Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Treat Your Hearing Loss

August 27, 2015 By Leave a Comment

We all procrastinate, regularly talking ourselves out of complex or unpleasant activities in favor of something more pleasing or fun. Distractions abound as we tell ourselves that we will some day get around to whatever we’re currently working to avoid.

Sometimes, procrastination is relatively harmless. We might plan to clear out the basement, for instance, by throwing out or donating the items we seldom use. A clean basement sounds good, but the work of actually hauling things to the donation center is not so satisfying. In the interest of short-term pleasure, it’s very easy to find myriad alternatives that would be more pleasant—so you put it off.

Other times, procrastination is not so benign, and when it comes to hearing loss, it could be downright hazardous. While no one’s idea of a good time is getting a hearing test, recent research reveals that neglected hearing loss has serious physical, mental, and social consequences.

To understand why, you need to start with the impact of hearing loss on the brain itself. Here’s a popular analogy: if any of you have ever broken a bone, let’s say your leg, you know what happens just after you take the cast off. You’ve lost muscle size and strength from inactivity, because if you don’t repeatedly use your muscles, they get weaker.

The same occurs with your brain. If you under-utilize the part of your brain that processes sounds, your capacity to process auditory information grows weaker. Researchers even have a term for this: they refer to it as “auditory deprivation.”

Returning to the broken leg example. Let’s say you took the cast off your leg but persisted to not make use of the muscles, relying on crutches to get around the same as before. What would happen? Your leg muscles would get increasingly weaker. The same happens with your brain; the longer you go with hearing loss, the a smaller amount of sound stimulation your brain gets, and the worse your hearing gets.

That, in essence, is auditory deprivation, which creates a host of additional disorders present research is continuing to unearth. For instance, a study directed by Johns Hopkins University revealed that those with hearing loss encounter a 40% decrease in cognitive function compared to those with normal hearing, as well as an enhanced risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia.

Generalized cognitive decline also triggers significant mental and social consequences. A leading study by The National Council on the Aging (NCOA) revealed that those with neglected hearing loss were much more likely to report depression, anxiety, and paranoia, and were less likely to participate in social activities, compared to those who wear hearing aids.

So what begins as an inconvenience—not having the capability hear people clearly—leads to a downward spiral that affects all aspects of your health. The sequence of events is clear: Hearing loss leads to auditory deprivation, which produces general cognitive decline, which leads to psychological harm, including depression and anxiety, which ultimately leads to social isolation, strained relationships, and an increased risk of developing serious medical issues.

The Benefits of Hearing Aids

So that was the bad news. The good news is equally encouraging. Let’s visit the broken leg illustration one last time. Just after the cast comes off, you start exercising and stimulating the muscles, and over time, you recover your muscle mass and strength.

The same process once again applies to hearing. If you enhance the stimulation of sound to your brain with hearing aids, you can regain your brain’s ability to process and understand sound. This leads to better communication, better psychological health, and ultimately to better relationships. And, in fact, as reported by The National Council on the Aging, hearing aid users report improvements in almost every area of their lives.

Are you ready to accomplish the same improvement?

Filed Under: Anatomy and Physiology, Articles, Common Conditions of the Ear, Hearing, Hearing Loss, Preventative Care

6 Ways Your Brain Transforms Sound Into Emotion

August 13, 2015 By Leave a Comment

It has long been known that there are strong connections among sound, music, emotion, and memory, and that our personal experiences and preferences determine the type and intensity of emotional reaction we have to various sounds.

For example, research has revealed these prevalent associations between certain sounds and emotions:

  • The sound of a thunderstorm evokes a feeling of either relaxation or anxiety, depending on the individual
  • Wind chimes commonly provoke a restless feeling
  • Rain evokes a feeling of relaxation
  • Fireworks evoke a feeling of nostalgia and pleasurable memories
  • The vibrations of a cell phone are often perceived as irritating

Other sounds have a more universal identity. UCLA researchers have observed that the sound of laughter is universally identified as a positive sound signifying enjoyment, while other sounds are globally associated with fear, anger, disgust, sadness, and surprise.

So why are we susceptible to particular emotional responses in the presence of certain sounds? And why does the response tend to differ between individuals?

Although the answer is still effectively a mystery, current research by Sweden’s Lund University provides some fascinating insights into how sound and sound environments can affect humans on personal, emotional, and psychological levels.

