Posts by Monique Hammond
Five Strategies to Protect and Preserve Hearing
Hearing connects us to our social and professional worlds. It allows us to enjoy the sounds of speech, nature, and music. Unfortunately, people all too often fail to appreciate this precious sense. They rarely feel motivated to protect and preserve their hearing. They take it for granted until it fades away and they experience the…
Read MoreDon’t Let Hearing Loss Increase Holiday Stress
Why might hearing loss support groups feature mental health speakers around the end-of-the-year Holiday Season? It is expected that such specialists will help strengthen the resolve and self-confidence of their members so that they can “survive” the stress of the Holidays. Hearing loss increases Holiday stress because it is a tiring, chronic communication issue. The…
Read MoreSmartphone Sound Level Meter Apps Help Protect Hearing
Ever since I got a sound level meter app for my Android phone, I am a lot more confident with decisions regarding sound exposures for my already damaged ears. A click of the button lets me know at once whether I am headed into an overly loud, ear-unfriendly place. And I want to avoid more…
Read MoreHearing Loss Increases Fall Risks
To maintain body equilibrium, the brain coordinates input from the eyes and ears and from sensors located throughout the body in the muscles and bones. While normal hearing supports the brain’s balance function, hearing loss has a destabilizing effect and becomes a safety issue. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, even a mild hearing loss can…
Read MoreHearing Loss Denial Delays Getting Help
Many people with hearing loss deny their communication struggles for an average of seven years. They reject the truth and refuse to accept what is often obvious to those round them. Sadly, hearing loss denial delays getting help. It stands in the way of dealing with reality and moving on with life. One could say…
Read MoreUnilateral Hearing Loss (UHL) Impacts Quality of Life and Safety
Unilateral Hearing Loss (UHL) is also called Single-Sided Hearing Loss, which means that only one ear has some degree of loss. When the loss becomes profound, it is referred to as Single-sided Deafness (SSD). Roughly 7% of adults in the United States have some degree of UHL. We hear our best when the brain gets…
Read MoreAuditory Processing Disorder Affects Learning and Communication
Auditory processing Disorder (APD) affects learning and communication at any age. It is NOT caused by hearing loss. Although many APD-related symptoms appear to be similar to those caused by hearing loss, they happen for different reasons. One might say that APD mimics hearing loss. APD is due to sound processing problems of the brain…
Read MoreHearing Loss as Risk for Dementia
Nerves and brain areas that are not kept active through stimulation and input fall into disuse. They shrink and die off in a process called atrophy. Hearing and its involvement in cognitive functions is no different. Yet, when researchers at Johns Hopkins first published their findings of a link between hearing loss and dementia, it…
Read MorePulsatile Tinnitus Could be a Warning Sign
The word “tinnitus” refers to noises that are perceived in the ears or in the head. Usually known as “ringing in the ears,” pulsatile tinnitus is in a different category. It is the rarest form of tinnitus. However, these are not the typical buzzing or hissing sounds of subjective tinnitus. Instead, there is usually a…
Read MoreSomatic Tinnitus
There are different types of tinnitus. People perceive upsetting and annoying noises in their ears or heads. No matter what its cause might be, any tinnitus becomes fast a quality-of-life issue. The most widespread version is subjective tinnitus. Roughly 90% of the cases are due to hearing loss resulting from damage to hearing structures…
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