bands of the 30s and 40s did more damage than Metallica!

According to this widely-read study, hearing impairment was 31% lower in baby boomers across all age groups. An example, taken from the study, shows that individuals born between 1944 and 1949 – the Woodstock Generation - experience hearing loss in 36.4% of all individuals.

Napping More, Hearing Better?

Their fathers, born between 1930 and 1935 showed hearing loss in 58.1% of test subjects. So does this mean things are getting better? Well, yes. It also means that people today don’t take healthy hearing for granted the way people did back when FDR was working the country out of the Great Depression. Good news, certainly.

The results showing increased hearing loss among the mothers and fathers of today’s Baby Boomers comes from long-term research called the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study, which began tracking hearing loss among volunteers starting back in 1993, delivering years of empirical evidence to support the figures of the U. of Wisconsin study.

In 2005, University of Wisconsin researchers undertook another study called the Beaver Dam Offspring Study to compare both rates and extent of hearing loss among the children of the original study group formed in 1993. In other words, researchers turned their attention to the “the kids”” of the original study – men and women in their 50s and 60s. You know, the ones who made rock’n’roll all the rage – from Elvis Presley to Elvis Costello and beyond.

Although Boomers are doing better than their parents, their children are not doing so well. Learn more about rise in teenage hearing loss or more information about hearing loss in the elderly at HealthyHearing.com.

Ear Health: Tai Chi Improves Vestibular System

2010-09-29T12:06:00.004-05:00

Improve Your Balance Using The Ancient Art Of Tai Chi

Tai Chi has been under the microscope of the American Academy of Otolaryngology (ear, nose, throat specialists) as a beneficial remedy for dizziness.

This ancient, Chinese art (some call it a martial art, but the fact is, there’s not much body contact) is made up of a series of slowly-executed moves. It’s a great exercise (you’ll get a workout without high-impact damage to knee and ankle joints), it can be combined with meditation (good for the spirit) and it looks like Tai Chi improves balance in those who experience dizziness as part of their daily routine.

The Vestibular System: Ears Aren’t Just For Hearing

You thought your hearing system was all about hearing. Well, it’s true. That hearing mechanism inside your skull converts sound waves into electrical signals that are sent to the brain’s hearing center for processing. A genuine miracle of nature.

But you wouldn’t believe what else is going on inside those ear canals of yours. Holy cow. There’s another whole system called the vestibular system that’s a part of the hearing system.

The vestibular system is a series of minute canals, filled with fluid. The system is designed for one thing: to keep you oriented and moving in the right direction.

Damage to the vestibular system leads to dizziness, vertigo, regular nausea (imagine the room spinning for an hour at a time!), spatial disorientation and other symptoms that diminish quality of life – yours, perhaps?

Now, not all bouts of dizziness are tied to the vestibular system. Other causes of vertigo include: low blood pressure, head trauma ( a concussion, for instance) and even a common cold when you experience that “stuffy head” feeling. Any of these, along with other illnesses and medications, can cause a malfunction in your balancing act, causing you to grab onto the door jamb before falling.

Each year, 13,000 people are killed through falls. You bet it’s a serious problem.

The study also revealed that those numbers rise with age. In other words, the older you get the more apt you are to have vestibular problems – problems with balance. In turn, a sudden bout of vertigo can send you tumbling, leading to serious injury and even death.

Vestibular Disorder and Treatments

Only a highly-trained, ear, noise and throat specialist can provide the testing and treatment strategies folks with vestibular disorder require. Meds help in a lot of cases. Sometimes, other treatments are required. Balance is also a sight thing and a brain thing so some re-training through pre-scribed exercise is beneficial.

The vestibular specialist is likely to develop a program that includes eye and eye scan exercises, head movement exercises, and provide a series of tips for doing something as simple as standing up from a sitting position (blood flow from the brain may cause you to grab unto the arm of the chair).

Tai Chi is now shown promise in addressing the symptoms associated with vestibular disorder. According to a recently released study, this gentle, slow-moving art not only helps tone muscles and keep joints supple, it also helps in maintaining your balance longer.

Tai Chi is practiced in public in

China

, where large crowds gather in parks to perform the slow-moving series of moves. There’s the long-form and short-form Tai Chi regimens. Recommendation? Start with the short form. You’ll work up a sweat in the 20 minutes it takes to go through the moves of short-form Tai Chi.

The movements in Tai Chi flow, one into another, at a very calm, slow pace. Tai Chi is about smoothness of movement, not speed or “winning.” It’s an exercise intended to keep the outer and inner selves in balance – in harmony.

An academic paper, presented at the 2009 American Academy of Otolayranology meeting in San Diego, clearly indicates that researchers believe Tai Chi improves coordination through relaxation rather than improved muscular coordination. But, think of that improved muscle coordination as a side benefit. Tai Chi, practiced three to five times a week, will keep you in shape.

It’ll also keep your feet more solidly on the ground.

Accessing Tai Chi

If you’re exploring Tai Chi, as an exercise or as a beneficial activity to address vestibular-caused dizziness, you need to learn the short-form series of Tai Chi moves.

There are lots of ways to learn how to flow from one position to another gracefully and in perfect balance.

There are books with “how-to” pictures in the library or on any on-line book outlet. Better still, if you can find a video/DVD that walks you through the moves, you see how each move transitions. It’s good to see the smooth flow that an expert brings to the short-form Tai Chi series of moves.

You’ll also find lots of blogs and web sites dedicated to Tai Chi – resources that will provide step-by-step instructions and help create the Tai Chi “mindset” of peace and tranquility. It’s very soothing. And you’re getting a great work out.

It’s not hard. Anyone of any age can get started (talk to your doctor, first, of course), you can do it at home, you can do it on your schedule and you can do it in 20 minutes a clip. Oh, and it’s free. Forget the expensive home gym. Checkout a “how-to” Tai Chi book from the local library, get comfortable and change your life.

