Column Archive

ATTRACTIVE FEATURES

When it comes to customizing their hearing instruments, one feature that consumers find most attractive is directional microphones. Using two microphones helps better separate unwanted sounds (from behind the wearer) from important speech sounds (in front). As a result, the wearer is better able to understand conversation in noisy environments. Another feature that hearing instrument users find very useful is multiple compression channels, which react to important speech sounds by increasing volume while simultaneously lowering the volume on ambient noise and sudden loud sounds. Multiple programs, also known as “memories,” are also high on consumers’ list of desirable features because they enable the wearer to change the listening characteristics of the hearing instrument from one environment to another.

P.S. Popular hearing instrument features among consumers are “noise cancellation” (which makes listening to speech more comfortable in noisy environments) and “feedback cancellation” (which eliminates annoying squealing and whistling noises).


BETTER TEST NEEDED

Recent research raises concerns that testing the DNA in newborns’ blood samples is not an effective way to detect cytomegalovirus (CMV), an infection that causes hearing loss in children. Between 20,000 and 40,000 children are born with CMV infection annually in North America, and 90%-95% of this number show no obvious signs at birth nor are identified with routine clinical examination. When researchers compared CMV detection using either a DNA test or saliva rapid culture testing, they found that the DNA test had lower sensitivity than the saliva test. In fact, the DNA test could not identify about two-thirds of the CMV infections. As for saliva rapid culture testing, it is more effective but not yet ready for mass screening.

P.S. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection ranks among the most common non-genetic causes of deafness.


INSTRUMENTS FOR ACTIVE LIFESTYLES

One of the best ways to ensure satisfaction with the hearing instrument you choose is to base its selection on your lifestyle. Without question, those with active lifestyles will need a hearing instrument that is compatible with a “life on the go.” With this in mind, active individuals will want to avail themselves of such features as automatic adaptive directional microphones, which have been clinically proven to improve speech understanding amid background noise. Another very useful feature (especially on a boat or on the golf course) is a wind-noise management system. Data-logging and data-learning devices also prove to be very helpful by allowing for more precise custom programming and reducing visits to the hearing specialist’s office for adjustments.

P.S. Bluetooth connectivity to mobile phones, mp3 players, and other electronic devices also proves to be very useful to active hearing instrument users.


GROWING POSSIBILITY

It is estimated that one-third of adults over the age of 65 experience hearing loss due to the destruction of “hair cells” in the inner ear, which convert sound vibrations into electrical energy that is transmitted to the brain. When these hair cells are lost or damaged due to long-term exposure to loud noise and other causes, they cannot regenerate, and permanent hearing loss results. However, scientists have recently reported that they have made great strides in deafness research by creating hair cells in the laboratory. They did so by combining embryonic stem cells with fibroblasts (cells found in connective tissue). It is hoped that this breakthrough will one day lead to the creation of hair cells for humans.

P.S. Currently, the function of hair cells can only be replaced bycochlear implants.


HOW DO EAR INFECTIONS AFFECT HEARING?

Parents of children who experience a string of ear infections may wonder if the muffled hearing associated with the painful condition exerts a lasting effect during a child’s formative years. A recent study on this subject reveals that a hearing loss in one ear during critical periods of brain development can rewire the auditory cortex and change the way it processes sound. While these effects are not permanent, they can last for years. The fact is that we do not need two ears to hear sound, but input from two ears is required to figure out where sound is coming from. This challenge to “depth perception” can create subtle but important hearing deficits.

P.S. Benefits derived from fusing the sound coming from two ears going to the brain include being able to hear in a noisy room or trying to home in on one speaker when two people are speaking.

NAVIGATING THE CANAL

Many individuals prefer to wear their hearing instruments as discreetly as possible. These hearing-impaired people can avail themselves of either of two types of hearing instruments that are well-suited to those with mild to moderate hearing losses and good manual dexterity. In-the-canal (ITC) hearing instruments are positioned at the opening of the ear canal and are barely visible. The fact that they also come in a range of skin-matching colors contributes to their nearly invisible profile. Going one step further in terms of invisibility are the completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing instruments, which are small enough to fit entirely in the ear canal. While both of these instruments have power and advanced features, hardly anyone will know they are there.

P.S. A completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing instrument is removed from the ear with a pull on an attached plastic wire that protrudes outside the ear canal.


GRADUAL HEARING LOSS AMONG SENIORS

An older individual’s inability to hear high-pitched sounds such as the chirping of birds or the ringing of a telephone may be symptomatic of “presbycusis.” This term refers to age-related hearing loss that gradually develops as people grow older. About 30%-35% of adults between ages 65 and 75 experience hearing loss, as do an estimated 40%-50% of people ages 75 years and older. Those affected by presbycusis may be able to hear low-frequency sounds, such as the speech of men with deep timbred voices, but the high-pitched voices of women and children are likely to be more difficult to discern. Many presbycusis sufferers decide that preserving their communicating ability is worth the cost of a hearing instrument.

