6 Ways to Save Your Hearing

June 4, 2015 By Leave a Comment

The World Health Organization reports that 1.1 billion people are at an increased risk for noise-induced hearing loss, generated by exposure to substantial sound levels from personal mp3 devices and noisy settings such as nightclubs, bars, concerts, and sporting events. An estimated 26 million Americans already suffer from the condition.

If noise-induced hearing loss occurs from direct exposure to high sound levels, then what is considered to be excessive? It turns out that any noise higher than 85 decibels is potentially hazardous, and unfortunately, many of our daily activities expose us to sounds well above this threshold. An music player at maximum volume, for example, reaches 105 decibels, and police sirens can reach 130.

So is hearing loss an inescapable consequence of our over-amplified life? Not if you make the right choices, because it also happens that noise-induced hearing loss is 100% preventable.

Here are six ways you can save your hearing:

1. Use custom earplugs

The ideal way to prevent hearing loss is to avoid loud noise entirely. Of course, for most people that would mean quitting their jobs and ditching their plans to see their favorite band perform live in concert.

But don’t worry, you don’t have to live like a hermit to spare your hearing. If you’re exposed to loud noise at work, or if you plan on going to a live concert, instead of avoiding the noise you can reduce its volume with earplugs. One possibility is to pick up a low cost pair of foam earplugs at the convenience store, realizing that they will almost certainly create muffled sound. There is a better option.

Today, several custom earplugs are available that fit comfortably in the ear. Custom earplugs are formed to the curves of your ear for optimum comfort, and they incorporate advanced electronics that lower sound volume evenly across frequencies so that music and speech can be heard clearly and naturally. Speak to your local hearing specialist for more information.

2. Keep a safe distance from the sound source

The inverse square law, as applied to sound, shows that as you double the distance from the source of sound the strength of the sound falls by 75%. This law of physics may possibly save your hearing at a rock concert; instead of standing in the front row adjacent to the speaker, increase your distance as much as possible, managing the benefits of a good view against a safe distance.

3. Take rest breaks for your ears

Hearing injury from subjection to loud sound is dependent on three factors:

  1. the sound level or intensity
  2. your distance from the sound source
  3. the length of time you’re exposed to the sound

You can decrease the intensity of sound with earplugs, you can increase your distance from the sound source, and you can also control your collective length of exposure by taking rest breaks from the sound. If you’re at a live concert or in a recording studio, for instance, make certain to give your ears regular breaks and time to recuperate.

4. Turn down the music – follow the 60/60 rule

If you often listen to music from a portable music player, make sure you keep the volume no higher that 60% of the maximum volume for no longer than 60 minutes per day. Higher volume and longer listening times enlarge the risk of long-term damage.

5. Purchase noise-canceling headphones

The 60/60 rule is very hard, if not impossible to adhere to in certain listening environments. In the presence of loud background noise, like in a busy city, you have to turn up the volume on your MP3 player to hear the music over the surrounding noise.

The answer? Noise-cancelling headphones. These headphones will filter background sounds so that you can enjoy your music without violating the 60/60 rule.

6. Arrange for regular hearing exams

It’s never too early or too late to book a hearing test. Along with the ability to determine existing hearing loss, a hearing assessment can also establish a baseline for later comparison.

Considering hearing loss develops slowly, it is difficult to detect. For most people, the only way to know if hearing loss is present is to have a professional hearing examination. But you shouldn’t wait until after the harm is done to schedule an appointment; prevention is the best medicine, and your local hearing specialist can furnish personal hearing protection solutions so that you can avoid hearing loss altogether.

Filed Under: Articles, Featured, Hearing, Hearing Loss, Preventative Care

The Psychology of Hearing Loss

May 28, 2015 By Leave a Comment

If we really want to understand hearing loss, we need to understand both the physical side, which makes hearing increasingly challenging, and the psychological side, which includes the lesser-known emotional reactions to the loss of hearing. Jointly, the two sides of hearing loss can wreak havoc on a person’s quality of life, as the physical reality brings about the loss and the psychological reality prevents people from addressing it.

The numbers tell the tale. Even though nearly all cases of hearing loss are physically treatable, only around 20% of individuals who would benefit from hearing aids use them. And even among people who do seek help, it takes an average of 5 to 7 years before they arrange for a hearing test.

How can we explain the enormous discrepancy between the potential for better hearing and the commonplace resistance to achieve it? The first step is to recognize that hearing loss is in fact a “loss,” in the sense that something invaluable has been taken away and is apparently lost forever. The second step is to find out how individuals typically react to losing something valuable, which, by way of the scholarship of the Swiss-American psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, we now understand very well.

Elizabeth Kübler-Ross’ 5 stages of grief

Kübler-Ross identified 5 stages of grief that everyone dealing with loss seems to go through (in remarkably consistent ways), although not everyone does so in the same order or in the same amount of time.

Here are the stages:

  1. Denial – the individual buffers the emotional shock by denying the loss and imagining a false, preferred reality.
  2. Anger – the individual recognizes the loss but becomes angry that it has happened to them.
  3. Bargaining – the individual reacts to the feeling of helplessness by seeking to take back control through negotiating.
  4. Depression – comprehending the weight of the loss, the individual becomes saddened at the hopelessness of the situation.
  5. Acceptance – in the last stage, the individual accepts the circumstance and presents a more stable set of emotions. The rationality associated with this stage leads to productive problem solving and the regaining of control over emotions and actions.