Here are six psychological mechanisms through which sound may stir up emotions:

1. Brain-Stem Reflex

You’re seated quietly in your office when all of a sudden you hear a loud, sudden crash. What’s your response? If you’re like most, you become emotionally aroused and compelled to investigate. This kind of impulse is subconscious and hard-wired into your brain to warn you to possibly critical or life-threatening sounds.

2. Evaluative Conditioning

People frequently associate sounds with selected emotions based on the context in which the sound was heard. For example, hearing a song previously played on your wedding day may produce feelings of joy, while the same song first heard by someone during a bad breakup may create the opposing feelings of sadness.

3. Emotional Contagion

When someone smiles or starts laughing, it’s difficult to not start smiling and laughing yourself. Research carried out in the 1990s revealed that the brain may contain what are referred to as “mirror neurons” that are active both when you are carrying out a task AND when you are observing someone else perform the task. When we hear someone speaking while crying, for example, it can be challenging to not also experience the corresponding feelings of sadness.

4. Visual Imagery

Let’s say you love listening to CDs that contain exclusively the sounds of nature. Why do you like it? Presumably because it evokes a positive emotional experience, and, taking that even further, it most likely evokes some robust visual images of the natural surroundings in which the sounds are heard. Case in point, try listening to the sounds of waves crashing and NOT visualizing yourself relaxing at the beach.

5. Episodic Memory

Sounds can stimulate emotionally powerful memories, both good and bad. The sounds of rain can stir up memories of a pleasurable day spent at home, while the sound of thunder may lead to memories affiliated with combat experience, as seen in post-traumatic stress disorder.

6. Music Expectancy

Music has been depicted as the universal language, which seems logical the more you consider it. Music is, after all, simply a random assortment of sounds, and is pleasing only because the brain imposes order to the sounds and interprets the order in a specified way. It is, in fact, your expectations about the rhythm and melody of the music that trigger an emotional response.

Sound, Emotion, and Hearing Loss

Irrespective of your specific responses to different sounds, what is certain is that your emotions are directly involved. With hearing loss, you not only lose the capacity to hear particular sounds, you also lose the emotional impact tied to the sounds you can either no longer hear or can no longer hear well.

With hearing loss, for instance, nature walks become less pleasant when you can no longer hear the faint sounds of running water; music loses its emotional punch when you can’t differentiate specific instruments; and you place yourself at greater risk when you can’t hear fire alarms or other alerts to danger.

The truth is that hearing is more vital to our lives—and to our emotional lives—than we most likely realize. It also indicates that treating your hearing loss will probably have a greater impact than you realize, too.

What are some of your favorite sounds? What emotions do they evoke?

Are there any particular sounds or songs that make you feel happy, angry, annoyed, sad, or excited? Let us know in a comment.

Filed Under: Anatomy and Physiology, Articles, Common Conditions of the Ear, Hearing, Hearing Loss

6 Ways to Lose Your Hearing

August 6, 2015 By Leave a Comment

The strange part of hearing loss is that we don’t seem to start appreciating our favorite sounds until after we’ve lost the capability to clearly hear them. We don’t pause to contemplate, for instance, how much we enjoy a good conversation with a close friend until we have to recurrently ask them to repeat themselves.

Whether it’s your favorite Mozart album or the sounds of a Bluejay first thing in the morning, your total well being is directly tied to your ability to hear—whether you realize it or not. And if you wait until after you’ve lost your hearing to come to this awareness, you’re going to dedicate a good deal of time and effort working to get it back.

So how can you conserve your ability to hear?

Here are 6 ways you could lose your hearing and what you can do about it.

1. Genetics and aging

Age-related hearing loss, also called presbycusis, is the loss of hearing that slowly and gradually occurs as we grow old. Combined with presbycusis, there is also some evidence indicating that genetics plays a role, and that some of us are more prone to hearing loss than others.

While there’s not much you can do to prevent the process of getting older or adjust your genetics, you can protect against noise-induced hearing loss from the other causes mentioned below. And keep in mind that age-related hearing loss is significantly more difficult to treat if made worse by avoidable damage.

2. Traveling

Regular exposure to sound levels above 85 decibels can result in permanent hearing loss, which is not-so-good news if you happen to drive a convertible. New research shows that driving a convertible with the top down at excessive speeds generates an average sound volume level of 90 decibels. Motorcyclists experience even higher sounds and those who use the subway are at risk as well.