P.S. Presbycusis is usually a sensorineural disorder (related to damage to the sensory and/or nerve cells of the inner ear), in which case a hearing instrument may help restore lost hearing ability.


TEENS WITH HEARING LOSS

According to an analysis of the national health data involving American teenagers, nearly one in five suffers from hearing loss. While music fed through MP3 players through earbuds at high volume may seem to be the most probable culprit, researchers point out other possible causes. Diet, nutrition, and exposure to toxins may also play roles. Whatever the cause(s), it comes as troubling news that youngsters are having increasing difficulty with their hearing, which has been linked with slower language development, decreased academic performance, and lower self-esteem. In addition, because social skills are dependent on language, previous research shows that even a slight hearing loss in elementary and high-school students results in lower communication test scores and heightened anxiety.

P.S. Parents should make a hearing test as compulsory for their children as regular medical check-ups and eye exams.


NOTHING FISHY ABOUT THIS

With the incidence of hearing loss increasing as a function of age, it never hurts to follow dietary advice that may help preserve hearing. One such protective measure involves eating fish, particularly fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids. According to the Blue Mountains Hearing Study, people over the age of 50 who reported eating at least two servings of fish per week had a 42 percent lower risk of developing age-related hearing loss (“presbycusis”) than those who rarely ate fish. It was also noted that the higher the omega-3 intake, the lower the risk of hearing loss. The reason for the benefit rests with the fact that omega-3s may help preserve microcirculation in the cochlea (the inner ear).

P.S. If you have any doubts about your ability to hear clearly, it makes good sense to schedule a hearing test to know where you stand.


MUSIC TO CHILDREN’S EARS

Cochlear implants, which replace the function of the inner ear, can provide 90% normal hearing to children born with impaired hearing that cannot be helped by hearing instruments. However, because they have never heard sound, before undergoing the procedure, children receiving cochlear implants must slowly acclimate themselves to hearing prior to beginning to speak. Now, recent research suggests that these children can be helped by music therapy. According to a study involving children aged two to three years, those receiving eight music therapy sessions after cochlear implants engaged in more spontaneous, frequent, and prolonged communication than children not exposed to music. It seems that music bridges the gap between the new world of sounds and the silence that children knew.

P.S. Communicative interactions are critical to the development and acquisition of language by youngsters.


AN OPEN INVITATION!

If you have dismissed the idea of wearing a hearing instrument due to dissatisfaction with the way it worked or felt, you may want to give it another try. Since coming on the market in 2005, “open-fit” hearing instruments have revolutionized the way that people feel about hearing instruments. Not only are they more comfortable to wear and make the wearer’s own voice more natural sounding, they are less noticeable than traditional behind-the-ear hearing instruments. As their name implies, open-fit instruments leave the ear canal open so that wearers do not feel as if their ears are stuffed. In fact, open-fit instruments address many of the objections that some people have toward hearing instruments. It’s time to give one a try!

P.S. Open-fit hearing instruments are most effective for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.


SHOPPING FOR VALUE

If you are not old enough to remember the days when air conditioning and power windows were not standard features on nearly all automobiles, you may recall that anti-lock brakes (ABS) and traction control were once found only on high-end vehicles. Hearing instruments are similar in that advanced features once found only on premium models are now standard in many lower-priced devices. Features such as “adaptive noise reduction” and “feedback cancellation” can now be found on hearing instruments costing far less than higher priced models with the same features only a few years ago. Consumers with their eyes on value can be assured that today’s hearing instruments are loaded with more features than ever before at low prices.

P.S. What price do you place on your ability to hear the voices of your children and grandchildren?


WAY COOL!

People who experience problems with their vision are quite likely to have their eyes examined and purchase eyeglasses or contact lenses if necessary. Why, then, would individuals with hearing impairments not have their ears tested and purchase a hearing instrument if it would help them hear better? When answering this question, some people might suggest that eyeglasses are “cool” fashion accessories and that hearing instruments are not. Frankly, that is an outdated notion that anyone wearing a wireless Bluetooth headset will quickly dispel. The fact is that city streets, malls, and cars are filled with people wearing electronic devices in their ears that enable them to listen to wireless communications. Hearing instruments are nearly indistinguishable from these cutting-edge, must-have devices.

P.S. Hearing instruments with Bluetooth connectivity are more likely to be the objects of onlooker envy than anything else.


MP3 HEARING LOSS

Users of MP3 players (and iPods) should note that listening to music on these devices for just an hour can cause temporary hearing loss. Using an objective measure, researchers recorded damage to the hair cells in the inner ear that was 4.70 times more likely after an hour of listening with earbuds (5.96 times more with headphones) than among non-users. While these hearing losses were temporary, and MP3 users seemed to recover their sound sensitivity between listening sessions, the study’s findings do show that MP3 players adversely affect hearing. Whether there are long-term consequences to listening to music pumped directly into the ears is an unanswered question as yet; MP3 users are urged to err on the side of caution.

