Please turn the volume on your iPod down!

Guys and dolls, if you can (still) hear me, please turn the volume on your iPod down to a safe level before you lose your hearing earlier than your grandparents.

There is now a convincing body of medical evidence that this little gadget that brings fabulous music to almost all our senses thru earbuds can damage hearing.

The most common victims who are harmed are teenagers, as can be expected, because they are the ones who use most of the iPods in the world.

While listening to music through earbuds for an hour and a half at 80 percent of the volume each day may be tolerated long term, softer volume is safer. If
lowered to 70 percent, the safe listening range could be extended to four and a half hours per day.

When listening at full volume (115 decibels), the safe range is reduced to just five minutes a day! Apple has now considered lowering the maximum volume to 100 decibels, roughly the volume of a pneumatic drill.

If you have any questions about hearing aids contact Hidden Hearing

New Soundlens invisible hearing aid

Hearing aid technology is now very advanced

There was a time when fixing hearing aids meant taking out the screwdriver.

“When I started 20 years ago, I was adjusting hearing aids with a screwdriver,” said Michele Watts, an audiologist with Associated Ear, Nose & Throat Specialists in Valparaiso. “Now, we can make millions of fine-tuning adjustments using incredible digital software technologies.”

When a person goes for hearing aid fitting, audiologists can narrow their hearing loss to the exact range of frequencies they’re having trouble hearing. In short, hearing specialists can custom-tailor hearing aids to personal needs.

Unlike older hearing aids, which featured a simple up or down volume control, these fine-tuned devices are constantly self-adjusting to the wearer’s environment and conditions.

“One of the biggest advances in hearing aids is Wide Dynamic Range Compression,” said Jaclin Proctor, an audiologist with Southlake Speech and Hearing in Merrillville. “That means that the hearing aid gives the most boost, or gain, to the quietest sounds coming into it, and the least amount of gain to the loudest sounds coming in. In older hearing aids, the same amount of gain was produced for all of the sound. So people would be adjusting them up and down, up and down. People had to adjust their volume levels constantly.”

“Another big advancement was the advent of the Bluetooth telephone,” Proctor said. “If people see others using that and think of it as a status symbol, then they won’t mind putting a small hearing aid device in their ear.”

And there are hidden bonuses to these now nearly invisible devices.

“They’re so comfortable and lightweight now that people don’t even realize they’re in once they get used to them,” Proctor said.

Aside from hearing aids, the amount and variety of assisted hearing devices has progressed in recent years. Technology from hearing assistance companies such as Oticon’s ConnectLine system and the ReSound Unite series wirelessly connect people with hearing loss to their televisions, personal computers, phones (landline and mobile), MP3 players, other people and anything else they can think of without taking out their hearing aids. There are “booming” alarm clocks, watches and telephone ringers, too, that make life easier for people with hearing problems.

While Watts says technology has improved in all treatment sectors, children and infants have benefited most in the past decade. Entire lines of hearing aids designed especially for kids (camouflage, butterfly and race car designs) can get them excited about their new gadgets. More importantly, kids get to develop their speech skills on schedule with their peers if fitted for hearing aids in infancy.

The strain hearing loss puts on how people interact is difficult, but progressive technology will continue to make solutions possible for more hearing loss sufferers.

If you have any questions about hearing aids or hearing loss contact Hidden Hearing.

I think I’ve begun to lose my hearing

Staying Healthy

By Dr Nina Byrnes

Dr. Nina Byrnes introduces a series of articles by various writers on medical topics this one is by Edel Rooney.

I’ve recently felt my hearing hasn’t been as sharp as before – particularly in one ear. I’m only 45 so I didn’t expect to start losing my hearing yet. What could be the cause of this and would you recommend I take one of those online hearing tests I’ve heard a lot?
Oliver

 

Hearing loss can take hold at any age for any number of different reasons. Common causes include blockages in the inner ear, exposure to excessive noise levels or side effects from various illnesses.

There are three main types of hearing loss:

Conductive hearing loss occurs when there is a blockage in the outer or middle ear, or both. This makes it difficult for sound waves to reach the cochlea (the part of the ear that converts sound waves into electrical signals to send to the brain). A conductive loss can be temporary in nature and in some cases may be treated medically or surgically. Hearing aids may also be prescribed for some patients.

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is a problem in the inner ear or the auditory nerve. The most common condition associated with a sensorineural hearing loss affects the hair cells in the ear that are responsible for picking up high-pitched sounds. This is referred to as presbyacusis or age-related hearing loss.

Damage to the hair cells can be a result of:

• Excessive noise exposure
• Meniere’s Syndrome
• Diseases such as meningitis
• Ototoxic drugs (drugs with side effects that affect hearing)

Because sensorineural loss often affects the hair cells that detect soft, high-pitched sounds, it can be very difficult to hear speech clearly, especially when there is competing background noise. This type of loss is permanent but it can usually be addressed with hearing aids.

Mixed hearing loss is diagnosed when a conductive hearing loss occurs in combination with a sensorineural hearing loss. Mixed hearing loss usually responds well to hearing aids, and other treatments to address the conductive component of the hearing loss may also be sought.

Online hearing tests can give you a guide to your hearing ability but there are many factors that interfere with the reliability of an online test – things as simple as your computer’s microphone settings. When your hearing is professionally tested, the test is carried out in special sound conditions and with specially calibrated equipment.

Instead I’d recommend you discuss your hearing loss with a healthcare professional or hearing specialist. After all, if hearing loss is revealed, you will need a professional to explain what that could mean for you.

You may also have an easily-treatable condition that could be something as simple as excessive ear wax – this will not be revealed on an online hearing test.

Another advantage of being tested professionally is there will be a record of your current hearing levels to enable you check if your hearing deteriorates in the future. Put your mind at rest and get your ears professionally checked.

Dr. Nina Byrnes is Medical Consultant with Hidden Hearing. You can book a hearing test free of charge at any of Hidden Hearing clinic. visit www.hiddenhearing.org.