People with hearing loss progress through the stages at different rates, with some never getting to the final stage of acceptance — hence the discrepancy between the potential for better hearing and the low numbers of people who actually seek help, or that otherwise wait many years before doing so.

Progressing through the stages of hearing loss

The first stage of grief is the hardest to escape for those with hearing loss. Seeing that hearing loss develops slowly over time, it can be very hard to detect. People also have the tendency to make up for hearing loss by cranking up the TV volume, for example, or by forcing people to repeat themselves. Those with hearing loss can persist in the denial stage for years, saying things like “I can hear just fine” or “I hear what I want to.”

The next stage, the anger stage, can show itself as a form of projection. You may hear those with hearing loss assert that everybody else mumbles, as if the issue is with everyone else rather than with them. People remain in the anger stage until they realize that the problem is in fact with them, and not with others, at which point they may move on to the bargaining stage.

Bargaining is a form of intellectualization that can take various forms. For instance, those with hearing loss might compare their condition to others by thinking, “My hearing has become much worse, but at least my health is good. I really shouldn’t complain, other people my age are dealing with genuine problems.” You might also come across those with hearing loss devaluing their problem by thinking, “So I can’t hear as well as I used to. It’s just part of aging, no big deal.”

After passing through these first three stages of denial, anger, and bargaining, those with hearing loss may head into a stage of depression — under the mistaken assumption that there is no hope for treatment. They may remain in the depression stage for a period of time until they recognize that hearing loss can be treated, at which point they can enter the last stage: the acceptance stage.

The acceptance stage for hearing loss is shockingly evasive. If only 20% of those who can benefit from hearing aids actually wear them, that means 80% of those with hearing loss never reach the final stage of acceptance (or they’ve arived at the acceptance stage but for other reasons choose not to take action). In the acceptance stage, people recognize their hearing loss but take action to correct it, to the best of their ability.

This is the one positive side to hearing loss: unlike other forms of loss, hearing loss is partly recoverable, making the acceptance stage much easier to reach. Thanks to major improvements in digital hearing aid technology, people can in fact enhance their hearing enough to communicate and participate normally in daily activities — without the stress and difficulty of impaired hearing — allowing them to reconnect to the people and activities that give their life the most value.

Which stage are you in?

In the case of hearing loss, following the crowd is going to get you into some trouble. While 80% of those with hearing loss are trapped somewhere along the first four stages of grief — struggling to hear, harming relationships, and making excuses — the other 20% have accepted their hearing loss, taken action to strengthen it, and rediscovered the joys of sound.

Which group will you join?

Filed Under: Articles, Hearing, Hearing Loss

A Short Biography of Raymond Carhart, the “Father of Audiology”

May 21, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Raymond Carhart

Most people are surprised to discover how young the field of audiology really is, and how recently its founding father founded the profession. To put this in perspective, if you desired to find the founding father of biology, for instance, you’d have to go back in time by 2,300 years and read the The History of Animals, a natural history text penned in the 4th century BCE by the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle.

In contrast, to find the founding father of audiology, we need go back only 70 years, to 1945 when Raymond Carhart popularized the word. But who was Raymond Carhart, and how did he come to create a distinct scientific discipline so recently? The narrative starts with World War II.

World War II and Hearing Loss

One of history’s greatest lessons shows us that necessity is the mother of invention, which means that challenging circumstances prompt inventions aimed toward reducing the difficulty. Such was the case for audiology, as hearing loss was proving to be a bigger public health concern both during and after World War II.

In fact, the primary driving force behind the progress of audiology was World War II, which resulted in military personnel returning from battle with extreme hearing damage due to direct exposure to loud sounds. While many speech pathologists had been calling for better hearing evaluation and therapy all along, the number of people afflicted by hearing loss from World War II made the request impossible to ignore.

Among those calling for a new field, Robert West, a distinguished speech pathologist, called for the expansion of the speech pathology discipline to include the correction of hearing in 1936 — the same year that Raymond Carhart would graduate with a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Speech Pathology, Experimental Phonetics and Psychology.

Raymond Carhart Establishes the New Science of Hearing

Raymond Carhart himself began his career in speech pathology. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech and Psychology from Dakota Wesleyan University in 1932 and his Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Speech Pathology, Experimental Phonetics and Psychology at Northwestern University in 1934 and 1936. Carhart was in fact one of the department’s first two PhD graduates.

Immediately following graduation, Carhart became an instructor in Speech Re-education from 1936 to 1940. Then, in 1940 he was promoted to Assistant Professor and in 1943 to Associate Professor. It was what took place next, however, that may have changed the course of history for audiology.

In 1944, Carhart was commissioned a captain in the Army to head the Deshon General Hospital aural rehab program for war-deafened military personnel in Butler, Pennsylvania. It was here that Carhart, in the context of serving more than 16,000 hearing-impaired military personnel, made popular the term audiology, assigning it as the science of hearing. From that point forward, audiology would divide from speech pathology as its own exclusive research specialty.

At the conclusion of the war, Carhart would go back to Northwestern University to develop the country’s first academic program in audiology. As a skillful professor, he guided 45 doctoral students to the completion of their work, students who would themselves become notable teachers, researchers, and clinical specialists across the country. And as a researcher, among innumerable contributions, Carhart developed and enhanced speech audiometry, especially as it applied to calculating the efficiency of hearing aid performance. He even identified a particular pattern on the audiogram that reveals otosclerosis (hardening of the middle ear bones), eponymously named the “Carhart notch.”