So does everybody either have to forego travel or live with permanent earplugs? Not exactly, but you should look for ways to reduce your collective noise exposure during travel. If you drive a convertible, roll up your windows and drive a little slower; if you own a motorcycle, put on a helmet and consider earplugs; and if you use the subway, consider buying noise-canceling headphones.

3. Going to work

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 22 million employees in the US are subjected to potentially harmful noise volumes on the job. The highest risk careers are in manufacturing, farming, construction, the military, and the music industry.

The last thing you need is to spend your entire work life accumulating hearing loss that will prevent you from enjoying your retirement. Check with your employer about its hearing protection plan, and if they do not have one, consult with your local hearing specialist for personalized solutions.

4. Taking drugs and smoking

Smoking impedes blood flow, among other things, which could enhance your risk of developing hearing loss—if you really required another reason to stop smoking. Antibiotics, strong pain medications, and a significant number of other drugs are “ototoxic,” or toxic to the cells of hearing. In fact, there are more than 200 known ototoxic medications.

The bottom line: avoid taking ototoxic drugs or medications unless completely necessary. Consult with your doctor if you have any questions.

5. Listening to music

85 is turning out to be quite an inconvenient number. Many of our favorite activities yield decibel levels just above this threshold, and any sound over 85 decibels can result in hearing loss. If the threshold were just slightly higher, say 100 decibels, we wouldn’t have to worry about it so much.

But 85 it is. And portable music players at full volume reach more than 100 decibels while rock shows reach more than 110. The solution is straight forward: turn down your iPod, wear earplugs at concerts, and minimize your exposure time to the music.

6. Getting sick or injured

Selected ailments, such as diabetes, along with any traumatic head injuries, places you at greater risk of developing hearing loss. If you have diabetes, regular exercise, a balanced diet, and consistent tracking of glucose levels is critical. And if you ride a motorcycle, wearing a helmet will help protect against traumatic head injuries.

Talk to Your Hearing Specialist

While there are several ways to lose your hearing, a few simple lifestyle alterations can help you safeguard your hearing for life. Keep in mind: the minimal hassle of wearing custom earplugs, driving with the windows up, or turning down your iPod are insignificant in comparison to the substantial inconvenience of hearing loss later in life.

Ready to take your hearing health seriously? Give us a call today.

Filed Under: Anatomy and Physiology, Articles, Common Conditions of the Ear, Hearing, Hearing Loss

The Right Way to Clean Your Ears

July 23, 2015 By Leave a Comment


Anatomy of the ear
Blausen.com staff. “Blausen gallery 2014”.

That there is a right way to clean your ears implies that there is a wrong way, and in fact, there is a very wrong way. The wrong way is customary, and it violates the very first rule of cleaning your ears: don’t insert foreign objects into your ear canal. That includes cotton swabs and any other object that will most likely only push the earwax up against the eardrum, potentially causing irritation, temporary hearing loss, or eardrum injury.

So what should you be doing to clean your ears under normal conditions? In a word: nothing (I hope you weren’t expecting something more profound). Your ears are made to be self-cleansing, and the regular motions of your jaw drive earwax from the canal to the outer ear. If you try to remove it, your ear just produces more wax.

And earwax is essential, as it contains protective, lubricating, and antibacterial properties. In fact, over-cleaning the ears brings about dry, itchy, irritated skin within the ear canal. Therefore, for most people most of the time, nothing is needed other than normal washing to clean the outer ear.

But notice that we said MOST of the time, because there are scenarios in which people do produce an excessive amount of earwax or excess earwax impacts the eardrum. In scenarios like these, you will need to clean your ears. Here’s how:

Cleaning your ears at home

We will say it once again: don’t insert any foreign objects into your ear canal. You can irritate the sensitive skin of the canal and can end up perforating your eardrum. This means no cotton swabs and positively no ear candles. (Speaking of ear candles, in 2010, the FDA released a warning against using them, reporting that no scientific evidence supports their effectiveness and that their use can lead to major injuries.)

To correctly clean your ears at home, take the following measures:

  1. Purchase earwax softening solution at the drugstore or make some at home. Instructions for making the solution can be found on the internet, and the solution often includes the use of hydrogen peroxide, mineral oil, and glycerin.
  2. Pour the solution into your ears from the container or by using a plastic or bulb syringe. Tilt your head to the side and let the solution to work for 5-10 minutes.
  3. Empty the fluid out of your ear by tilting your head gradually over a container or the sink, or you can use a cotton ball pushed against the outside of the ear. (I know it’s tempting, but again, don’t force the cotton ball into your ear.)
  4. Flush out your ears with lukewarm water using a bulb syringe to dislodge any loosened earwax.