The anecdotal benefits are known to millions of Chinese men and women of all ages. Now, there’s serious research that shows – Tai Chi brings balance back in to your life.

In more ways than one. This is one you gotta try.

We're waiting for you with more hearing information and hearing loss solutions over at healthyhearing.com so stop on by and keep your ear gear running smoothly. You'll always like what you hear.

Hearing Aid Care Tips

2010-09-21T06:34:00.010-05:00

You Just Bought Hearing Aids - Now What?

First, congratulations on taking the all-important first step toward a better quality of life by purchasing a pair of tunable, durable and reliable hearing aids – all of which come standard on units in this price range. Consider it an investment in a better future and may you enjoy them for many years to come.

Life is better when you hear it

Now, when you buy a car these days, it comes with an owner’s manual the size of a telephone book. But what did you get with your hearing aids? A little pamphlet? A quick lesson on hearing aid maintenance from the audiologist or hearing aid dispenser who tested your hearing, tuned the hearing aids to your needs and fitted them to your ear for greatest, longest wearing comfort?

Chances are, you know more about your dryer than you know about that pair of hearing aids you just bought. A recent study, published by The American Academy of Audiology, indicates that most of us know how to handle the simple stuff, like opening the case, but we’re not so hot at things like hearing aid maintenance. And so, both the hearing aid and wearer suffer from less-than-peak performance.

Do You Know How To Activate Your Hearing Aids When The Phone Rings?

Funny thing. Today’s sophisticated hearing aids (even at the entry level) have automated feedback suppression circuitry to eliminate the howl long associated with trying to talk on the telephone while wearing a hearing aid. A real convenience.

However, test results showed that 75% of hearing aid wearers didn’t know how to deploy the feedback suppression feature on their hearing aids if the process involved a manual adjustment, like the flip of a switch. Three out of four hearing aid wearers do NOT get the best listening experience from their hearing aids because they don’t know enough about them.

What You Need To Know About Your Hearing Aids

At the very least, before you leave the audiologist’s office or the hearing aid store, you should know the following:

How to insert/position the hearing aid (depending on type, of course)

How to remove the hearing aid without damaging it or your ears

How to open the battery door

How to conduct a battery swap, changing a dead battery with a new power plant

How to clean your new hearing aids

How to adjust the volume manually, even if this is an automated feature

How to activate feedback suppression mode for talking on the telephone

How to activate the noise reduction feature

How to position a directional microphone (if you wear behind-the ear hearing aids)

The test results, which were compiled based on the hearing aid usage of 50 test subjects (average age of 75 years) demonstrates what we don’t know about our hearing aids almost ensures a less-than-ideal listening experience.

Now, these test takers weren’t newbies. Each test subject had worn hearing aids for at least a year so these were experienced hearing aid wearers.

Each participant completed a simple questionnaire about their hearing aid use and the results were quite surprising given the importance of quality sound to quality of life.

What You Don’t Know Will Hurt Your Ears

An American Academy of Audiology study shows a clear disconnect between how hearing aid wearers perceive their knowledge of hearing aid use and maintenance and actual, tested ability to perform routine, hearing-aid-related tasks.

First, 98% of test respondents indicated that they know how to use their hearing aids well. Close to every test taker, right? 88% reported that they knew how to properly clean their hearing aids. Cleaning a hearing aid microphone is delicate work and some respondents are simply fooling themselves when it comes to their understanding of how to clean their hearing aids.

The bottom line of the test reveals that only 48% of those tested actually did know how to maintain their hearing aids properly. See the disconnect? Almost 100% of hearing aid wearers believe they know how to position and maintain their hearing aids, how to perform a battery swap and how to activate noise suppression circuitry when needed.

Yet, the study reveals that only 48% - less than half of all hearing aid wearers – actually know how to get the most from their hearing devices in the range of listening environments we find ourselves each day.

You may think you know how to adjust, maintain, power and “fix” your hearing aids but the odds are against you ever so slightly. And that means you aren’t getting the best hearing experience you can from those expensive hearing computers you wear everyday, 16 hours a day.

Where To Get Information On Taking Care Of Your Hearing Aids

You have lots of resources. All you have to do is take advantage of them.

Your audiologist is the first, best place to start. During your hearing evaluation, ask questions. What do the results show? What options do you have as far as hearing aid types? What are the pros and cons of different types of hearing aids? This way, you’ll find the right type of hearing aid for your lifestyle and your budget.

During the fitting stage, ask questions. No one expects you to know how to run a hearing aid so there are no “stupid” questions. Go back and review the list of what you should know before leaving the hearing aid professional’s office or store.

And if you don’t understand an answer, keep asking until you’re sure you know you do. You understand it. This will help with everything from the adjustment process to good home care of your hearing aids.

Even after the sale – long after – the professional who sold you the hearing aids is there to answer your questions, allay any concerns and show you how to properly perform routine maintenance. Let’s say your ears produce an abundance of ear wax. Okay, common. But, it also requires the wearer to learn how to clean out the microphone that produces amplified sound, sending it into the ear canal. If the microphone, whether sitting at the edge of the ear canal (a BTE) or worn completely-in the-canal (CIC), must be cleaned regularly. Cleaned well. Cleaned properly.

Otherwise, you’ll get less the optimum performance and you won’t be as happy that you just plunked down a lot of money for hearing aids that screech when you answer the telephone. Learn how to switch to telephone mode and enjoy a better listening experience.

Enjoy A Better Standard Of Living Thanks To Hearing Aid Technology

Product literature is another source of information about your specific make and model. The owner’s manual may be small but it will at least show you how to open the hearing aid casing – something you should do every night before bedtime to give the internal workings of the hearing aid the opportunity to air out. Good idea.

The product lit will also show you how to swap a battery, how to change microphone clip-ons, how to change settings or reset the default settings positioned by the hearing professional who sold you the hearing aids.