Raymond Carhart’s Place in History

Of history’s founding fathers, the name Raymond Carhart may not be as well known as Aristotle, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, or Charles Darwin. But if you wear hearing aids, and you know the degree to which the quality of life is elevated as the result, you might place Raymond Carhart on the same level as history’s greats. His students probably would, and if you visit the Frances Searle Building at Northwestern University, you’ll still see a plaque that reads:

“Raymond Carhart, Teacher, Scholar, and Friend. From his students.”

Filed Under: Articles, Featured, Hearing, Hearing Loss, News

The Top 5 Hearing Aid Myths Exposed

April 26, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Sometimes, it seems as if we love to mislead ourselves. Wikipedia has an entry called “List of common misconceptions” that consists of hundreds of widely-held but false beliefs. Yes, I know it’s Wikipedia, but take a look at the bottom of the webpage and you’ll notice approximately 385 credible sources cited.

As an example, did you know that Thomas Edison didn’t invent the lightbulb? Or that sugar does not actually make kids hyperactive? There are myriad examples of beliefs that we just assume to be accurate, but once in a while, it’s a good idea to reassess what we think we know.

For many of us, it’s time to reassess what we think we know about hearing aids. Almost all myths and misconceptions about hearing aids are based on the problems connected with the older analog hearing aid models. But since the majority of hearing aids are now digital, those issues are a thing of the past.

So how current is your hearing aid knowledge? Read below to see if any of the top 5 myths are preventing you or someone you know from obtaining a hearing aid.

The Top 5 Myths About Hearing Aids

Myth # 1: Hearing aids are not effective because some people have had bad experiences.

Reality: To begin with, hearing aids have been proven to be effective. A study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association comparing the effectiveness of three popular types of hearing aids determined that:

Each [hearing aid] circuit markedly improved speech recognition, with greater improvement observed for soft and conversationally loud speech….All 3 circuits significantly reduced the frequency of problems encountered in verbal communication….Each circuit provided significant benefit in quiet and noisy listening situations.

Moreover, since the release of this investigation, hearing aid technology has continued to get better. So the question is not whether hearing aids work — the question is whether you have the right hearing aid for your hearing loss, professionally programmed in accordance to your preferences by a competent professional.

Negative experiences are most likely the result of receiving the wrong hearing aid, buying hearing aids online, contacting the wrong individual, or not having the hearing aids customized and professionally programmed.

Myth # 2: Hearing aids are big, cumbersome, and unsightly.

Reality: This one is relatively easy to disprove. Just perform a quick Google image search for “attractive hearing aid designs” and you’ll discover a variety of examples of stylish and colorful models from multiple producers.

Additionally, “completely-in-the-canal” (CIC) hearing aids are available that are virtually or fully invisible when worn. The newer, attractive designs, however, compel some patients to choose the slightly larger hearing aid models to showcase the technology.

Myth # 3: Hearing aids are too expensive.

Reality: Today, some flat screen televisions with ultra-high definition curved glass retail for $8,000 or more. But this doesn’t make us say that “all TVs are too expensive.”

As with television sets, hearing aids range in price depending on functionality and features. While you may not want — or need — the top of the line hearing aids, you can almost certainly find a pair that suits your needs, preferences, and finances. Also remember that, as is the scenario with all consumer electronics, hearing aids are becoming more affordable each year, and that the value of better hearing and a better life is almost always worthy of the expense.

Myth # 4: You can save time and money buying hearing aids online.

Reality: Remember myth # 1 that asserted that hearing aids are not effective? Well, it was most likely caused by this myth. Like we stated before, hearing aids have been proven to be effective, but the one caveat to that assertion has always been that hearing aids have to be programmed by a professional to ensure performance.

You wouldn’t dare buy a pair of prescription glasses on the internet without contacting your eye doctor because your glasses need to be individualized according to the unique characteristics of your vision loss. Buying hearing aids is no different.

Yes, visiting a hearing specialist is more expensive, but think of what you receive for the price: you can be confident that you get the right hearing aid with the right fitting and settings, combined with follow-up care, adjustments, cleanings, instructions, repair services, and more. It’s worth it.

Myth # 5: Hearing aids are uncomfortable and difficult to operate.

Reality: If this relates to analog hearing aids, then yes, it is generally true. The thing is, almost all hearing aids are now digital.

Digital hearing aids dynamically process sound with a mini computer chip so that you don’t have to worry about manual adjustments; in addition, some digital hearing aids can even be operated through your mobile phone. The bottom line: digital hearing aids are being produced with optimum ease-of-use in mind.

Your hearing specialist can also generate a custom mold for your hearing aids, providing a comfortable and correct fit. While a one-size-fits all hearing aid will probably be uncomfortable, a custom-fit hearing aid conforms to the shape of your ear.

Filed Under: Articles, Featured, Hearing, Hearing Aid Technology, Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Preventative Care

How to Read Your Audiogram at Your Hearing Test

April 19, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Audiogram

You have just completed your hearing test. The hearing specialist is now entering the room and presents you with a chart, like the one above, except that it has all of these signs, colors, and lines. This is designed to demonstrate to you the exact, mathematically precise characteristics of your hearing loss, but to you it might as well be written in Greek.

The audiogram creates confusion and complexity at a time when you’re supposed to be concentrating on how to enhance your hearing. But don’t let it mislead you — just because the audiogram looks perplexing doesn’t mean that it’s difficult to understand.