When not to clean your ears at home

Cleaning your ears at home could be harmful in the presence of an ear infection or a perforated eardrum. If you experience any symptoms such as fever, dizziness, ear pain, or ear discharge, it’s best to see your doctor or hearing specialist. Also, repeated attempts at self cleaning that are unsuccessful may indicate a more severe congestion that will require professional cleaning.

Medical doctors and hearing specialists utilize a variety of medicines and devices to quickly, thoroughly, and safely remove excess earwax. The solutions tend to be stronger than the homemade versions, and tools called curettes can be inserted into the ear to manually remove the wax.

When in doubt, leave it to the professionals. You’ll get the peace of mind that you’re not harming your ears, and symptoms can subside within minutes of a professional cleaning. In addition, underlying issues or hearing loss can be identified and corrected by a professional.

If you have any additional questions or want to schedule an appointment, give us a call today! And keep in mind, if you’re a hearing aid user, you’ll want to get a routine professional checkup every 6 months.

Filed Under: Articles, Common Conditions of the Ear, Featured, Hearing, Preventative Care

Understanding Your Treatment Options for Tinnitus

June 18, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Nearly 45 million Americans suffer from tinnitus, which is the perception of sound where no outside sound source is present. This phantom sound is typically 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 a disease. Consequently, tinnitus may signal an underlying health condition that, once cured, cures the tinnitus. Earwax accumulation or other blockages, blood vessel disorders, selected medications, and other underlying disorders can all trigger tinnitus, so the first step is ruling out any ailments that would call for medical or surgical treatment.

In most cases of tinnitus, however, no specific cause is discovered. In these instances, tinnitus is presumed to be caused by destruction of the nerve cells of hearing in the inner ear. Noise-induced hearing loss, age-related hearing loss, and one-time exposure to very loud sounds can all cause tinnitus.

Whenever tinnitus is induced by nerve cell damage, or is associated with hearing loss, tinnitus often cannot be cured—but that doesn’t imply that people must suffer without assistance. Although there is no conclusive cure for the majority of instances of chronic tinnitus, various tinnitus treatment options are available that help patients live better, more comfortable, and more productive lives, even if the perception of tinnitus remains.

Here are some of the treatment options for tinnitus:

Hearing Aids

Most cases of tinnitus are linked with some form of hearing loss. In people with hearing loss, a smaller amount of sound stimulation reaches the brain, and in response, investigators believe that the brain changes physically and chemically to accommodate the insufficiency of stimulation. It is this maladaptive reaction to sound deprivation that results in tinnitus.

Tinnitus is intensified with hearing loss because when surrounding sound is muffled, the sounds identified with tinnitus become more notable. But when hearing aids are used, the amplified sound signals cause the sounds of tinnitus to blend into the richer background sounds. Hearing aids for tinnitus patients can then grant multiple benefits, among them enhanced hearing, enhanced auditory stimulation, and a “masking effect” for tinnitus.

Sound Therapy

Sound therapy is a general phrase used to describe a number of approaches to using external sound to “mask” the tinnitus. With time, the brain can learn to recognize the sounds of tinnitus as insignificant in comparison to the competing sound, thereby lessening the intensity level of tinnitus.

Sound therapy can be delivered through masking devices but can also be provided through certain hearing aid models that can stream sound wirelessly by using Bluetooth technology. Some hearing aid models even connect with compatible Apple products, including iPhones, so that any masking sounds downloaded on the Apple devices can be transmitted wirelessly to the hearing aids.

The types of masking sounds used may vary, including white noise, pink noise, nature sounds, and music. Sounds can also be specially designed to match the sound frequency of the patient’s tinnitus, providing individualized masking relief. Since each patient will respond differently to different masking sounds, it’s essential that you work with a experienced hearing professional.

Behavioral Therapies

Numerous behavioral therapies exist to help the patient address the psychological and emotional components of tinnitus. One example is mindfulness-based stress reduction, in which the individual learns to accept the affliction while establishing helpful coping methods.

You may have also heard the term Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), which mixes cognitive-behavioral therapy with sound masking therapy. With Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, patients learn to formulate healthy cognitive and emotional reactions to tinnitus while applying sound therapy to teach their brains to reclassify tinnitus as unimportant, so that it can be consciously ignored.

