It’s common to think of hearing loss as an unavoidable problem connected with aging, or, more recently, as a consequence of the younger generation’s routine use of iPods. But the numbers indicate that the bigger problem may be direct exposure to loud noise at work. In the United States, 22 million workers are subjected to
The adage “you get what you pay for” is definitely true of hearing aids, and although modern hearing aids are engineered to be more effective than ever, they’re not exactly inexpensive, either. Luckily, modern digital hearing aids, while not cheap, ARE becoming more reasonably priced, in the same manner that most consumer electronics are becoming
More often than not, people are unaware that they have hearing loss. It develops so gradually that it’s often undetectable, and moreover, the majority of family doctors do not consistently screen for hearing loss at the annual physical exam. Considering these two realities, it’s no surprise that most people first realize they have hearing loss
Approximately 45 million Americans suffer from tinnitus, which is the perception of sound where no external sound source is present. This phantom sound is often identified as a ringing sound, but can also materialize as a buzzing, hissing, whistling, swooshing, or clicking. The first thing to know about tinnitus is that it’s a symptom, not
Zinc-air-battery-types by Marc Andressen is licensed under Attribution CC 2.0 You could make a strong case that the most vital component of your hearing aid is the battery: without it, nothing else works, and if it fails, your hearing fails with it. In this short guide, we’ll provide you with everything you need to know
The World Health Organization estimates that 1.1 billion people are at an increased risk for noise-induced hearing loss, caused by exposure to substantial sound levels from personal audio devices and noisy environments such as clubs, bars, concerts, and sporting events. An projected 26 million Americans currently suffer from the condition. If noise-induced hearing loss occurs
If we really want to understand hearing loss, we need to understand both the physical side, which makes hearing progressively difficult, and the psychological side, which includes the lesser-known emotional responses to the loss of hearing. In concert, the two sides of hearing loss can wreak havoc on a person’s quality of life, as the
Many people are surprised to hear how young the discipline of audiology really is, and just how recently its founding father established the profession. To put this in perspective, if you wanted to find the founding father of biology, for example, you’d have to go back in time by 2,300 years and read the The
When it’s time to buy a car, most of us know exactly what to do. We carry out some research, assess options, and compile a list of questions to ask the dealership. We do this so that by the time we’re set to stop by the dealership, we have an idea of what we’re looking
You’ve without doubt heard that today’s hearing aids are “not your grandfather’s hearing aids,” or that hearing aid technology is light-years ahead of where it used to be, even as recently as 5 to 10 years ago. But what makes modern technology so much better? And what exactly can modern hearing aids accomplish that couldn’t
Sometimes, it seems like we love to deceive ourselves. Wikipedia has an entry named “List of common misconceptions” that contains hundreds of universally-held but false beliefs. Yes, I understand it’s Wikipedia, but take a look at the bottom of the webpage and you’ll see around 385 references to credible sources. For instance, did you know
You have just finished your hearing test. The hearing specialist is now entering the room and presents you with a graph, like the one above, except that it has all of these characters, colors, and lines. This is designed to highlight to you the exact, mathematically precise attributes of your hearing loss, but to you