After looking through this article, and with a little vocabulary and a few basic concepts, you’ll be reading audiograms like a pro, so that you can concentrate on what actually matters: healthier hearing.

Some advice: as you read the article, reference the above blank audiogram. This will make it easier to understand, and we’ll tackle all of those cryptic markings the hearing specialist adds later.

Understanding Sound Frequencies and Decibels

The audiogram is essentially just a graph that records sound volume on the vertical axis and sound frequency on the horizontal axis. (are you having flashbacks to high school geometry class yet?) Yes, there’s more to it, but at a fundamental level it’s just a chart graphing two variables, as follows:

The vertical axis records sound intensity or volume, measured in decibels (dB). As you move up the axis, the sound volume decreases. So the top line, at 0 decibels, is a very soft, faint sound. As you go down the line, the decibel levels increase, standing for steadily louder sounds until you get to 100 dB.

The horizontal axis records sound frequency, measured in Hertz (Hz). Starting at the top left of the graph, you will see a low frequency of 125 or 250 Hz. As you keep moving along the horizontal axis to the right, the frequency will gradually increase until it arrives at 8,000 Hz. Vowel sounds of speech are typically low frequency sounds, while consonant sounds of speech are high frequency sounds.

And so, if you were to begin at the top left corner of the graph and draw a diagonal line to the bottom right corner, you would be increasing the frequency of sound (switching from vowel sounds to consonant sounds) while increasing the volume of sound (moving from fainter to louder volume).

Examining Hearing and Marking Up the Audiogram

So, what’s with all the markings you normally see on this simple graph?

Easy. Start at the top left corner of the graph, at the lowest frequency (125 Hz). Your hearing consultant will present you with a sound at this frequency by way of headsets, beginning with the smallest volume decibel level. If you can perceive it at the lowest level (0 decibels), a mark is made at the crossroad of 125 Hz and 0 decibels. If you can’t perceive the 125 Hz sound at 0 decibels, the sound will be presented again at the next loudest decibel level (10 decibels). If you can hear it at 10 decibels, a mark is created. If not, advance on to 15 decibels, and so on.

This identical tactic is duplicated for every frequency as the hearing specialist proceeds along the horizontal frequency line. A mark is created at the lowest perceivable decibel level you can perceive for every sound frequency.

As for the other symbols? If you observe two lines, one is for the left ear (the blue line) and one is for the right ear (the red line: red is for right). An X is generally used to mark the points for the left ear; an O is applied for the right ear. You may observe some additional symbols, but these are less crucial for your basic understanding.

What Normal Hearing Looks Like

So what is seen as normal hearing, and what would that look like on the audiogram?

People with regular hearing should be able to perceive every sound frequency level (125 to 8000 Hz) at 0-25 decibels. What would this look like on the audiogram?

Take the blank graph, find 25 decibels on the vertical axis, and draw a horizontal line entirely across. Any mark made underneath this line may reveal hearing loss. If you can hear all frequencies underneath this line (25 decibels or higher), then you more than likely have normal hearing.

If, on the other hand, you cannot perceive the sound of a certain frequency at 0-25 dB, you likely have some kind of hearing loss. The lowest decibel level at which you can perceive sound at that frequency establishes the extent of your hearing loss.

For example, take the 1,000 Hertz frequency. If you can perceive this frequency at 0-25 decibels, you have normal hearing for this frequency. If the minimum decibel level at which you can hear this frequency is 40 decibels, for instance, then you have moderate hearing loss at this frequency.

As an overview, here are the decibel levels linked with normal hearing along with the levels correlated with mild, moderate, severe, and profound hearing loss:

Normal hearing: 0-25 dB

Mild hearing loss: 20-40 dB

Moderate hearing loss: 40-70 dB

Severe hearing loss: 70-90 dB

Profound hearing loss: 90+ dB

What Hearing Loss Looks Like

So what would an audiogram with marks of hearing loss look like? Seeing as the majority of cases of hearing loss are in the higher frequencies (referred to as — you guessed it — high-frequency hearing loss), the audiogram would have a downwards sloping line from the top left corner of the graph slanting downward horizontally to the right.

This indicates that at the higher-frequencies, it requires a progressively louder decibel level for you to perceive the sound. Furthermore, considering that higher-frequency sounds are connected with the consonant sounds of speech, high-frequency hearing loss impairs your ability to grasp and pay attention to conversations.

There are a few other, less widespread patterns of hearing loss that can turn up on the audiogram, but that’s probably too much detail for this entry.

Test Your New Knowledge

You now know the nuts and bolts of how to read an audiogram. So go ahead, book that hearing test and surprise your hearing specialist with your newfound talents. And just imagine the look on their face when you tell them all about your high frequency hearing loss before they even say a word.

Filed Under: Articles, Featured, Hearing, Hearing Loss, hearing test, Preventative Care Tagged With:

How to Persuade Someone to Get a Hearing Test

April 12, 2015 By Leave a Comment

We don’t need to inform you of the signs and symptoms of hearing loss; you already know them all too well. You have a different type of problem: persuading someone you care about to get their hearing tested and treated.

But exactly how are you supposed to get through to someone who denies there is even an issue, or that merely shrugs it off as “just part of getting old”?

It turns out that it’s not as simple as just telling them that they need their hearing examined. They won’t see the need, and you won’t get very far with threats, ultimatums, or other coercive approaches.