General Wellness

Together with the more specific sound and behavioral therapies, patients can participate in general wellness activities that frequently reduce the severity of tinnitus. These activities include healthy diets, frequent exercise, social activity, recreational activities, and any other activities that promote improved health and reduced stress.

Drug Therapies

There are presently no FDA-approved medications that have been found to cure or alleviate tinnitus directly, but there are drugs that can treat stress, anxiety, and depression, all of which can make tinnitus worse or are caused by tinnitus itself. In fact, some antidepressant and antianxiety medications have been demonstrated to supply some relief to patients with severe tinnitus.

Experimental Therapies

A flurry of promising research is being performed in labs and universities across the world, as researchers continue to hunt for the underlying neurological cause of tinnitus and its ultimate cure. Although several of these experimental therapies have shown some promise, keep in mind that they are not yet readily available, and that there’s no assurance that they ever will be. People struggling with tinnitus are encouraged to seek out current treatments rather than holding out for any experimental treatment to hit the market.

Here are a few of the experimental therapies presently being evaluated:

  • Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) delivers electromagnetic pulses into the affected brain tissue to lessen the hyperactivity that is believed to cause tinnitus.
  • Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is another means of delivering electromagnetic pulses into the hyperactive brain tissue that is believed to cause tinnitus.
  • Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is similar to the previous therapies in its use of electromagnetic energy, the difference being that DBS is an invasive procedure requiring surgery and the placing of electrodes in the brain tissue.

Other medical, surgical, and pharmacological therapies exist, but the results have been mixed and the risks of invasive procedures quite often outweigh the benefits.

The Best Treatment For Your Tinnitus

The optimum tinnitus treatment for you is based on many factors, and is best appraised by a qualified hearing specialist. As your local hearing care professionals, we’ll do everything we can to help you find relief from your tinnitus. Set up your appointment today and we’ll find the customized solution that works best for you.

Filed Under: Articles, Common Conditions of the Ear, Featured, Hearing, Hearing Loss, Preventative Care, Tinnitus

Professional musicians at greater risk of developing hearing loss

February 28, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Continuous exposure to loud music: that’s what can damage your hearing. Hearing loss starts with recurrent exposure to sounds at or above 85 decibels (decibels being a unit used to measure loudness). This means musicians are at a very high risk, considering the high decibels found at a concert.

Check out these common activities:

Whisper at 6 feet: 30 decibels (dB)
Regular dialogue at 3 feet: 60 – 65 (dB)
Motorcycle: 100 dB
Front row at a rock show: 120 to 150 dB

A musician’s hearing is what is most predisposed to damage from the performance of their craft. Fame, wealth, and screaming fans — these are a couple of the terms and phrases you’d pick in order to summarize the everyday life of a professional musician. The terms “hearing loss” or “tinnitus,” signify the negative side-effects of all that glory, wealth, and screaming.
The culprit of all that hearing loss is recurring subjection to deafening noise. In the long run, loud noise will irreparably destroy the hair cells of the inner ear, which are the sensory receptors responsible for sending sound to the brain. Like an ample patch of grass worn out from frequent trampling, the hair cells can in a similar fashion be wiped out from repeated overexposure to loud noise – the dissimilarity, of course, being that you can’t grow brand new hair cells.

Signs of Hearing Loss

In reality, musicians are close to four times more likely to acquire noise-induced hearing loss in contrast with the average person, according to scientists at the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology. The scientific study also discovered that professional musicians are about 57% more likely to suffer from tinnitus — a disorder connected with a repeated ringing in the ears.

Unfortunately, musicians don’t see an audiologist until it’s too late and they experience:

A ringing or buzzing sound in the ears
Any pain or discomfort in the ears
Difficulty comprehending speech
Trouble following discussions in the presence of background noise

The trouble is, when these symptoms are present, the damage has already been done. So, the leading thing a musician can do to deter long-term, permanent hearing loss is to schedule an appointment with an audiologist before symptoms are present.
If you’re a musician, an audiologist can recommend custom made musicians’ plugs or in-ear-monitors that will give protection to your hearing without limiting your musical performance. As a musician, you have unique needs for hearing and hearing protection, and audiologists or hearing specialists are the professionals specifically trained to provide this custom protection.
Considering the unique requirements of musicians — as well as the significance of protecting the details of sound — the best road to take is to schedule an appointment with an audiologist.