P.S. Standard iPod earbud headphones can put out 100.0-110.5 decibels of sound, which exceeds the 75-decibel threshold for risk of noise-induced hearing loss.


NOT THE RING TONE YOU WANT

A recent study suggests that regular use of a cell phone may increase the risk of “tinnitus,” a condition characterized by persistent ringing in the ears. While the study only included 200 people (100 with tinnitus and 100 without the condition), it does bear noting by those preferring to err on the side of caution. Tinnitus affects 10%-15% of people in the developed world, and it has the potential of adversely affecting the quality of life in significant ways. As far as the study is concerned, researchers estimate that people who used a cell phone before the first signs of tinnitus occurred were 37% more likely to develop the condition than those in the control group.

P.S. The study mentioned above indicated that people who used their cell phones for at least ten minutes a day were 71% more likely to develop tinnitus than the others in the study.


HOW DOES NOISE AFFECT YOU?

While sensitivity to noise may vary from person to person, loud sounds can permanently damage the tiny inner-ear “hair cells” that send sound information to the brain. Genetic differences may allow some people to withstand longer exposure to high-intensity noise before damage occurs, and smoking, diabetes, and hypertension increase the risk of noise-induced hearing loss. In any case, a person doesn’t “get used to the noise.” Some people may habituate psychologically to loud sounds so that they become less noticeable, but the ear does not build up a physical tolerance. In time, the cumulative effect of loud noise causes ear damage. If you are regularly exposed to noise, protect your ears. If you suspect hearing loss, get a hearing test.

P.S. Symptoms of noise-induced hearing loss, which usually begin subtly, include muffled and distorted sounds, especially in the higher frequencies.


OVERLAPPING SENSES

New research holds out hope that scientists may someday be able to help hearing-impaired individuals supplement their hearing with their sense of touch. Scientists have found that the senses not only work together, but they can override one another. In essence, this means people can see with their ears, hear with their eyes, or hear with their touch. With lip-reading as an example of this sensory phenomenon, it is easier to understand that scientists were able to help individuals better identify sound by reinforcing certain sounds with a puff of air on their skin. It is hoped that this finding may be used to translate a speaker’s voice into tactile signals that can help hearing-impaired individuals to hear.

P.S. Previous research shows that people hear through their faces. That is, stretching a person’s facial muscles into shapes normally associated with speech stimulates them to hear words differently.


GET THE MOST OUT OF LIFE!

If you’ve worked and saved your way to retirement, you deserve to fully enjoy and appreciate every last second of it. You shouldn’t let anything stand in the way of your active participation of favorite pursuits, from hobbies and social gatherings to travel and recreational sports. Toward this end, you owe it to yourself to address your hearing loss with a professional exam and possible fitting of a hearing instrument. Today’s instruments provide more bang for the buck with technical features such as “noise reduction” and “directional microphones,” which work together to improve speech understanding. Additionally, “automatic volume and listening programs” take listening environments into account to make changes that make listening more comfortable in restaurants and other challenging settings.

P.S. The new “open-fit” hearing instruments are scarcely noticeable and provide excellent improvement in hearing ability without producing the “occlusion effect” that creates an echoing sensation.


CAN FOLATE PREVENT HEARING LOSS?

The latest study providing evidence that low blood levels of B vitamins (most notably folate) are linked with age-related hearing loss involves a study of nearly 3,000 adults over age 50. When their blood levels of folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine were compared with their incidence of hearing loss, it was found that those with the lowest levels of folate were 39% more likely to suffer hearing loss. People with the most homocysteine (an amino acid, which folate has been shown to lower in the body) were at 64% greater risk. Researchers suspect that homocysteine is the culprit because it may adversely affect blood flow to the cochlea (the spiral cavity of the inner ear), leading to age-related hearing loss.

P.S. In 2009, a study presented to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation annual meeting showed that men over 60 with high folate intake were 20% less likely to develop hearing loss.


EARS AND HEART SHARE MORE THAN 3 LETTERS

According to a recent Canadian study, prolonged exposure to loud noise may be as bad for the heart as it is for the ears. Researchers have found that people who have worked in noisy workplaces for at least one-and-a-half years may have triple the risk of developing serious heart problems compared with workers in quieter environments. Workers in noisy environments tended to be overweight and to smoke, which are also risk factors for heart disease. The noise-induced heart disease link seemed to be strongest in men under age 50. It is thought that the stress caused by loud noise could lead to constricted blood flow through the coronary arteries. Whatever the mechanism, workers in loud environments should protect their ears.

P.S. Smoking is a risk factor for hearing loss.


