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

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
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