How musicians, and fans, can protect their ears

Rock shows are literally ear-splittingly loud, and continued unprotected exposure can cause some considerable harm, which several popular musicians know all too well.
Chris Martin, the lead vocalist for the band Coldplay, has dealt with with Tinnitus for a decade. According to Martin:
“Looking after your ears is unfortunately something you don’t think about until there’s a problem. I’ve had tinnitus for about 10 years, and since I started protecting my ears it hasn’t got any worse (touch wood). But I wish I’d thought about it earlier. Now we always use moulded filter plugs, or in-ear monitors, to try and protect our ears. You CAN use industrial headphones, but that looks strange at a party.”
Other significant musicians that suffer from hearing loss or tinnitus include Neil Young, Ozzy Osbourne, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Bono, Sting, Ryan Adams, and more, many of which indicate regret that they hadn’t done more to take care of their ears all through their careers. Lars Ulrich from Metallica points out:
“If you get a scratch on your nose, in a week that’ll be gone. When you scratch your hearing or damage your hearing, it doesn’t come back. I try to point out to younger kids … once your hearing is gone, it’s gone, and there’s no real remedy.”

Even though musicians are at greater risk for acquiring hearing loss or tinnitus, they can slash their risk by taking protective measures. Plus, everyday folks who are subjected to loud environments should also seek protection.

Filed Under: Anatomy and Physiology, Articles, Choosing a Hearing Aid, Common Conditions of the Ear, Hearing, Hearing Aid Technology, Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Preventative Care, Tinnitus

Preventing work related hearing loss with high fidelity, custom-fit ear plugs

February 21, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Everyday work-related activities have high decibel levels associated with them – not just for people who work in loud environments. For example, a power saw can reach 110 decibels, a newspaper press 97, a chain saw 120, a sporting event 105, and a jet takeoff 150. Musicians, production line workers, construction workers, airport staff, emergency workers, plumbers, and craftsmen are all likely to develop extreme hearing loss and tinnitus.
Did you know that 85 decibels is the noise intensity at which repetitive exposure can cause significant hearing damage?
Did you know that 100 decibels is the sound degree reached by a rock concert? Bad news for anyone who plays in a band or who likes to go see one.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says an amazing 30 million people in the U.S. are subjected to dangerous sound levels, representing one of the biggest occupational threats over the previous 25 years.

Work-related hearing loss impacts countless numbers

This is a story that’s been around the block a time or two, and it happens more than you think. Just take in the fact that in 2009 alone, there were 21,000 incidents of occupational hearing loss reported.
Kevin Twigg of Stockport, England understands all too well about the occupational hazards of loudness. That’s because he worked on evaluating and repairing law enforcement car sirens — which get to between 106 to 118 decibels — for more than 30 years.
After retirement, severe tinnitus set in along with severe hearing loss that mandated the use of hearing aids. Having failed to adopt the safety actions that would alleviate the noise levels, Twigg’s employer was found liable in court, losing a case in which Twigg won big.

4 reasons why you should choose custom-fit ear plugs over the off-the-shelf foam variety

Why are custom-fit ear plugs so much better than those cheap foam ear plugs? We explore the reasons:

1. avoidance of the “Occlusion Effect”
With foam ear plugs, the user will perceive a hollowed out or boomy sound in their voice when speaking, singing, or playing an musical instrument. This bothersome noise is referred as the “occlusion effect.”
Custom-fit ear plugs are molded to the ear, forming a deep seal that helps prevent this distracting sound.

2. conservation of sound quality
Common foam ear plugs muffle speech and music. By reducing noise mainly in the high frequency range, rather than in the mid-to-low frequency range, music and voices appear to be unnatural and indecipherable. Foam ear plugs also decrease sound by 30-40 decibels, which is excessive for the prevention of hearing damage.
Custom-fit ear plugs will minimize sound more evenly across frequencies while lowering sound volume by a lower decibel level, thereby maintaining the all natural quality of speech and music.

3. price & convenience
Custom ear plugs can last up to four years, almost always at a price tag of well under $100.
Let’s do some math on the disposable foam plugs:
$3.99 for 10 pairs equals $0.39 per pair
$0.39 per pair X 5 days per week X 52 weeks per year X 4 years = $405.60
With custom-fit ear plugs, you will certainly save cash in the long run and will avert all of those outings to the store. No one likes shopping for ear plugs, so while the initial visit to the audiologist seems like a pain, in the long run you will also conserve time.