IT PAYS TO BE EARLY

When it comes to screening babies for hearing loss, the earlier the test is given, the better the outcome is likely to be. So says a recent study involving children with permanent hearing impairment. Researchers found that babies who underwent hearing screenings as newborns displayed better developmental outcomes than those who underwent screenings at nine months of age. Not only did the children screened earliest achieve greater overall, social, and gross motor developmental outcome scores by ages three to five years, they also displayed greater quality of life (as assessed by their parents). This study helps reinforce the notion that newborn hearing screening is a useful and effective means of improving the lives of children born with hearing impairment.

P.S. Newborn hearing screening helps in the introduction of earlier interventions, including amplification.


INSTRUMENTS FOR ACTIVE LIFESTYLES

If you’re an active person with a hearing loss, there are hearing instruments with features that will keep you at the top of your game. For instance, “automatic adaptive directional microphones” have the ability to help you attend luncheons and hold meetings without missing a word. On the fairway or on the deck of a cruise ship, a feature known as a “wind-noise manager” helps reduce the effects of wind-induced noise and improve conversational hearing ability. Devices known as “data-logging” and “data-learning” actually record and analyze how you are utilizing certain features on your hearing instrument and customize volume adjustments. As a result, you benefit from precise custom programming without having to visit the hearing professional’s office for an adjustment.

P.S. On-the-go people will want to take advantage of hearing instruments with Bluetooth connectivity to mobile phones, MP3 players, and other personal listening devices.


OUT ON THE STREET

We sometimes grow so accustomed to the noise around us that we tend not to realize just how insidious it actually is. Such may be the case with the street noise that we have become so accustomed to hearing in our cities. Traffic noise, sirens, and crowd noise may pose a bigger threat to hearing than we might think. For instance, when researchers recently measured the noise in 60 spots around New York City, they found that 98 percent of their measurements exceeded 70 decibels. This level can cause irreversible hearing damage over time. While not all of us live in such noisy environments, this study makes a good case for wearing earplugs for those who do.

P.S. The study mentioned above found that noise levels measured above 70 decibels even in parks, which shows that there is not much refuge from loud sounds in noisy cities.


THE “COCKTAIL PARTY EFFECT”

Scientists have long wondered how the brain is able to pick out one speaker’s voice in voice-filled rooms. This phenomenon, known as the “cocktail party effect,” enables us to carry on a conversation in loud environments. Recently, research involving birds has provided some important clues. To find out how zebra finches pick out one voice in a cacophonous crowd, scientists studied their brains while the birds listened to audio recordings. This work led to the discovery of individual brain cells that, in a sense, acted like dogs listening for their master’s voice. Other cells scanned long stretches of sound looking for a particular vocal feature. If human brains have similar cells, it may lead to advances in hearing instrument technologies.

AN OPEN-ENDED DISCUSSION

Since their introduction, “open-fit” hearing instruments have been a huge success among wearers, who find them easy to fit and comfortable to wear. Initially, these extremely popular behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing devices were best suited to people with high-frequency hearing loss and normal low-frequency hearing. Since then, this limited capability has been addressed with the introduction of the receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) type of open-fit hearing instruments. Unlike receiver-in-the-aid (RITA) models, the RITE houses the receiver in the ear canal. An ultra-thin wire is connected to the hearing instrument, and then coupled to the speaker in the ear canal with a soft, non-occluding ear dome. This design modification makes this type of open-fit instrument suitable for people with more severe hearing loss.

P.S. Receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) types of open-fit hearing instruments are much easier to insert in the ear than a traditional hearing instrument.


BETTER SOONER THAN LATER

By some estimates, 25% to 40% of people ages 65 years and older suffer from hearing loss, which has the potential to disrupt daily life, adversely affect communicating ability, and even cause depression. Most people with age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) experience difficulty discerning high-frequency sounds, which makes it difficult for them to distinguish between


EXPLAINING HEARING LOSS IN CHILDREN

Up to one in every 1,000 children has some kind of serious hearing loss. While approximately half of these cases can be traced to hereditary causes, parents of a child with a hearing loss and none of their own may wonder what caused their child’s hearing impairment. According to new research, the culprit may be a virus that the mother contracted while pregnant. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common virus that infects most people at some point in their lives, but it seldom causes obvious illness. For women who are already infected when they become pregnant, the chances of infecting their unborn children are quite small; women who become infected with CMV while pregnant have a higher chance.

P.S. Up to one in 25 women will get cytomegalovirus (CMV) while they are pregnant, and they have a 33% chance of passing the virus along to the baby.


IS HEARING IMPAIRMENT LINKED WITH DEMENTIA RISK?

Reporting what may be one of the best reasons yet to purchase a hearing instrument, new research shows that hearing-impaired individuals have an increased risk of developing dementia as they age. The study involved more than 600 men and women between ages 36 and 90 over a decade. Each of the study’s participants had a hearing test at the beginning of the study, and none had signs of dementia. By the end of the study, nine percent of its participants had some kind of dementia. Those with mild hearing losses had nearly twice the chance of developing dementia as those with normal hearing. The risk was threefold for those with moderate hearing losses and fivefold for severe impairment.