Read the owner’s manual from cover to cover. Then, keep it handy for reference. Before you try to clean a $2,500 hearing aid in the dishwasher, you might want to check the owner’s manual to see if that’s a good idea. (It’s not.)

Finally, there’s the world wide web. You can find a ton of useful hearing aid care information on the computer. Visit the website of the manufacturer of your hearing aids. You’ll often find tips and suggestions for improving the performance of your make and model.

Visit hearing aid blogs. It’s amazing but these “hand-made” web sites are great places to learn the latest in hearing solutions, to share experiences, ask questions and get reliable answers from both professionals and folks who have had the same problem you’re having now. In fact, some of the best advice you’ll find is on hearing aid blogs where people who employ hearing aids share their experiences. This is practical, real world experience and sound advice.

There’s no shortage of resources for hearing aid wearers who aren’t 100% satisfied with (1) their hearing aids and (2) the listening experience these hearing aids deliver.

So, even though you think you know everything there is to know about your hearing aids – 98% of us do – chances are you could learn more since only 48% of us actually know what we’re doing when we start working on the ear gear.

Got questions? Get the answers before you do anything that can’t be undone without expensive repairs. Learn how to properly care for your hearing aids and how to adjust them quickly and discretely. Learn to change the batteries and other simple, routine hearing aid tasks. Why?

You’ll enjoy a better hearing experience starting today. Even better, you’ll enjoy that hearing experience everyday for years to come.

Become an educated consumer and user of hearing aids. You'll always like what you hear. Now, if you can just remember where you put that user’s manual. Hmmmm.

Lots more to discover about hearing aid care tips at Healthy Hearing.

Buy Hearing Aids Online?

2010-09-19T08:56:00.003-05:00

6 Good Reasons Not To Buy Hearing Aids Online

You can buy anything on the world wide web – including hearing aids. You can even get really good hearing aids online. But ask yourself this: would you buy a 52” HD flat screen TV for $4,000 without at least looking at the picture?

Get a Hearing Test. It doesn't even hurt!

Would you buy a sofa on-line if you hadn’t sat on it to see if it was comfy?

The fact is, the world wide web is great for comparison shopping and browsing. It’s a great source of information put out by the top hearing aid manufacturers around the globe. But no one should buy a hearing aid on the web, no matter how good the price.

Oh, you may save a few hundred bucks, but your listening experience isn't going to be what it should be or could be.

And, in fact, you could actually do MORE hearing damage buying something you see on the web or TV.

So, before your shell out the cookie jar money on an assisted listening device (ALD) for $14.95, you might want to read on to discover why buying without trying is, ummm, dumb.

1. Assisted Listening Devices Are Cheap But Dangerous

You see these products all over the web and on TV. “Now, you can enjoy listening to TV without disturbing your partner. TelevisionAMP lets you hear what you’ve been missing. ONLY $14.95 PLUS SHIPPING AND HANDLING.”

Here’s the problem with these are amps. The only control the user has is volume – up or down. So, let’s assume you have a hearing loss. You’re going to crank up the TelevisionAMP to a comfortable listening level, right? Unfortunately, that volume is so loud you actually run the risk of doing even more damage to your damaged hearing.

2. A Hearing Professional Can Evaluate Your Hearing Loss Simply & Painlessly

This is a critical aspect of any hearing device purchase - what is the extent of the hearing loss and in what frequencies is the loss most severe.

A hearing aid dispenser or audiologist will diagnose the exact problem. Step one. Step two? Finding the right device to address your particular preferences, hearing loss and, of course, wallet.

Unfortunately, when you buy hearing aids online, there’s no professional there between you, the buyer, and your purchase. So, the chances are pretty good that you’ll buy the wrong hearing aids for your needs and lifestyle – and complain about it every day.

Before buying any hearing device, have a hearing evaluation performed by a licensed, certified ear pro.

3. Good Hearing Devices Are Ones That Can Be Tuned By A Professional

An Assisted Listening Device (ALD) has one control – louder or softer volume. Not so with even entry-level hearing aids. These sophisticated, digital tools can be tuned by a professional to best address your particular hearing needs. If you should make the mistake of buying off the web to save a few bucks, are you ready to pop the casing and adjust the digital channels inside?

Again, a hearing aid dispenser is more than some salesperson. These are trained professionals who are trained in hearing loss, hearing testing and the latest in hearing technology. These professionals are your best resource for finding the right fit for your hearing loss.

4. After Purchase Care - Something You Won’t Get Online

Your hearing aids show up with a set of directions and, you are on your own. “Insert Tab A into Slot B? Where’s Tab A and what’s Slot B?”

A hearing aid dispenser or audiologist is there to answer questions, make fine-tuning adjustments and monitor your hearing over the years.

Expect to establish a long-term friendship with a good hearing aid professional. You’ll be seeing each other regularly. And that’s a good thing.

5. Returns and Guarantees

The web seller wants to make the sale and move on. And you may save a few bucks on the transaction.

The hearing aid professional on Main Street wants to provide the best listening experience to suit the extent of your hearing loss, your preferences for style and, of course, quality of sound.

The professional, local hearing aid dispenser works with you to find the best solution to suit your needs and wants. Most offer guarantees. Not happy with this unit after 30 days, bring it back and try something else, or fine tune the hearing aids.

These professionals will walk you through the transition process of adapting to a hearing aid – usually over the course of 30 days. During this transition phase, you’ll gradually adapt to a new sound with the help of your hearing aid professional.

6. The Money Is Forgotten But The Benefits Are There Every Day

Yep, you can save a couple of hundred bucks buying online, but many quality hearing aid manufacturers encourage you to work with a hearing professional, so you can get the best hearing experience possible.

The few hundred you save (or spend) will be forgotten but the benefits and quality of listening experience are with you every day.