4. preserving the environment
Throw-away ear plugs produce a lot of waste:
5 days per week X 52 weeks per year = 260 pairs of foam ear plugs tossed out every single year.

How to protect your ears while at work

The ideal method at work requires the use of custom-fit ear plugs, sometimes referred to as musicians plugs. You just have to be fitted for them by your hearing consultant, who can tailor specifically to you, your job, and your needs.
This is much better than picking up disposabless at the community store, and it’s cheaper and better on the environment in the long run, too.

Schedule an appointment today

The benefits of custom-fit ear plugs speak can be seen in many facets of life. Particularly if you undergo exposure to loud noises at work, or attend several concerts, be sure to schedule a consultation with a hearing expert today. Custom-fit ear plugs will protect your ears the best.

Filed Under: Articles, Choosing a Hearing Aid, Common Conditions of the Ear, Hearing, Hearing Aid Technology, Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Preventative Care, Tinnitus

A Brief History of Hearing Aids

February 14, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Approximately 35 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss. In perspective, very few of them are prescribed a hearing aid. They can be quite costly, but their advantages are unparalleled and well worth it. On average, a hearing aid costs about $1500. They have come a long way from the primitive ear trumpets of 200 years ago. As a result of research over the years as well as growth in technology, these devices now come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and even colors. Plus, they only weigh a few ounces, providing an unmatched versatility to the user. They used to weigh tens of pounds! With connections to Bluetooth and filtering capabilities inherent in today’s models, there has been quite an evolution in terms of these devices.

On the Ear

It wasn’t till the late 1930s that hearing aids that could be worn on the ear with relative comfort got popular. These devices were made by a Chicago electronics manufacturer, featuring a thin wire connected to an earpiece and receiver. A battery pack which attached to the user’s leg made it hard to get around easily, though. More compact models emerged during World War II for more reliable service to the user thanks to the invention of printed circuit boards.

Precursors to Hearing Aids

Ear trumpets were crafted for the very wealthy, such as the Reynolds Trumpet, personally made for Joshua Reynolds, a famous painter of his time. The ear trumpet is a horn-shaped instrument that is designed to direct sound into the inner ear. It was invented back in the 17th century, which were beneficial only to those who suffered from a partial hearing impairment. These were large, cumbersome devices that only served to amplify sound within the immediate environment. Just think of an old phonograph with the conical sphere and you’ll get a good mental picture of what these resembled. As the 18th century approached, they came even further.

How can Phones Improve Hearing?

When the 19th century came about, electrical technologies emerged spurred on by the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876. This invention was a catalyst for advancement leading to electrical transmission of speech. Thomas Edison was inspired by this invention and came up with the carbon transmitter for the telephone in 1878. This was designed to boost the basics of the telephone as well as the electrical signal to improve hearing. The 17th and 18th centuries brought with them devices that offered only limited amplification qualities.

Modern Models

Behind-the-ear models, invented in 1964 by Zenith Radio, boasted digital signal-processing chips. Then along came hybrid analog-digital models and then fully digital models by 1996. By the year 2000, programmable hearing aids were on the scene that gave users increased flexibility, customization and comfort. Today, most — about 90 percent — of all hearing aids are digital in nature.

Vacuum Tubes Were Revolutionary Yet Cumbersome

Vacuum tubes, put out by Western Electric Co., came next in New York City in 1920. Manufactures built upon the technology that came from Lee De Forest’s finding of the three-component tube years earlier. They offered not only better amplification but also better frequency. However, they were huge and impractical. They got to the size of a small box eventually, but they were still quite inconvenient.
Today’s hearing aids are light years ahead in terms of size, weight, functionality and adaptability.

Filed Under: Articles, Choosing a Hearing Aid, Common Conditions of the Ear, Hearing, Hearing Aid Technology, Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Preventative Care, Tinnitus

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Hearing Aids

February 5, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Hearing aids have went through a large number of iterations in their 200-plus year history. The technology that is implemented in hearing aids has historically been developed by means of a devoted scientist who is either affected by hearing loss or has a friend or family member affected by hearing loss. As an example, Alexander Graham Bell’s mother had substantial hearing loss and his wife was deaf.

Here are 10 other little-known facts about hearing aids:

1. Hearing aids can be synced up with wireless devices through state of the art technology like Bluetooth, so users are able to enjoy direct signals from their smart phone, MP3 player, TV, and other gadgets.