While it may seem like an impossible scenario, there are other, more subtle strategies you can employ. In fact, you can draw from the massive body of social scientific research that signifies which strategies of persuasion have been determined to be the most consistently successful.

In other words, you can use tested, researched, and proven persuasive strategies that have been shown to actually work. It’s worth a chance, right? And perusing the strategies might help you to think of additional ideas.

With that said, the following are 6 scientifically tested techniques of persuasion and how you might use them to persuade a loved one to get their hearing tested:

1. Reciprocity

What it is:

The basic principle of reciprocity is straight forward: if someone does a favor for you, you’re strongly compelled to return the favor for them.

How to use it:

Timing is everything. You plan on requesting your loved one to get their hearing checked at some point anyway, so why don’t you make the request right after you’ve done something special for them?

2. Commitment and Consistency

What it is:

We all have a strong psychological desire to think and act consistently.

How to use it:

The trick is to start with small commitments ahead of making the final request. If you start off by ordering your loved one to get a hearing test, you almost certainly won’t see much success.

Alternatively, ease into the topic by casually sharing an article on hearing loss and how common it is. Without mentioning their own hearing loss, get them to disclose that hearing loss is a larger issue than they had believed.

As soon as they concede to some basic facts, it may be easier to talk about their own personal hearing loss, and they may be more likely to admit that they have a problem.

3. Social Proof

What it is:

We tend to think in terms of “safety in numbers.” We are inclined to stick to the crowd, and we assume that if lots of other people are doing something, it must be trusted or effective.

How to use it:

There are at a minimum two ways to make use of this method. One way is to share articles on the many advantages of using hearing aids and how hearing aids heighten the quality of life for millions of people in the U.S. and across the world.

The second way to use the technique is to arrange a hearing test for yourself. Explain to your loved one that you want to check on the health of your own hearing, but that you would feel better if they went with you and had their own assessment.

4. Liking

What it is:

You’re more likely to be persuaded by individuals you personally like than by either a stranger or by someone you dislike.

How to use it:

Enlist the assistance of people you know your loved one likes or respects. Try to find that one person whom your loved one consistently seems to respond to, and have that person discuss and recommend a hearing test.

5. Authority

What it is:

We are inclined to listen to and respect the suggestions of those we perceive as authority figures.

How to use it:

Share articles on how celebrities, athletes, and other prominent figures use and benefit from hearing aids. You can also share articles from reliable sources that summarize the advantages of having your hearing tested. For example, the World Health Organization just recently published an article titled “1.1 billion people at risk of hearing loss.”

6. Scarcity

What it is:

Scarcity causes a sense of urgency when what we want is perceived as limited or in short supply. Scarcity creates the perception that, if we don’t act promptly, we may lose something on a permanent basis.

How to use it:

Recent research has connected hearing loss to quite a few dangerous conditions, including Alzheimer’s Disease, dementia, memory impairment, and rapid cognitive decline. Hearing loss also gets worse as time goes by, so the earlier it’s dealt with, the better.

To implement scarcity, share articles, such as our preceeding blog post titled 8 reasons hearing loss is more dangerous than you think, with your loved one. Show them that each day spent with untreated hearing loss worsens the hearing loss, deteriorates health, and heightens the risk of developing more dangerous conditions.

If all else fails, just give it to them straight. Explain to your loved ones how their hearing loss affects you, together with how it’s affecting your relationship. When you make it about your needs and feelings rather than theirs, the response is usually better.

Have you had success persuading someone to have their hearing tested? Let us know your approach in a comment.

Source

The six principles of persuasion were developed by Dr. Robert Cialdini, and can be found in his book titled “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.”

Filed Under: Articles, Featured, Hearing, Hearing Loss, hearing test, Preventative Care

5 Reasons Why People Deny Hearing Loss

April 5, 2015 By Leave a Comment

It takes the average person with hearing loss 5 to 7 years before pursuing a qualified professional diagnosis, in spite of the fact that the signs and symptoms of hearing loss are crystal clear to other people. But are those with hearing loss simply too stubborn to get help? No, actually, and for a few different reasons.

Perhaps you know someone with hearing loss who either denies the problem or refuses to seek out professional help, and even though this is undoubtedly frustrating, it is very conceivable that the indications of hearing loss are much more apparent to you than they are to them.

Here are the reasons why:

1. Hearing loss is gradual

In most occurrences, hearing loss takes place so gradually over time that the affected individual simply doesn’t notice the change. While you would recognize an instant change from normal hearing to a 25 decibel hearing loss (specified as moderate hearing loss), you wouldn’t perceive the modest change of a 1-2 decibel loss.

So a gradual loss of 1-2 decibels over 10-20 years, while producing a 20-40 total decibel loss, is not going to be noticeable at any given moment in time for those impacted. That’s why friends and family are almost always the first to detect hearing loss.

2. Hearing loss is often partial (high-frequency only)

The majority of hearing loss examples are categorized as high-frequency hearing loss, indicating that the afflicted person can still hear low-frequency background sounds normally. Even though speech, which is a high-frequency sound, is challenging for those with hearing loss to understand, other sounds can usually be heard normally. This is why it’s typical for those with hearing loss to assert, “my hearing is fine, everyone else mumbles.”

3. Hearing loss is not addressed by the family doctor

People suffering with hearing loss can obtain a mistaken sense of well-being following their annual physical. It’s quite common to hear people say “if I had hearing loss, my doctor would have told me.”

