Posts by Monique Hammond
Measles Can Cause Hearing Loss
There are 2 distinct diseases referred to as “Measles” – Rubella or German measles and Rubeola, known simply as measles. Both can affect hearing. They are caused by different viruses and it takes a doctor and special lab tests to tell them apart. These dangerous, unpleasant and highly contagious viral infections share some of the…
Read MoreStill Plenty of Consumer Questions Regarding OTC Hearing Aids
Hearing loss is a communication disorder that affects physical and emotional health. It calls for intervention and treatment. However, professional help may be hard to find and hearing aids are often unaffordable for many of those with hearing loss. To provide more accessible and affordable options, FDA-regulated Over-the-Counter (OTC) hearing aids were released for retail…
Read MoreHope for New Treatment for Ménière’s Disease?
SPI-1005 finished Phase 3 clinical trials with positive results In 2021, I wrote a blog about an investigational new oral drug for treating Ménière’s Disease. Known as SPI-1005, it contains ebselen, a new chemical with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. At the time, participants with a definite history of Ménière’s Disease were recruited for SPI-1005 Phase 3…
Read MoreManaging Life with Tinnitus – A Personal Journey
Is there an explanation for it? An underlying diagnosis? Typically, Tinnitus is described as buzzing, ringing, hissing or chirping sounds in the ears. The noises are generated by the brain and perceived in the ears. Tinnitus is considered a symptom of some underlying condition, and not a disease in itself. Although the noises may sound…
Read MoreAuditory Processing Disorder (APD) – When the Brain Doesn’t Hear Well!
Those with APD have communication issues. They mishear. They have trouble understanding speech-in-noise and following conversations. Words may be jumbled, missed or go unrecognized. Sound-alike words are easily confused. In children, APD leads to slow speech development and learning problems. This may sound like typical hearing loss, but it is quite different. Auditory Processing Disorder…
Read MoreTrouble Hearing and Understanding? Get a Diagnostic Hearing Test.
Hearing is very complicated. There are many reasons why people can have hearing loss and not all hearing loss is the same. There are different types and degrees of hearing loss. But where is the problem? What part(s) of the ear is/are involved? Does the auditory cortex (hearing part of the brain) have trouble decoding…
Read MoreDo Senior Living Places Meet Hard-of-Hearing Communication Needs?
Be sure to be included – not excluded – in your new “home.” Find out about hearing loss accommodation before signing contracts. As people age, their chances for hearing loss increase along with their risk for dementia. It is said that 55 % of those aged 75 and older have disabling hearing loss. They struggle…
Read MoreCan Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) Cause Hearing Loss?
There are different types of dementia and Alzheimer’s is one of them. And so, not all dementia or cognitive decline is Alzheimer’s. However, Alzheimer’s Disease is said to be the most common cause of dementia in older adults. Alzheimer’s is a brain disorder that develops slowly over time. As it progresses, widespread toxic changes attack…
Read MoreAssistive Listening Devices (ALDs) and Technology for Hearing Loss
Hearing help is not limited to hearing aids. Many people use an array of assistive listening devices to boost communication and hearing anytime and anywhere. Although required by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) hearing accommodation in public places is at best spotty and not very well publicized. And so, I don’t travel without my…
Read MoreWhy Medicare Does Not Cover Hearing Aids
Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people 65 years of age and older. Younger people with certain disabilities and those with end-stage kidney disease also qualify. Medicare falls under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act. Although it has undergone some changes since it was signed into action in 1965, the Original Medicare…
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