2. Hearing aids are not one size fits all – in fact, they can and should be programmable. This means they have the capability to recall the most comfortable settings for the user, often readjusting in real time to the surrounding environment.

3. Digital hearing aids – a recent advancement — have drastically diminished the occurrence of pestering feedback, echoes, and background noises. These were par for the course as part of earlier technologies, and they made concentrating much harder.

4. In addition to the amplification of sound, modern hearing aids can also enhance and clarify sound.

5. When used in combination with special induction or hearing loops, hearing aid users can more clearly hear notices in public areas, meetings, airports, arenas, and other congested areas. This technology enhances sounds and minimizes all the background noise.

6. It used to be that hearing aids were only manufactured in beige and related colors to match people’s skin color, so that they were not easily recognizable. Today, users are welcoming their hearing aid technology, exhibiting a range of colors and patterns to show off their devices and stick out in a crowd.

7. Similarly, hearing aids are smaller in size than ever before. They used to be large, cumbersome gadgets that weighed several pounds and barely amplified sound. Today, they only weigh a few ounces and provide remarkably better sound quality.

8. Today, you can purchase water resistant and waterproof hearing aids to better fit in with your lifestyle. Water resistant hearing aids can tolerate low levels of humidity and moisture, while waterproof hearing aids can withstand higher levels of moisture during showering and even swimming.

9. Instead of having to frequently replace the batteries in hearing aids, many are now made with rechargeable technology to cut down on upkeep costs.

10. Hearing aids do much more than amplify sound – they can also contain special tinnitus therapy components that provide the user with relief when it comes to constant ringing in the ear.

Now that you learned some interesting facts about hearing aids and their accompanying technology, you can better understand what they have to offer the young and the old alike.

Filed Under: Articles, Choosing a Hearing Aid, Common Conditions of the Ear, Hearing, Hearing Aid Technology, Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss, Preventative Care, Tinnitus

An Overview of Swimmer’s Ear – Its Origins, Indicators and Treatment Methods

August 29, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Swimmer’s ear, formally known as acute external otitis, is an infection that develops in the outer ear canal (the area outside your eardrum). The popular name “swimmer’s ear” comes from the fact that the infection is frequently linked to swimming. When water collects in the outer ear it provides a damp atmosphere in which bacteria may flourish. But water isn’t the only source. An outer ear infection may also be attributable to damaging the delicate skin lining the ear canal by stiking fingertips, Q-tips or other foreign objects in the ear. It is important to be familiar with the signs and symptoms of swimmer’s ear, because although it is simply treated, not treating it can lead to severe complications.

Swimmer’s ear

develops as the result of the ear’s natural defenses (which include the glands that secrete cerumen or ear wax) becoming overloaded. Moisture in the ears, sensitivity reactions, and scratches to the lining of the ear canal can all encourage bacterial growth, and cause infection. The activities that increase your likelihood of developing swimmer’s ear include swimming (especially in untreated water such as that found in lakes), aggressive cleaning of the ear canal with Q-tips, use of in-ear devices such as “ear buds” or hearing aids, and allergies.

The most frequent signs and symptoms of swimmer’s ear are itching in the ear canal, mild pain that is made worse by pulling on your ear, a slight redness inside the ear, and mild drainage of an odorless, clear fluid. In more moderate cases, these problems may progress to more severe itching, pain, and discharge of pus. Extreme cases of swimmer’s ear are accompanied by symptoms such as fever, severe pain which may radiate into other parts of the head, neck and face, swelling redness of the outer ear or lymph nodes, and possibly blockage of the ear canal. Complications may include short-term hearing loss, long-term infection of the outer ear, cartilage and bone loss, and deep-tissue infections that may spread to other areas of the body and lower the effectiveness of your body’s immune system. That is why, if you have any of these signs or symptoms, even if minor, see your health care provider.

Doctors can usually diagnose swimmer’s ear after a visual examination with an otoscope. They will also check at the same time to determine if there is any damage to the eardrum itself. If swimmer’s ear is the problem, it is typically treated first by cleaning the ears carefully, and then prescribing antifungal or antibiotic eardrops to fight the infection. For widespread, severe infections a course of antibiotics taken orally may be prescribed.

You can help to prevent swimmer’s ear by drying your ears after swimming or bathing, by avoiding swimming in untreated water, and by not placing foreign objects in your ears in an attempt to clean them.

Filed Under: Common Conditions of the Ear
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