You wouldn’t spend $4K on an HD TV that you hadn’t seen. Why would you spend $2,000 on a pair of hearing aids that come with directions?

See a professional and hear life’s quality improve.

Hey, there's a lot more to discover about hearing aids and hearing loss solutions so stop by HealthyHearing.com where you always like what you hear.

See ya there!

10 Tips To Save Your Hearing At Home

2010-09-15T08:38:00.002-05:00

Your home is your sancutary. Your safe place. Your retreat from the noise and hustle and bustle of the outside world, right? Wrong.

The fact is you spned more time in your home than you do at your workplace or out in the community. And you’d be surprised at just how noisy your home can get. Where does all this noise come from? The TV set, iPods and MP3players, the lawn mower, the dishwasher, the vacuum – your home is filled with sources of loud, potentially damaging noise from every room in the house.

So what can you do to keep your house, apartment or condo a little quieter and a whole lot safer to your hearing and the hearing of your loved ones. Here are some simple tips.

1. Educate The Entire Family About The Danger Of Loud Noise

Chances are your teen or ‘tween is plugged in to an MP3 player for hours each day. Dangerous.

Exposures to loud noise should be limited to no more than 90 minutes a day. Then, it’s time to give your ears a break. So turn off the MP3 and let your ears recover from the damage that’s taken place. A little quiet time gives ears a chance to heal themselves. It’s the constant din – day in and day out – that causes ear loss.

Teach your children and your spouse to enjoy quiet time – recuperative time for your family’s ears. You and your loved ones will hear better longer if you give your ears a break. Peace and quiet is a wonderful cure for temporary hearing loss caused by a noisey household.

2. Turn Down Something

You know the situation. Your teen is blasting Lady Gaga in his bedroom, the TV is blaring in the kitchen, the second TV is blasting in the family room – the air is loaded with sound waves all reaching your ears simultaneously.

Avoid competing sound sources. One sound at a time is much safer than lots ofr saound sources all competing for ear space. Oh, and the cumulative effect of multiple sources of sound is a definate dange3r factor.

3. Set Listening Volumes At The Lowest Settings That Can Be Heard

You have a surround sound system hooked up to your humungous, flat screen TV and that surround sound system pumps out noise at ear-splitting levels – from the lowest to the highest frequencies.

Same with video games. Turn them down for your kids. Oh, they may complain now, but someday they’ll thank you.

And maybe they’ll hear you say “You’re welcome” if you take steps now.

Listen at the lowest volume possible. If you or another family member has problems hearing at that lowered level, turn on the closed captioning feature found on almost all quality TVs. That way, you aren’t damaging the hearing of loved ones simply because your spouse can’t hear the TV.

4. Close Out The Noise

Your washing machine makes a lot of noise. So does the dishwasher.

Close off the laundry room by shutting the door. Keep out of the kitchen when the dishwasher is running. You can’t make these daily tools mnore quiet but you and your family can distance yourselves from the sources of loud noise. That helps. A lot.

5. Buy Quiet Appliances

If your in the market for a new range exhast fan, a washing machine or vaccuum consider the sound levels produced by these appliances.

Ask the salesperson to recommend quieter appliances. Many appliances now provide a noise level reading measured in sones. The lower the sone number, the safer that appliance is to your hearing and the hearing of family members.

6. Wear Ear Plugs

How often do you run the vaccuum? Once a week? Twice weekly?

Visit the local pharmacy and purchase a pair of soft foam ear plugs. They can be molded to the shape of your ear for comfort. Then, wear them.

Wear them whenever you run the vac, wear them when you run the washing machine, wear them when the kids are bouncing off the wall after eating a bunch of sugar. Take proactive steps to prevent noise from reaching your hearing mechanism.

And no, it’s not being silly. It’s being safe.

7. Caulk The Windows

If you live in the city, street noise, the train, subways, cars honking – all of that cacophony of sound makes its way to your ears.

Caulk windows, caulk cracks in the wall and spray foam insulation at locations where wires and pipes eneter the house. In other words, take steps to keep the noise out of your street level apartment on W. 21^st Street.

8. Related to #7, Close The Windows

When dad is blowing the leaves into a pile or mowing the lawn, when you’re using a chain saw, or a circular saw to build the new porch steps, close the windows to the house.

9. Dress Your House Up With Carpeting And Upholstered Furniture

Carpets, upolstered chairs and couches and even wall hangings abosrb noise, making your home just a little quieter every day.

The benefit? Healthier hearing for all family members today, tomorrow and in to the future.

10. Schedule Quiet Time

For an hour after supper, no TV, no MP3 players, no washing machines. Just quiet.

If you build quiet time in to your family’s daily schedule, it becomes habit. Just part of the routine.

You decide how loud things get in your most-used environment. Take steps today to protect your hearing and the hearing of your loved ones. The fact is, younger children are actually more susceptible to hearing loss so if you have have youngsters running through the house, iPods in place competing with the TV blaring forth, well there’s something you can do about it.

It all starts with you. And, if you’re smart, it all starts today.

Be sure to stop by HealthyHearing.com for more information on the effects of noise on your body, noise induced hearing loss and more hearing information.

Stay In Touch: Communicate Better with Hearing Aids

2010-09-13T08:44:00.002-05:00

Hearing Loss and Communication: Seniors, Time To Go Proactive

Communication is the basis of any good relationship – the ability to discuss, contest and engage in a little woo now and then, all made possible through communication. Easy. What’s not so easy is to recognize that communication, like marriage, takes two. And sometimes it takes a little more work.

Seniors and Hearing Loss

A report published by www.DukeHealth.org reveals that one-half of folks over 65 have some degree of hearing loss. Age is a common factor in hearing loss as the hearing mechanism finally starts to function less efficiently after years of noise abuse. Too much noise in the workplace, at home, in the car or just walking down a city street.