This is of course not true because only 14% of physicians regularly screen for hearing loss during the yearly checkup. Not to mention that the prime symptom for most cases of hearing loss — trouble comprehending speech in the presence of background noise — will not present itself in a silent office environment.

4. The burden of hearing loss can be shared or passed on to others

How do you treat hearing loss when there’s no cure? The solution is easy: amplify sounds. The issue is, although hearing aids are the most effective at amplifying sounds, they are not the only way to accomplish it — which individuals with hearing loss promptly find out.

Those with hearing loss oftentimes crank up the volume on everything, to the detriment of those around them. TVs and radios are played exceptionally loud and people are made to either shout or repeat themselves. The person with hearing loss can manage just fine with this strategy, but only by passing on the burden to friends, family members, and co-workers.

5. Hearing loss is pain-free and invisible

Hearing loss is mainly subjective: it cannot be diagnosed by visible examination and it generally is not accompanied by any pain or discomfort. If people with hearing loss do not recognize a problem, mainly due to the reasons above, then they probably won’t take action.

The only method to properly diagnose hearing loss is through audiometry, which will measure the precise decibel level hearing loss at multiple sound frequencies. This is the only way to objectively say whether hearing loss is present, but the tricky part is needless to say getting to that point.

How to approach those with hearing loss

Hopefully, this entry has manufactured some empathy. It is always exasperating when someone with hearing loss refuses to admit the problem, but keep in mind, they may legitimately not fully grasp the severity of the problem. Rather than demanding that they get their hearing tested, a more effective approach may be to educate them on the components of hearing loss that make the condition essentially invisible.

Filed Under: Articles, Featured, Hearing, Hearing Loss, Preventative Care

Exploring a Career in the Hearing Care Profession

March 19, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Although the majority of us stay current with our annual physical, dental cleaning, and eye examination, we notoriously fail to consider the health of our hearing. And when our hearing does start to diminish, it happens so slowly and gradually that we barely notice and fail to take action. It’s this lack of interaction with hearing care professionals that makes people wonder what the career actually involves.

And that’s a shame, because hearing care professionals serve as an important segment of the healthcare system. It’s through the hearing care professional that the correct performance of one of our key senses — one in which we often tend to take for granted — is maintained or restored.

Due to the fact that we take hearing for granted, we often fail to fully grasp just how invaluable hearing is. With precise hearing, we can increase focus, enjoy the details of sound, converse better, and strengthen working relationships. And the hearing care professionals are the ones who make certain that this essential sense is working properly.

If you’d like to learn more about this crucial but little-known healthcare field — or if you’re thinking about joining the field yourself — read on.

Attraction to the hearing care field

Hearing care professionals are attracted to the field for a number of reasons, but a few main motivating factors are habitually present. First of all, many practitioners have experienced, and continue to suffer from, hearing complications themselves. Seeing as they were themselves helped by a hearing care professional, the need to repay the favor for other individuals is strong.

For example, Zoe Williams, a hearing care professional practicing in Australia, has moderate to profound hearing loss in both ears. This could have caused an inability to communicate, but thanks to cochlear implants and hearing aids, Zoe is now able to communicate normally. Understanding first-hand how enhanced hearing leads to a better life, Zoe was motivated to enter the field and to assist others in the same way.

Other individuals are enticed into the hearing care field thanks to its unique combination of counseling, problem solving, science, and engineering. Alongside studying the science of hearing and the design of hearing technology, practitioners also learn how to work with individuals in the role of a counselor. Dealing with hearing loss is a delicate situation, and people present a number of emotions and personalities. Practitioners must be able to employ the “soft skills” required to manage these challenges and must work with patients on a personalized level to defeat hearing loss.

Training and preparation

Part of the overall appeal of working in the hearing care profession is the fascinating combination of topics included as part of the education and training. Those pursuing a career in the field master interesting topics in assorted fields such as:

  • Biology – topics include the anatomy and physiology of hearing, balance, the ear, and the brain, in addition to instruction in hearing and balance disorders and pharmacology.
  • Physics – topics include the physics of sound, acoustics, and psychoacoustics (how the brain processes sound).
  • Engineering – topics include the production and operation of hearing technology such as assistive listening devices, hearing aids, and cochlear implants, as well as the programming of digital hearing aids.
  • Counseling – topics include how to interview patients, how to teach coping skills, and how to train on the use of hearing aids, as well as other interesting topics in psychology and counseling.
  • Professional practice – topics include diagnosing hearing problems, performing and interpreting hearing tests, carrying out hearing treatments, fitting and programming hearing aids, professional ethics, and running a business.

Job functions

Hearing care professionals work in a wide range of settings (schools, hospitals, private practices) performing diverse tasks such as research, teaching, and diagnosing and treating hearing and balance conditions.

Regular responsibilities include performing diagnostic tests, interpreting hearing tests, and working with patients on identifying the best hearing treatment, often times including the use of hearing aids. Hearing care professionals custom-fit and program hearing aids to best fit the individual and will coach the patient on how to use and maintain them. Hearing care professionals also work with organizations and businesses to protect against hearing injuries in loud work environments.

Benefits

The benefits cited most frequently by people in the hearing care profession revolve around the opportunity to positively impact people’s lives on a very personalized level. Lifelong friendships between patients and hearing specialists are also common as a consequence of the personal nature of care.

When patients declare that they can hear again for the first time in a very long time, the emotions can be intense. Patients commonly describe a feeling of reconnection to the world and to family, in addition to strengthened relationships and an enhanced overall quality of life.