P.S. It is known that, left untreated, hearing loss leads to an increased sense of isolation, which may be a contributing factor to the development of dementia.


CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE

While much is often made of senior adults and youngsters with hearing loss, middle-aged adults are not as frequently mentioned. As it turns out, this age group is not immune to hearing loss either. According to a new survey among people 45 to 54 years old, one in nine exhibited signs of hearing loss. This survey shows that, while the rate of hearing loss increases with age, it is a significant problem for those in middle age. When researchers tested the hearing of nearly 3,000 adults between the ages of 21 and 84, about one in seven had some hearing loss. Ninety percent of those examined who were older than 80 had lost some hearing.

P.S. The researchers noted above found some evidence that hearing loss may be linked with risks of heart disease and stroke.


REMOVING WAX BUILDUP

If left to its own devices, the yellowish waxy substance secreted by the ear canal (“cerumen”) will migrate out of the ear uneventfully. However, for some, ear wax buildup can cause impaction and conductive hearing loss. Additionally, wearers of hearing instruments are instructed in the most effective means of keeping their devices free of debris that can compromise their functioning ability. In the first-ever study to look into the subject, researchers found that bulb syringes sold over-the-counter in pharmacies (along with wax-softening solution) are generally effective in removing ear wax buildup. Home treatment involving the use of mineral oil or glycerin in the ear was also found to be effective for many. Otherwise, a professional should be consulted.

ACCORDING TO TYPE

If you suspect that you are suffering from hearing loss, it is important that you find out which type is causing it. “Conductive” hearing loss occurs when sound waves are prevented from passing to the inner ear by infection, a buildup of earwax, fluid in the middle ear, or a punctured eardrum. These problems can usually be corrected. “Sensorineural” hearing loss develops when the auditory nerve or hair cells in the inner ear are damaged by aging, noise, illness, injury, infection, head trauma, toxic medications, or an inherited condition. While it may not be possible to reverse this damage, sensorineural hearing losses can be effectively addressed with hearing instruments that improve the quality of life without infringing on lifestyle.

P.S. Age and accumulated exposure to noise are the most common causes of sensorineural hearing loss. While you can’t prevent aging, you can limit your exposure to loud noise.

FEEL IT IN YOUR BONES?

Underwater, we can hear higher-pitched sounds that elude us in open air. Why? On land, we hear through “air conduction.” This involves sound waves traveling into the ear and vibrating the eardrum, which is connected to the three smallest bones in the body (ossicles). They are connected to the fluid-filled cochlea, which is filled with “hair cells” that move and stimulate the auditory nerve that transmits signals to the brain. While underwater, we hear through “bone conduction,” which means that sound bypasses the outer ear and inner ear and enters instead through the mastoid (the bone that we can feel behind the ear). This mechanism allows us to hear sounds all the way up to 200,000 hertz.

P.S. Bone-conduction hearing instruments are used by those with outer- or middle-ear abnormalities.

A FUTURE TREATMENT OPTION?

Currently, there is exciting research being conducted with stem cells, which have the ability to develop into any specialized cell of the body. Thus, they have the potential to treat diseases and disorders caused by improperly working cells, including malfunctioning hair cells implicated in age-related hearing loss. Recently, scientists were able to isolate a new population of stem cells living inside the inner ears of adult mice, which gave rise to new hair cells when grown in laboratory culture dishes. The scientists also found it possible to grow the stem cells into hair cells after transplanting them into the embryonic inner ears of research animals. These discoveries point to new potential for helping people with hearing loss in the future.

P.S. Currently, the function of hair cells can be replaced by using cochlear implants.

PROTECT YOUR HEARING!

There are a number of devices available that offer effective protection against noise-induced hearing loss. Nearly everyone is familiar with preformed ear plugs, which, if sized correctly and placed in the ears properly, will expand to fill the ear canal with a tight seal. Ear muffs afford better protection by fitting against the head and encapsulating the entire external ear. Acoustic foam lining the muff cap can reduce noise by as much as 15 to 30 decibels. Moreover, by wearing ear plugs in conjunction with ear muffs, it is possible to protect ears from noise levels at or above 105 decibels. Effective protection is predicated on a tight seal that blocks air leakage, which allows sound to enter the ear.

P.S. Those who must rely on receiving face-to-face instructions may be best served by ear muffs, which can be conveniently lifted to hear conversation.

HOW LOUD IS TOO LOUD?

Accumulated exposure to loud noise eventually leads to damage in the inner ear that compromises hearing ability. Thus, it is just as important that youngsters avoid prolonged exposure to loud noise as adults. Bear in mind that a noise level consistent with heavy traffic (85 decibels), if listened to for eight consecutive hours, is sufficient to harm hearing ability. At 100 decibels, maximum exposure is 15 minutes. At 103 decibels, the limit is a mere seven minutes. The average rock concert registers 105 decibels, and even movies in theatres have the potential to inflict damage. As far as personal listening devices are concerned, those using MP3 players should limit the volume setting to 50% to 60% of maximum.