Hearing Loss May Lead to
Loss of Speech

We’re surround by noise and that noise takes its toll on seniors, creating nerve deafness. The nerves that once delivered signals throughout the hearing mechanism just don’t have the same zip.

And even though the study focused on subjects over 65, hearing professionals are seeing patients who are younger – much younger. Listen, if you’ve been walking around with ear buds in place since the Walkman days, there’s a good chance you’ve damaged your hearing – just like mom said.

Vocal Loss

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center discovered that many seniors experience hearing and vocal problems, often at about the same time along life’s fascinating journey. According to www.DukeHealth.org, “Hearing and vocal problems go hand-in-hand among the elderly more frequently than previously thought [by medical experts]. Together, they pack a devastating double punch on communication skills and overall well-being.”

Okay, so one-half of the gray panther crowd has hearing loss. One-third of that same population has vocal problems such as dysphonia, better known as hoarseness. Those are two big pieces of the senior population, indicating that the problems associated with the combination of hearing and speaking loss are widespread and, in many cases, create a host of related problems for senior couples, friends and associates.

“It’s important to realize these disabilities often occur concurrently,” says Dr. Seth Cohen, MD, a otolaryngologist [ear, nose and throat specialist] at the Duke Voice Care Center. “And when they do, they can increase the likelihood of depression and social isolation.”

Either Way, It Isn't Good

The ability to communicate effectively is an important part of “belonging,” a natural human need. We all have an emotional need to belong. We are, after all, social animals, so we belong to our families, the neighborhood, a service organization, a sports team, a community – we all belong to many groups because it makes us feel good to interact with other humans. It’s fun!

Dr. Cohen’s study, delivered at the Triological Society’s annual convention, this year in Phoenix, found that 11% of test subjects over 84 years old had both hearing and vocal loss. And, of the 248 participants in Dr. Cohen’s field test, respondents showed higher scores for depression.

Not really surprising when you think about it. However, it is important to think about it – especially if, (1) you are one of these people with both hearing and vocal loss and/or (2) you live with someone with hearing and vocal loss.

Hearing Loss Solutions

Hearing aids improve the wearer’s ability to hear soft sounds, high-pitched sounds and noises coming from the kitchen. Many of these seniors would benefit from a pair of hearing aids to equip them to engage more easily in family discussions around the dinner table.

So, if hearing and loss of voice are both part of the problem, in many cases at least one of the problems can be addressed with a pair of hearing aids.

Another solution to the problem doesn’t cost a penny. Patience. Understanding. Yes, communicating with a relative or friend with hearing or speech loss may be frustrating but your patience and understanding help immensely in the individual’s willingness to keep working to stay in the conversation. A loss of patience may cause the senior to retreat even further into isolation. And depression.

While Dr. Cohen’s study doesn’t draw a straight line between hearing and speech loss and depression, the connection seems obvious. “When people have trouble hearing,” explained Dr. Cohen, “they strain their voices to hear themselves. Likewise, people may strain their voices if their communication partner can’t hear.”

The bottom line is simple, according to the study. Individuals diagnosed with either hearing loss or dysphonia should be tested for both conditions since they often occur simultaneously.

If you’re having trouble hearing, have your voice checked for any kind of dysfunction. Same with your partner. And if you do experience hoarseness, well, it may actually be a hearing problem - one that can be fixed with a couple of hearing aids. The patient hears better and no longer has to speak loudly, lessening hoarseness.

“We need to take a more global view of communication function in the elderly,” Dr. Cohen concludes, and it’s obvious that the loss of sensory input does cause increased isolation.

All the senses are connected to collect data from the outside world and enable each of us to interact with that world. To eliminate the isolation and depression that often result from the combination of hearing loss and hoarseness, all senses should be functioning at peak performance for the age of the individual.

So, if you can’t hear as well as way back when, check in with a hearing professional. Then, visit an ear, nose and throat professional to have your voice evaluated. Hearing better may well eliminate the need to shout.

And that may lead to the disappearance of dysphonia – a two-fer.

Finally, don’t forget that patience and understanding go a long way in easing the isolation and depression that often come with loss of hearing and speech. We all need to belong.

And you can make that happen for all your family and friends with communication disorders. Make the effort to include all in the activities of the day.

Often, that’s the best medicine there is.

Find a hearing professional in your area and start communicating again.

Sound: The Remarkable Journey of Sound and Hearing

2010-09-08T07:47:00.004-05:00

Hearing is cool. It adds dimension to our lives. It’s the source of much of the information we receive from outside sources – everything from hearing a seminar speaker to rolling thunder in the distance. (Time to take cover.)

Along with the other senses – sight, taste, touch and smell – our lives are richer, fuller and a lot more fun. But the thing is, we all (admit it) take healthy hearing for granted. When was the last time you had your hearing tested? Like never?

Yet, people with hearing loss also lose a certain level of quality in daily life. They miss the twittering birds or the soft whisper of a grandchild. There are numerous causes of hearing loss, most of which you can avoid with some basic information.

Let’s go back to Biology 101 for a quick tour of “The Remarkable Journey of Sound” and along the way, let’s look at some potential “bumps in the road” that can prevent that remarkable journey from taking place. The result? Hearing loss and even deafness.

It Starts With Sound Waves

We take hearing for granted, yet the process is complex and, indeed, quite remarkable when you break it down.

So, you’re watching the TV on the couch in the living room. Sound is coming at you from that 56-inch plasma shrine. Then, through that sound, in the distance, you hear your one-year-old crying down the hall. Let’s follow that baby’s cry.

When that child cries out, it creates a disturbance in the air. The disturbance is in the form of sound waves. Now, you don’t hear the baby’s cry the instant he lets loose. The sound waves travel through the air. They bounce off walls, even, maintaining the frequency created when the child began crying. But you still don’t know that a diaper change is in your near future.