How many occupations can claim that kind of personal impact?

Filed Under: Articles, Hearing, Hearing Loss, Preventative Care

Avoiding the Biggest Mistake in Treating Your Hearing Loss

March 12, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Do you remember the Q-Ray Bracelets? You know, the magnetic bracelets that promised to grant immediate and substantial pain relief from arthritis and other chronic conditions?

Well, you won’t find much of that advertising anymore; in 2008, the producers of the Q-Ray Bracelets were legally obligated to reimburse customers a maximum of $87 million as a consequence of deceitful and fraudulent advertising.1

The issue had to do with rendering health claims that were not backed by any scientific confirmation. For that matter, powerful evidence existed to show that the magnetized wristbands had NO influence on pain reduction, which did not bode well for the producer but did wonders to win the court case for the Federal Trade Commission.2

The wishful thinking fallacy

Fine, so the Q-Ray bracelets didn’t function (besides the placebo effect), yet they ended up selling amazingly well. What gives?

Without diving into the depths of human psychology, the straight forward reply is that we have a powerful inclination to believe in the things that seem to make our lives better and quite a bit easier.

On an emotional level, you’d love to believe that using a $50 bracelet will eradicate your pain and that you don’t have to bother with high price medical and surgical treatments.

If, for instance, you happen to suffer from chronic arthritis in your knee, which approach seems more desirable?

        a. Scheduling surgery for a complete knee replacement

        b. Going to the mall to pick up a magnetic bracelet

Your instinct is to give the bracelet a try. You already wish to trust that the bracelet will deliver the results, so now all you need is a little push from the marketers and some social confirmation from having seen other people donning them.

But it is specifically this natural instinct, combined with the inclination to seek out confirming evidence, that will get you into the most trouble.

If it sounds too good to be true…

Keeping in mind the Q-Ray bracelets, let’s say you’re suffering from hearing loss; which solution sounds more appealing?

       a. Scheduling an appointment with a hearing specialist and obtaining professionally programmed hearing aids

       b. Purchasing an off-the-shelf personal sound amplifier online for 20 bucks

Just as the magnetic bracelet seems much more appealing than a visit to the physician or surgeon, the personal sound amplifier seems to be much more appealing than a trip to the audiologist or hearing instrument specialist.

Nevertheless, as with the magnetic wristbands, personal sound amplifiers won’t cure anything, either.

The difference between hearing aids and personal sound amplifiers

Before you get the wrong impression, I’m not saying that personal sound amplifiers, also referred to as PSAPs, are fraudulent — or even that they don’t function.

On the contrary, personal sound amplifiers often do deliver results. Just like hearing aids, personal sound amplifiers consist of a receiver, a microphone, and an amplifier that receive sound and make it louder. Thought of on that level, personal sound amplifiers work fine — and for that matter, so does the act of cupping your hands behind your ears.

However when you ask if PSAPs work, you’re asking the wrong question. The questions you should be asking are:

  1. How well do they deliver the results?
  2. For which type of person do they work best?

These are precisely the questions that the FDA answered when it produced its guidance on the difference between hearing aids and personal sound amplifiers.

As reported by the FDA, hearing aids are classified as “any wearable instrument or device designed for, offered for the purpose of, or represented as aiding persons with or compensating for, impaired hearing.” (21 CFR 801.420)3

Quite the opposite, personal sound amplifiers are “intended to amplify environmental sound for non-hearing impaired consumers. They are not intended to compensate for hearing impairment.”

Although the distinction is transparent, it’s simple for PSAP producers and sellers to get around the distinction by simply not pointing it out. For instance, on a PSAP package, you might find the tagline “turning ordinary hearing into extraordinary hearing.” This promise is unclear enough to skirt the issue entirely without having to define exactly what the catch phrase “turning ordinary hearing into extraordinary hearing” even means.

You get what you pay for

As outlined by by the FDA, PSAPs are basic amplification devices ideal for individuals with normal hearing. So if you have normal hearing, and you desire to hear better while hunting, bird watching, or tuning in to far off conversations, then a $20 PSAP is perfect for you.

If you suffer from hearing loss, however, then you’ll require professionally programmed hearing aids. Although more expensive, hearing aids offer the power and features needed to address hearing loss. Listed below are some of the reasons why hearing aids are superior to PSAPs:

  • Hearing aids amplify only the frequencies that you have trouble hearing, while PSAPs amplify all sound indiscriminately. By amplifying all frequencies, PSAPs won’t permit you to hear conversations in the presence of background noise, like when you’re at a party or restaurant.
  • Hearing aids come with integrated noise reduction and canceling functions, while PSAPs do not.
  • Hearing aids are programmable and can be perfected for maximum hearing; PSAPs are not programmable.
  • Hearing aids contain various features and functions that block out background noise, provide for phone use, and provide for wireless connectivity, for example. PSAPs do not typically come with any of these features.
  • Hearing aids come in diverse styles and are custom-molded for maximal comfort and aesthetic appeal. PSAPs are typically one-size-fits-all.

Seek the help of a hearing professional

If you think you have hearing loss, don’t be enticed by the low-cost PSAPs; rather, set up a consultation with a hearing specialist. They will be able to precisely measure your hearing loss and will make sure that you receive the most effective hearing aid for your lifestyle and needs. So although the low-cost PSAPs are tempting, in this circumstance you should listen to your better judgment and seek expert assistance. Your hearing is well worth the work.