P.S. Loud noise has been found to raise blood pressure, cause headaches, and increase sleep disturbances.

A LOSING PROPOSITION.

Recent research suggests that seniors with a hearing loss may be at greater risk for developing dementia than their normal-hearing peers. As yet, researchers are not really sure what the link is between these two maladies. Some suspect that the strain of decoding sounds over a period of years may overwhelm the brains of people suffering from hearing losses, leaving them more vulnerable to developing dementia. In any case, the study, which involved nearly 700 older adults, found that during 12 years of follow-up, one-third of those with the most severe hearing losses developed dementia while only 4 percent of the normal-hearing group did. This finding may point to hearing loss prevention as a means of staving off dementia..

Our professional hearing experts bring modern hearing testing, economical digital hearing aids and satisfaction guarantees to the next level! Here, you will receive the comprehensive, through care you expect and deserve. To schedule a hearing exam, please call FAMILY HEARING CARE CENTER at 781-337-1144. Our office is located at 543 Main St. (Rt. 18), across from the Stetson Bldg. in Weymouth. Please visit our website at www.familyhearing.net. Listen to Life Again..

P.S. It may be that hearing loss renders seniors more socially isolated, which is a known risk factor for dementia.

REACHING YOUR THRESHOLD.

The first step in determining whether you have a hearing loss and what you might do about it involves having a non-invasive hearing test. After taking a case history and examining your ears with an otoscope, the hearing specialist delivers a series of tones of different pitches and speech signals through headphones to your ears as you sit in a sound-treated test booth. By responding to the lowest levels that you can hear, the hearing professional can determine your hearing thresholds for each pitch and ear and plot them on a graph called an “audiogram.” Further testing involving your ability to understand spoken words at different levels helps provide a comprehensive picture of your hearing ability..

P.S. A comprehensive hearing examination may involve an assessment of middle ear function with a test called tympanometry, which evaluates the ear drum’s resistance to air pressure.

MORE FOLLOW-UP NEEDED FOR INFANTS.

The good news is that virtually all U.S. states and their territories have established Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs, which go a long way toward ensuring the detection of congenital hearing loss and deliver follow-up care. The recommended national benchmarks for these programs include hearing screening by age one month, diagnostic audiologic evaluation by three months for those failing the screening, and enrollment in an early-intervention program by no later than six months of age for those diagnosed with hearing loss. The not-so-good news is that, while nearly all infants are screened for hearing loss, the follow-up care is not quite as comprehensive. The percentage of infants with hearing loss receiving follow-up care may be 50% or less..

P.S. Parents and doctors of infants with diagnosed hearing losses should persist in their efforts to ensure that the children get needed treatment.

YOUR HEARING, YOUR JOB

If you cannot hear as well as you once could and you are resisting the recommendation to wear a hearing instrument, consider that your income may be at stake. Research undertaken by the Better Hearing Institute reveals that people with untreated hearing loss lose as much as $30,000 in income annually, depending on their degree of hearing loss. However, the use of hearing instruments was found to reduce the risk of income loss by 90%-100% for those with milder hearing loss and 65%-77% for those with moderate to severe losses. Moreover, hearing instrument use was shown to reduce unemployment among those wearing them. The bottom line is that hearing instruments can boost work effectiveness in appreciable ways.

P.S. Hearing loss has been linked with reduced alertness, impaired memory, and inability to learn new tasks, all of which are considered to be disadvantages in the workplace..

A SPORTING CHANCE

Not only are Baby Boomers embracing the use of hearing instruments that help them remain engaged at work and at home, they are interested in instruments that can withstand the rigors of sports and exercise. To meet this challenge, hearing instrument manufacturers have developed lines of robust, waterproof hearing instruments with sealed housing and rugged materials that can stand up to dust, dirt, perspiration, jostling, and even submersion in water. Cutting-edge advancements in design and engineering make it possible for tennis players, runners, kayakers, golfers, cyclists, boaters, and hunters to push the envelope without compromise. This is a new generation of hearing instruments for a new generation of sports enthusiasts, regardless of age!

P.S. Whether you are on the court, in the field, or on the water, you do not want hearing impairment to compromise your performance or enjoyment.

EXPLAINING WHY?

Parents of a child with genetic hearing loss may wonder how this could be if both parents have normal hearing. The fact is that each normal-hearing parent may have one recessive gene for hearing loss. If one of their children were to get two recessive genes (one from each parent), he or she would have a hearing loss. In this case, since the gene responsible for hearing loss is recessive, it can pass through many generations without ever causing hearing loss. All it takes is one person with the recessive gene to have a child with another person with the same gene to produce a child with the hearing loss. The chances of this occurring are 25 percent.

P.S. In the case of “autosomal dominant hearing loss,” one parent who carries the dominant gene for hearing loss and exhibits a hearing loss passes it on to the child. There is at least a 50% chance that this child will also have a hearing loss.