The sound waves quickly reach you where they’re captured by the outer ear, which acts like a dish antenna. The pina – that’s what the outer ear is called – gathers sound waves and shoots them down the ear canal.

First Bump in the Road

If the ear canal is blocked with wax, sound waves will be blocked in their journey of hearing. However, do NOT use cotton swabs to ream out the ear canal.

Ear wax is natural and beneficial, capturing outside gunk and debris before that stuff can damage the hearing mechanism. If you do have a hearing wax problem (1) have your hearing tested by a certified professional and (2) buy a wax softener and irrigation bulb to flush out wax build up.

Warning: Don’t overdo it. It can lead to itchy ear syndrome. Remember, wax should be there so let your ears do their job and keep the cotton swabs in the medicine chest.

Sound Waves Are Converted To Electrical Impulses

Sound waves travel down the ear canal where they set in motion the ear drum, also called the tympanic membrane in the textbooks.

The ear drum transfers this mechanical disturbance to the three smallest bones in the human body – the stirrup, the anvil and the mallet – named for their shapes. Any of this coming back to you?

Even as these three tiny bones are all a-tingle with the sound of the baby’s cry, you still haven’t heard the cries for a little dignity. Sound is still moving through the system as mechanical energy – sound wave vibrations hitting the ear drum and rattling three bones.

Second Bump In The Road

A punctured ear drum will lead to hearing loss, hearing distortion and a lot of frustration. Another good reason to keep things out of your ear canal. The ear drum is definitely reachable and, yes, you can puncture it practicing the traditional approach to ear hygiene.

Next, consider the complexity of what’s going on. The ear drum vibrates. That vibration is transferred to three small bones – delicate bones. If these bones can no longer transmit vibrations from the ear drum, the hearing journey comes to an abrupt halt.

The vibrations created by the ear drum and passed along by the anvil, mallet and stirrup are next picked up by the cochlea – a small, fluid-filled organ deep in the ear. This is where things start to get interesting.

The cochlea picks up the vibrations, jiggling the fluid inside. The interior of the cochlea is lined with millions of hair-like projections that pick up the vibrations in the cochlear fluid. These projections have the ability to convert the vibrations passing through the cochlear fluid into electric impulses that are then sent to the hearing centers of the brain.

And get this: you still haven’t heard the baby’s cry, yet all of this activity takes place in the blink of an eye.

Interpreting Sound

The brain receives sound information from the outside world in the form of electrical impulses.

Once they reach the hearing centers of the brain, the electrical impulses produced by the hairs lining the cochlea are processed. You now hear the sound and your brain sorts out a great deal of information instantly.

"We've come a long way, baby!"

Your brain’s memory immediately recognizes the sound as your infant’s cry. Because those sound waves reach the right and left ears a split second apart, the brain is able to determine the direction or location of the sound – instantly.

Finally, the brain reacts and you react by getting up to handle another change of diapers.

Third Bump In The Road

The hearing mechanism can deliver the electrical signals to the brain but, as we age, or as the result of injury or head trauma, the hearing centers of the brain can be damaged and are no longer able to process sound.

The loss of cognitive function – the ability to interact with the outside world – is often an aspect of aging, disease and even lifestyle choices (not good ones, btw).

Hearing loss is a fact of life with one-third of the over 65-crowd experiencing some degree of hearing loss.

In the

U.S.

alone, 28,000,000 people experience hearing loss – that’s almost 1 in 10 of us.

Anywhere along the journey sounds take can be damaged by illness, trauma, long-term exposure to loud noise (think workplace and iPods) and simple aging. The parts that make up the hearing and understanding system can wear out as time passes.

That’s why protecting your hearing today is so important – even if you’ve noticed some hearing loss. Protect what you’ve got. Stay away from loud noises, wear ear plugs, ear cups, noise cancellation earphones or some kind of protection to prevent damaging all of that hearing apparatus you were born with.

The journey a sound takes is an amazing one, indeed. However, there are bumps in the road along the way. Regardless of your age or your degree of hearing loss, you’re the only one who can prevent things from getting worse.

If you’re 25 or 55, have your hearing tested regularly. The result will be a better listening experience, and a better living experience.

Visit Healthy Hearing for more information on hearing loss and hearing protection.

Reasons For Hearing Loss: What’s In Your Medicine Chest?

2010-08-31T15:12:00.002-05:00

What's Good For You May Not Be Good For You

Any number of factors can be reasons for hearing loss; the aging process (nerve deafness), disease, traumatic injury, congenital condition, exposure to loud noise over long periods of time – any of these can contribute to acute (fast) or gradual hearing loss. And, the sad fact is, once you lose hearing function it doesn’t “grow back.” Most hearing loss is permanent and that means a lower quality of life – for a lifetime!

The side effects of medication can
actually hurt your hearing. OUCH!

The causes of hearing loss are well known and so employers provide floor workers with protective ear cuffs, the sales of noise cancellation headsets are up and people are more conscious of the dangers presented by the extended use of MP3 players. Man, that’s going to leave some damage to the delicate middle and inner ear. And check out this tidbit. A recent study showed that people who use MP3 players to block out the cacophony that surrounds them on the subway platform turn the volume up louder than the surrounding noise.

So, hearing professionals know the common causes of hearing loss and how best to address the hearing needs of each patient or client. But here’s a fact that just might through you for a loop, and maybe even give you a headache.

Medications and Hearing Loss

There are a number of common medications, some over-the-counter (OTC), some by prescription only, that actually diminish hearing ability – and not for a short time. Remember, parts of the delicate, inner workings of the inner ear don’t regenerate when damaged so, naturally, the best way to avoid hearing loss is to take preventative measures. You might want to read Dr. Hoffman’s assessment. Did the word aspirin and salicylates (aspirin-like medications) jump off the page. There is scientific data that confirm a relationship between hearing loss and certain, common and not-so-common medications.

