Hearing tests
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 MoreThose 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 MoreHearing 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 MoreHearing 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 MoreTo 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 MoreUnilateral 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 MoreNerves 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 MoreEvery year the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) dedicates the month of May to raising public awareness about communication disorders related to hearing and speech. This year’s theme – “Connecting People” –recognizes once more that hearing and speech are essential components for effective communication at any age. And so, those whose lives are affected by struggles…
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Over-simplifying hearing loss? The son who had accompanied his mother to a hearing loss meeting shared confidentially that he liked his music loud and that he did not worry about hearing damage. He felt that he heard enough and that nowadays hearing loss is easy. “With all of that technology out there, you fix it…
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