THE ART OF CONCEALMENT

Few would argue that vanity plays some role in the selection of a hearing instrument. For those greatly concerned with this issue, there is the completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing instrument, which is worn entirely inside the ear canal. This type of custom-made hearing instrument is produced on the basis of an impression of the user’s ear, which makes it the lowest profile among hearing instruments. As inconspicuous as CICs are, however, they are not entirely suitable for those with severe hearing losses or dexterity problems. However, this hardly means that people with moderate-to-severe losses need fret. A receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) instrument places the speaker (“receiver”) in the ear canal, which allows for a much smaller housing to sit discreetly behind the ear.

RITE hearing aids are designed for patients with high-frequency hearing loss as well as severe hearing loss. RITE hearing aids feature advanced functionality options such as directional microphones. If you are experiencing problems with your ears or hearing, call FAMILY HEARING CARE CENTER at 781-337-1144. Our office is located at 543 Main St. (Rt. 18), across from the Stetson Bldg. in Weymouth. Please visit our website at www.familyhearing.net. Listen to Life Again. Happy Thanksgiving!

P.S. RITE hearing instruments are generally easier to use and maintain than the smaller CIC instruments.

UNDERSTANDING TINNITUS

One common cause of tinnitus (ringing in the ears) is hearing loss involving damage to the tiny “hair cells” in the cochlea (the snail-like structure of the inner ear) that transform sound waves into nerve signals. If the auditory circuits in the brain do not receive the signals that they expect from the cochlea, the brain essentially “turns up the gain” on those pathways in its attempt to perceive the signal. (We do much the same thing with the volume switch on a car radio when we experience difficulty getting a signal.) As a result, the brain produces abnormal nerve signals to compensate for the missing input. A hearing instrument can help relieve tinnitus by amplifying the missing sounds.

P.S. Tinnitus will take the form of a high-pitched ringing if hearing loss is in the high-frequency range and low-pitched if it’s in the low-frequency range.

BELIEVE NONE OF WHAT YOU HEAR.

Over one-third of people between ages 65 and 75 years have some degree of hearing loss, which is considered to be the third most common chronic health condition among the elderly (behind hypertension and arthritis). For this reason alone, a yearly hearing test is recommended. After all, most elderly individuals get their eyes tested regularly, don’t they? Yet, routine hearing testing is not as prevalent as regular eye exams. The fact is that many older individuals believe they can hear just fine, but elderly hearing loss is usually so gradual that those affected cannot discern just how much hearing ability they have actually lost. The first step in getting more out of life involves taking a hearing test.

P.S. Avoiding treatment with a hearing instrument and/or an assistive listening device may only invite the depression, cognitive decline, and reduction in functional status that are associated with hearing loss in the elderly.

HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS

Secondhand smoke has been implicated in a range of health problems for children, from respiratory infections to behavioral difficulties. Now, an analysis of data suggests that secondhand smoke may also cause hearing loss among kids. When researchers looked at the health records of 1,500 adolescents age 12 to 19, they found that those with evidence of secondhand-smoke exposure were more likely to experience hearing losses at the lower frequencies than children not exposed to secondhand smoke. It is thought that smoke may affect blood flow in children’s inner ears. In any case, the mere suggestion of a possible link between secondhand-smoke exposure and hearing loss in children should lead parents to protect their children from this potential health hazard.

P.S. It is already known that adult smokers are at a higher risk of hearing loss.

HAVE YOU HEARD?

Amid the growing recognition of the high incidence of depression and the many effective treatment options available to treat this disorder, there is news that a hearing instrument may help. In this country alone, approximately 5% to 8% of the adult population experiences depression in a given year. It is also interesting to note that a large-scale study undertaken by the National Council on Aging shows that people over age 50 with untreated hearing loss are more likely to report depression, anxiety, anger, frustration, emotional instability, and paranoia, and were less likely to participate in organized social activities than those who wore hearing instruments. These symptoms were also found to be more pronounced as severity of hearing loss increased.

P.S. Loss of hearing among older adults has been found to lead to social isolation, which is a factor in reducing longevity.

A FITTING SOLUTION

Many of the problems that hearing instrument users have with their instruments revolve around custom-fit ear molds that are shaped to fit their ear canal. If not fit properly, these molds can produce feedback. Even when they are fit properly, many users don’t like the feeling that their ears are blocked. Newer open-fit hearing instruments entirely circumvent these problems by leaving the ear canal open. These hearing devices reduce the “occlusion effect” with the placement of a small plastic case behind the ear, from which a small clear tube travels into the ear canal; a small soft silicone dome or a molded, highly vented acrylic tip holds the tube in place. As a result, open-fit instruments are exceedingly comfortable.

P.S. Open-fit hearing instruments are less noticeable than other instruments and produce a more natural sound for the wearer’s own voice.

THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCATING SOUND

Most people think of hearing instruments in terms of their ability to help better understand conversation. While improved speech comprehension is certainly an important benefit of wearing hearing instruments, the ability to effectively locate sound may turn out to be a life-saver. Normally, we pinpoint the location of sound based on our brain’s ability to make calculations about the difference in arrival time of a sound to each ear. As a result, we can determine not only which unseen voice is calling for our attention, but also where the screeching sound of automobile tires or the sound of a siren is coming from. These examples underscore the importance of localizing sound through the use of binaural instruments when necessary.

P.S. Directional microphones in hearing instruments help wearers better locate the source of sound.

ARE GENERIC INSTRUMENTS WORTHWHILE?

Some people order non-prescription hearing instruments in much the same way that they might buy inexpensive reading glasses in a drugstore. While some people with age-related reading difficulties may benefit from low-cost magnifying glasses, the same might not be said about non-custom hearing instruments. To begin with, most (if not all) “generic” hearing instruments lack desirable features such as directional microphones (which help to locate sound) and telecoils (which work in tandem with telephones to make phone conversations clearer). Other drawbacks include lack of feedback suppression, difficulty manipulating controls, and lack of power and customization. When the primary driving force in hearing instruments is greater customization and easier comfort and utility, generic instruments fall far short.

P.S. The most important step in finding a hearing instrument that fits your specific needs is getting a hearing test, which non-prescription hearing instruments do not require.

DO EARS HAVE MEMORY?

Scientists have made a recent discovery that may just set our knowledge about hearing mechanics on its…ear. It seems that the inner ear is capable of “storing” sounds after the sound has ended. These “after-vibrations” in the inner ear are dependent on sound magnitude and frequency. Consequently, even minor hearing loss results in significant loss of this short-term memory of past stimulations. Why is this important? It is critical to be able to detect short gaps in sound in order to fully recognize speech. In the absence of after-vibrations, it may be more than a little difficult to detect such gaps, which need to be longer than a minimal interval in order to be perceived.

P.S. As the study mentioned above helps to illustrate, hearing speech is a complex matter that requires a person’s full faculties. If needed, a hearing instrument can greatly help.

GET YOURSELF IN THE LOOP!

If you find yourself getting less enjoyment out of attending theatre and concerts, a hearing instrument may bring you more benefit than you ever imagined. In recent years, more “hearing loops” are being installed in stores, banks, museums, subway stations, theatres, lecture halls, meeting halls, boardrooms, and other public and private places than ever before. These loops, which are installed around the periphery of the room, consist of wires that radiate electromagnetic signals that can be picked up by most hearing instruments. When the wireless receiver on a hearing instrument (telecoil) is turned on in a room outfitted with a loop, it picks up only the sounds coming from the microphone. The resultant sound is music to the ears!

Hearing aids are distinguished by their technology or circuitry. In the early days, hearing aid technology involved vacuum tubes and large heavy batteries. Today, there are microchips, computerization, and digitized sound processing, used in hearing aid design. To schedule a hearing exam, please call FAMILY HEARING CARE CENTER at 781-337-1144. We are located at 543 Main St. (Rt. 18), across from the Stetson Bldg. in Weymouth. Please visit our website at www.familyhearing.net. Listen to Life Again.

P.S. Some theatres, churches, and temples utilize “assistive hearing systems” that beam infrared or FM signals to special headsets that must be borrowed from the establishment.

INSTRUMENTAL TO YOUR HEALTH

If you play an instrument, you should take steps to preserve the sense that is so crucial to your enjoyment of music. According to one study, up to 30 percent of pop musicians and 52 percent of classical musicians may develop some degree of noise-induced hearing loss. While factory machinery may produce about 100 decibels (dB), a large orchestra can reach levels of 112 dB or more, and rock concerts can hit 120-130 dB. With this in mind, it certainly makes good sense for musicians to protect their ears from prolonged and accumulated exposure to loud sounds. Otherwise, they may soon find that their ability to hear high frequencies will be compromised and ringing in their ears may obscure melody.

P.S. There are earplugs that are specially designed for use by musicians.

AN OLD STORY

It is an unfortunate reality that only approximately one in five people who could benefit from a hearing instrument actually use one. The other four reject using a hearing instrument for any number of reasons, perhaps the most common of which is the perception that it will “make them look older.” The fact is that nothing makes a person with impaired hearing look older than constantly having to ask people to repeat what they just said. On the other hand, not only can today’s technically advanced hearing instruments dramatically improve users’ ability to hear and understand conversation (even in noisy environments), they are scarcely noticeable. Hearing instrument use no longer involves trade-offs.

The digital revolution has made a huge impact on the way hearing aids look, feel and work. They can be so small that they are virtually invisible, so "cool" looking that you will want everyone to see them and so natural sounding, they mimic the way you used to hear before you experienced hearing loss.

P.S. Even if a hearing instrument were noticeable, it would be no more so than the seemingly ubiquitous Bluetooth telephone headset devices that many consider to be so chic and cutting-edge.