Aspirin

These common drugs are used to alleviate pain and to combat inflammation and as such they do a pretty good job. Aspirin has been around since a British doctor, one Dr. William Withering noticed deer eating bark from willow trees. Dr. Withering isolated the active ingredient in the willow bark – a primitive relative of today’s high-potency tabs to “knock out pain.”

Aspirin can also be a cause of hearing loss if you take more and more of these OTC meds for every little ache and pain. If you’re in pain, take an aspirin now and then. But remember, this family of drugs is ototoxic and they will damage hearing with prolonged use. Take only as needed.

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are used by doctors to fight infections in all parts of the body and there are numerous families of antibiotics designed to target certain biological antigens, aka germs.

For example, antibiotics like streptomycin and neomycin are commonly prescribed for systemic illnesses – everything from a sore throat to serious bacterial infections of wounds. Over time, antibiotics become less effective as bacteria mutate into antibiotic resistant strains.

This, in turn, requires researchers to develop stronger antibiotics – and antibiotics that contribute to hearing loss. When given a prescription for an antibiotic by your doctor, ask about the effects this medication has on hearing loss – especially if you’ve already noticed that things are a little more muffled than the olden days.

And now to make things really confusing…aspirin has actually been shown to mitigate the effects of antibiotics on hearing loss. Great, now who do you believe? Hearing Loss News and Reviews suggests that aspirin may actually prevent hearing loss caused by the use of antibiotics. “The drugs, known as aminoglycosides, are most often used in developing countries because of their low cost. While they work well against infections, they also carry a high risk for causing hearing loss - about 8 percent of patients are thought to be affected.”

So who do you believe? While the source of the information provided by Hearing Loss News and Reviews is The New England Journal of medicine, [2006;354:1856-1857],

Lasix

Lasix (furosemide) is often prescribed by physicians to help patients control high blood pressure (hypertension), water retention, chronic heart problems, cirrhosis of the liver and kidney disease. In other words, the drug is prescribed for a broad spectrum of conditions.

There are numerous side effects to this potent medication, one of particular interest here is ringing in the ears, called tinnitus by hearing professionals. Loss of hearing has also been associated with the Lasix family of drugs – again, something to discuss with your physician. There are alternatives like an improved diet and increased exercise that can sometimes solve the problem without any medical intervention.

Chemotherapy Drugs

There are numerous classes of chemotherapy drugs designed to address different types of cancers. Almost all of these drugs take a toll on the body because of their own high toxicity levels.

Platinum-based chemotherapy drugs like carboplatin and the more common capsulation are known to damage the super fine hair-like structures that line the cochlea – a shell-shaped organ that translates sound waves into electrical impulses that can then be translated by the brain and acted upon by the body.

“This leads to progressive, irreversible hearing loss and reduced quality of life for patients,” according to www.naturalnews.com. On the other hand, when faced with a battle against cancer, most of us are more then willing to make certain sacrifices to improve overall health. However, if you are faced with the prospect of chemo and these ototoxic drugs are part of the regimen, ask if there are alternatives that will do less harm.

So What Do You Do?

Here’s what the government says:

“In light of this, the government has put out a position paper recommending conservative use of antibiotic treatment for children with ear infections, which usually get better without treatment.” [Consciouschoice.com]

It is clearly a dilemma at the moment with additional research required on both sides of the discussion. However, common sense tells us that if we can avoid ototoxic drugs – aspirin, for example – we’ll do less damage to our hearing long-term.

So the next time you have a little ache or pain, think twice before reaching for that bottle of painkillers.

Those meds may be killing more than pain. They may cause hearing damage.

Learn more about how aspirin and other medication side effects can cause hearing damage.

Hearing Aid Feedback Hurts

2010-08-28T08:29:00.001-05:00

Hearing Aid Feedback - An Introduction to That Annoying, Head-Ache Inducing, Screeching Sound Produced by Your Hearing Aid With Tips to Solve the Problem.

This is one reason so many people are reluctant to go for a hearing screen, accept the results and get fitted for a hearing aid that will deliver the sound of a butterfly’s wings across the yard. (That is, if you want your device to be that sensitive).

Feedback. We all grew up on it from Jefferson Airplane to Green Day. Feedback is a musical art form when in the hands of a skilled musician, 3,000 amps of raw power and the guts to stand in front of a tower of six-foot speakers and set your guitar on fire. You just don’t get that kind of sound from anywhere.

But you just might get that loud whistling feedback from your hearing aid and while it may be reminiscent of “Purple Haze,” it’s hurting your ears (even more than Woodstock, ’69), it’s a problem with the hearing device (today’s devices, even basic, entry-level models come with automatic feedback suppression), or the device needs a little tweaking to get rid of the shrieking.

So, hearing aid wearers and those about to join the ranks (yes, that’s you Boomer Boy or Girl), here’s an introduction to hearing aid feedback and what you can do about it.

Oh, and if you don’t think this applies to you because your only 32 years old, how loud did you play your Nirvana CDs? Hearing loss isn’t something for oldies but goodies, younger and younger people are strapping on the ear gear to get more from life on the hearing side. So read on. If you don’t wear a hearing aid today…tick, tick, tick…it’s only a matter of time. (Cobain Rules!)

Types of Feedback

You’d think that feedback is feedback but no. Is anything ever that simple? In fact, there are three types of feedback, and no, you don’t need to know this for the test.

The first type of feedback is called acoustical feedback. This is caused when sound produced by the hearing aid speaker is picked up again by the aid’s microphone creating a sound loop that just gets louder and screechier. In other words, the aid’s speaker is so loud that it’s picked up by the hearing device’s microphone, sent to the speaker and ‘round and ‘round she goes. Most unpleasant and not too cool when you’re trying to conduct a business meeting in a quiet room and all attendees hear is the whistling tea kettle emanating from your inner ear.