Sources

  1. Federal Trade Commission: Appeals Court Affirms Ruling in FTCs Favor in Q-Ray Bracelet Case
  2. National Center for Biotechnology Information: Effect of “ionized” wrist bracelets on musculoskeletal pain: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
  3. Food and Drug Administration: Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff: Regulatory Requirements for Hearing Aid Devices and Personal Sound Amplification Products
Filed Under: Articles, Hearing, Hearing Loss, Preventative Care

8 Reasons Hearing Loss is More Dangerous Than You Think

March 5, 2015 By Leave a Comment

warning sign

Hearing damage is hazardously sneaky. It creeps up on you through the years so little by little you scarcely become aware of it , making it all too easy to deny it’s even there. And then, when you finally recognize the signs and symptoms, you shrug it off as troublesome and frustrating due to the fact that its most harmful effects are hidden.

For around 48 million American citizens that claim some extent of hearing loss, the consequences are substantially greater than only inconvenience and frustration.1 Here are 8 reasons why untreated hearing loss is much more dangerous than you might think:

1. Link to Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease

A report from Johns Hopkins University and the National Institute on Aging indicates that individuals with hearing loss are considerably more susceptible to suffer from dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, when compared with individuals who preserve their hearing.2

While the explanation for the connection is ultimately unknown, scientists suspect that hearing loss and dementia could possibly share a shared pathology, or that years and years of straining the brain to hear could bring on harm. An additional explanation is that hearing loss many times results in social solitude — a main risk factor for dementia.

Irrespective of the cause, restoring hearing may very well be the optimum prevention, which includes the use of hearing aids.

2. Depression and social isolation

Investigators from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), part of the National Institutes of Health, have detected a strong relation between hearing loss and depression among U.S. adults of all ages and races.3

3. Not hearing alerts to danger

Car horns, ambulance and police sirens, and fire alarms all are specifically created to notify you to potential dangers. If you miss out on these alerts, you put yourself at an higher risk of injury.

4. Memory impairment and mental decline

Investigations reveal that adults with hearing loss suffer from a 40% larger rate of decline in cognitive function in comparison to individuals with normal hearing.4 The lead author of the study, Frank R. Lin, MD, PhD, of Johns Hopkins University, stated that “going forward for the next 30 or 40 years that from a public health perspective, there’s nothing more important than cognitive decline and dementia as the population ages.” That’s why growing awareness as to the connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline is Dr. Lin’s foremost concern.

5. Reduced household income

In a study of more than 40,000 households conducted by the Better Hearing Institute, hearing loss was revealed to adversely influence household income up to $12,000 annually, depending on the amount of hearing loss.5 individuals who used hearing aids, however, minimized this impact by 50%.

The ability to communicate on the job is essential to job performance and promotion. The fact is, communication skills are consistently ranked as the top job-related skill-set requested by managers and the leading factor for promotion.

6. Auditory deprivation – use it or lose it

In regard to the human body, “use it or lose it” is a slogan to live by. For instance, if we don’t make use of our muscles, they atrophy or shrink with time, and we end up losing strength. It’s only through exercise and repeated use that we can recoup our physical strength.

The the exact same phenomenon applies to hearing: as our hearing degrades, we get ensnared in a descending spiral that only gets worse. This is known as auditory deprivation, and a expanding body of research is confirming the “hearing atrophy” that can appear with hearing loss.

7. Underlying medical conditions

Despite the fact that the most common cause of hearing loss is connected to age and repeated exposure to loud noise, hearing loss is at times the symptom of a more significant, underlying medical condition. Potential conditions include:

  • Cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes
  • Otosclerosis – the solidifying of the middle ear bones
  • Ménière’s disease – a disease of the inner ear affecting hearing and balance
  • Traumatic injuries
  • Infections, earwax buildup, or obstructions from foreign objects
  • Tumors
  • Medications – there are more than 200 medications and chemicals that are known to cause hearing and balance issues

Due to the seriousness of some of the ailments, it is imperative that any hearing loss is immediately evaluated.

8. Greater risk of falls

Research has unveiled a number connections between hearing loss and serious disorders like dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and anxiety. A further study conducted by scientists at Johns Hopkins University has found yet another disheartening link: the link between hearing loss and the risk of falls.6

The research shows that individuals with a 25-decibel hearing loss, classified as mild, were almost three times more likely to have a record of falling. And for every added 10-decibels of hearing loss, the likelihood of falling increased by 1.4 times.

Don’t wait to get your hearing tested

The encouraging part to all of this negative research is the suggestion that retaining or restoring your hearing can help to minimize or eliminate these risks completely. For individuals that now have normal hearing, it is more crucial than ever to take care of it. And for all those suffering with hearing loss, it’s crucial to seek the help of a hearing specialist immediately.

Sources

  1. Hearing Loss Association of America: Basic Facts About Hearing Loss
  2. Johns Hopkins Medicine: Hearing Loss and Dementia Linked in Study
  3. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: NIDCD Researchers Find Strong Link between Hearing Loss and Depression in Adults
  4. Medscape: Hearing Loss Linked to Cognitive Decline, Impairment
  5. Better Hearing Institute: The Impact of Untreated Hearing Loss on Household Income
  6. Johns Hopkins Medicine: Hearing Loss Linked to Three-Fold Risk of Falling
Filed Under: Articles, Hearing, Hearing Loss, Preventative Care
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