Is Your Hearing Loss the Result of Earwax?
In addition to advancing age, noise exposure and ototoxic drugs, one potential cause of hearing loss is earwax blockage, known medically as impacted cerumen. While total blockage or severe hearing loss caused by this is rare, having too much earwax can, in fact, affect your hearing. How We Hear Soundwaves from your environment are captured…
How To Hear Better in the Car
Hearing in the car can be difficult for people with any degree of hearing loss. Thankfully, there are several things you can do to make it easier. Use Your Hearing Aids If you have hearing aids, you should be wearing them consistently in all situations where you aren’t sleeping or showering. They work to amplify…
What Type of Hearing Protection Is Best for Me?
Any repeated exposure to noise louder than 85 decibels (dB) has the potential to damage your ears and cause noise-induced hearing loss. While sometimes, hearing loss from noise exposure is temporary, it can frequently lead to permanent issues. Many popular activities such as going to sporting events or taking in a live music show somewhere…
What Are the Early Signs of Hearing Loss?
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders reports, “Approximately 15% of American adults (37.5 million) aged 18 and over report some trouble hearing.” Because hearing loss is a progressive condition, meaning it develops slowly over time, many people are unaware they have it until it has advanced to a stage that can’t easily…
Research Finds that Loud Noises Can Lead to Fluid Buildup in the Ear
You probably already know that exposure to loud sounds can lead to hearing loss. But do you know why? In addition to affecting the sensory cells that convert soundwaves into electrical energy the brain interprets, loud sounds can also cause a buildup of fluid in the ears, contributing to hearing loss. This was uncovered by…
Three Causes of Temporary Hearing Loss in Children
Not all hearing loss is permanent. Sometimes your child may have a condition that causes temporary hearing loss that will resolve once treated. Let’s examine some common causes of temporary hearing loss in children as well as what you can do as a parent to help. Ear Infections Ear infections are quite common in young…
Why Does Hearing Loss Often Come with Age?
Hearing loss becomes more likely as you age. Data shows us that nearly 25% of adults aged 65-74 and 50% of those over 75 have disabling hearing loss. Other research indicated that in the United States, the prevalence of hearing loss doubles with every 10-year increase in age. Causes of Age-related Hearing Loss Age-related hearing…
Tips for Dining out with Hearing Loss
A meal out with family or friends at Redbird is a great way to connect with those close to you. However, restaurants can prove to be a challenging environment for those with hearing loss. Why You Struggle To Hear in Restaurants Hearing loss makes it harder to understand speech, especially in places with a lot…
Understanding Sounds: How Do Amplitudes & Frequencies Impact Hearing?
The term sound describes energy that travels in waves. There are two ways to measure these waves: amplitude and frequency. Amplitude is reported in decibels (dB), while frequency is reported in Hertz (Hz). Below we review how amplitudes and frequencies impact your hearing. Amplitude Decibels measure amplitude, which can also be stated as the pressure…
How To Help Children With Hearing Loss Who Experience Fatigue
Hearing loss makes your brain work harder to process speech and sounds. While hearing aids and other assistive listening devices can help, listening fatigue can pose challenges to school-aged children with hearing loss. Studies have shown that this can lead them to experience more subjective fatigue than students with normal hearing. Let’s examine some of…