Second type of feedback: mechanical feedback. Pretty hard to live with but easy to fix. Mechanical feedback occurs when physical (and not good) vibrations caused by the contact between hearing aid speaker and the hearing aid casing. This causes the vibrations created simply by moving your head to vibrate the hearing aid casing. The result? Mechanical feedback, which doesn’t sound much different from acoustical feedback and hurts about as much, too

Finally, the third type of feedback is called electronic feedback. This feedback is caused by a malfunction in the device’s complex circuitry, requiring the services of a hearing aid tech to fix.

Five Things NOT to Do When Your Hearing Aid Blasts Feedback

1. Don’t tap the device on a table top to see if it stops the noises. These are rugged but sensitive devices and the chances of fixing a feedback problem by “knocking on wood” are about zero. In fact, you may do additional damage so no tapping.

2. Unless you fix hearing aids for a living, don’t open the casing to “see if you can fix it.” Chances are you don’t know an anode from a diode so what are the chances of finding the one piece of minute equipment causing the feedback problem.

3. Don’t let your brother-in-law have a look at it. Just because someone is mechanically inclined doesn’t mean they can diagnose and fix a feedback problem. Especially when it’s your brother-in-law for gosh sakes. What are you thinking?

4. Don’t run the device through the washing machine – even on gentle cycle. Sure, hearing aids today are water resistant but come on!

5. Finally, don’t drive over the device in your car out of frustration. You just need a minor adjustment – or rather your hearing aid does.

The fact is, you can only lessen one kind of feedback at home.

Remember Types of Feedback

A reminder: acoustical, mechanical and electronic feedback – those are the three types. Now, if the problem is mechanical – the mic is transmitting vibrations through the casing of the device – you need an adjustment performed by a hearing health professional – either an audiologist or your trained hearing aid dispenser

And if the problem is digital, that means the case has to be opened and all of the digital bits checked – again, not something you should try at home even if “digital circuits” is your middle name.

So, that leaves acoustical feedback – the kind produced when the sound from the speaker is picked up by the hearing aid mic and recycled over and over, louder and louder. Now this you may be able to fix. Or, if it ain’t broke, you can keep it that way.

Fixing Acoustical Feedback

Here are some common causes of acoustical feedback and a few things to try before running off to the Ye Olde Hearing Aid Shoppe.

1. Check for ear wax.

So, okay, it’s nobody’s favorite job but earwax build-up is a common cause of acoustical feedback. When a sound wave hits a solid block of earwax, that sound wave shatters, sending sound every which-away.

If ear wax is a problem, use a wax softener and flush the loose ear wax from the ear canal. If this doesn't solve the problem, do NOT start digging away with a hair pin. You’re almost certain to do more damage and more serious damage. Instead, visit a hearing professional to have that nasty earwax excised. That should help with the feedback problem.

2. Check the fit.

A loose fitting hearing aid allows sound waves to re-enter the ear, reach the mic and off we go again in a feedback loop. And check this out – if you’ve been dieting and you’ve lost 10 or 20 pounds (good for you) that weight lose can affect the fitting of your hearing aid.

You may need a new ear mold made to keep out unwanted sound waves from reentering the ear canal. But hey, if you just lost 20 pounds, that’s a good problem to have.

To test the fit of your hearing device, try these steps:

Press the hearing aid further into your ear canal. If the feedback stops, a loose fit is most likely your problem.

Place a dab of lotion or Vaseline on the part of the device that fits into the ear canal. This liquid sometimes seals cracks, indicating a loose fit and the need for a refitting.

Try Comply Soft Wraps. These adhere to the listening portion of the hearing aid, creating a tighter fit.

Try putting a coating of clear nail polish on the part of the hearing aid that fits in the ear canal. Let it dry! This might just add enough circumference to plug any holes.

3. Incorrect Placement

Sometimes, the feedback problem is caused by an ill-fitting hearing device. Perhaps the technician was off in his or her calculations. Perhaps the ear mold sat in a hot mail truck for six hours and softened a bit. There can be any number of reasons a hearing device doesn’t fit.

You can sometimes eliminate a feedback problem by pointing the microphone away from the hearing aid casing and point it directly at the ear drum, eliminating unwanted vibrations from within the ear canal. It’s worth a try.

4. Then There’s the Problem of Leakage

This is a common problem, especially for in-the ear devices that rest within the ear canal. The sound tube may be damaged by “aggressive” cleaning. The mic may be placed too far inside the ear canal, or in the case of heavy horsepower, behind-the-ear devices, you may need a more sturdy hearing tube to prevent leakage.

We’re talking electronic leakage here and when electronics create an electro-magnetic field (like a hearing aid does) and the EMF comes into contact with another EMF produced by a telephone, the result is wicked bad feedback. So, check your device for any signs of wear and tear. Even a small crack in the sound tube is enough to cause feedback.

Warning

IS THERE ANYTHING WORSE THAN FEEDBACK.
UMMMM, OKAY, MAYBE

Feedback can be caused by a number of factors – some under your control, others not so much. And visiting your hearing health professional may not solve your problem the first go-‘round.

Typically, feedback comes from the higher frequency ranges so SOP is to lower the highest ranges to eliminate feedback. However, this may produce an unnatural sound you just can’t live with. So, it may take a couple of trips to the ear doc to get things squared away.

Feedback Suppression

Most digital hearing devices come with the automated convenience of feedback suppression. When the device detects a hint of feedback, it automatically adjusts itself to squelch that feedback.

Costing slight more than the bare-bones, entry-level hearing aids, these automated feedback suppression systems may well be worth a little extra on the front end for years of listening comfort on the back end.

That extra money will soon be forgotten. The feedback-free results will make you smile everyday for years to come.

Before you buy your first pair of hearing aids, discover what to look for and what to ask your hearing professional at healthyhearing.com - your only source for all the news you want to HEAR!

A Day at the Office at Oticon: Putting People First

2010-08-26T08:56:00.002-05:00