hearing Tag

Covid

Covid 19 and Hearing Loss

Covid-19 and Hearing Loss   For many with hearing loss, Covid-19 and the use of masks have made communication a bit more difficult, as John Watter describes in his article. But is there more of a connection between Covid-19 and hearing loss than just masks? In an article by Forbes, the author links several publications with preliminary research into the side effects of Covid-19. As the virus is new, these studies look at small groups of people that reported changes after recovery.  Although these studies are only looking at small groups of people, they are from all over the world. Thailand, the United Kingdom, India, and globally as this pandemic has touched the world. Studies noted individuals with hearing loss in either one2 or both1,3 ears, increased Tinnitus (ringing in the ears), or Vertigo4.  These first several studies have discussed two possible side effects with a positive Covid-19 diagnosis and how it relates to hearing... Note: these things are possible as many people have recovered without these side-effects. Covid-19 a Virus Historically, other viruses have caused hearing loss in some individuals. This includes herpes, HIV, and measles5. Viruses can affect the hearing systems if the virus makes its way into the middle ear or other parts of the auditory pathway3, 5. For some individuals with Covid-19, this might have occurred.  Ototoxic Treatment The other possibility is ototoxicity. Ototoxicity or ototoxic refers to medications that can be harmful to the organs of hearing or balance. As medical professionals are trying to find what...

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ear anatomy

10 Facts You May Not Know About Your Ears

10 Facts About Your Ears The human ear is amazing! The more I learn about it, the more I’m blown away at how such a small organ can do so much and be so intricate. Here are 10 cool facts that you may not know about your ears and hearing. The smallest bones in the body are in the ear! They are the ossicles in the middle ear; the incus, the malleus, and the stapes (also called the anvil, hammer, and stirrup because that’s kind of what they look like). The inner ear is the circumference of a pencil eraser! Your sense of hearing depends on tiny hairs deep inside your ear. If you lose these hairs, you lose your hearing. The slightest movement of these hairs is how we hear a variety of sounds and frequencies.  You do not need to clean wax out of your ears unless you have an abnormal condition. Ears are self-cleaning, they push the wax out on their own. On occasion, they may need a bit of help from a professional.  Most individuals experiencing hearing loss are under the age of 65… that’s right UNDER 65, hearing is not just about ‘aging’  The number one cause of hearing loss is exposure to excessively loud sounds (85 decibels or higher). Those orange foam earplugs are a great way to protect your hearing in noisy environments. Your hearing can be damaged permanently even after a single exposure to extremely loud noise (shotgun blast, explosion, etc.). Your ears...

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sudden hearing loss

3 Steps in the case of Sudden Hearing Loss

Sudden hearing loss can be a scary thing. You go to bed, all is fine, but the next morning you wake up and can't hear out of one side. So, what do you do first? Call your doctor, wait, panic...? If this happens to you, follow these 3 steps #1 GO TO THE ER. Don't wait! We can't stress this enough. Depending on what has caused the sudden hearing loss (viral infections, blood clots, etc.), there is medication that can reverse it, but only if taken within a small window of time. *The ears and their surrounding structures are very delicate, so even small changes in the body can have a large effect. When it comes to your hearing, don't hesitate to seek medical attention. #2 After going to the hospital, book an appointment to see your family health practitioner as a follow-up. They may recommend you see an ENT (ear, nose, and throat specialist) if there are any residual effects. #3 Have your hearing tested. It's helpful to know if your hearing levels have changed, whether it be temporary or permanent. [This is why having a baseline test can be very helpful.] If it has changed, the practitioner can make a recommendation to keep you hearing and understanding conversation with ease; such as communication strategies or hearing aids.   What Causes Sudden Hearing Loss Well, it can be a few things... It simply could be wax that has finally blocked your ear. In this case, it's very easy to take...

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Animals with Amazing Hearing

Animals with Amazing Hearing The human ear can hear a lot, anywhere between 20Hz and 20,000kHz. We have some of the best sense of vision in the animal kingdom, but when it comes to hearing, there are a few animals that have us beat. Animals have a larger capacity for higher frequencies than humans. Here are just a few animals that have amazing hearing. Moths Believe it or not, moths have the best hearing in the animal kingdom! Moths can hear 150 times more than we can. They use their ultra-sensitive high-frequency hearing to evade predators, like bats. So they would need better hearing than those predators. Bats The old saying ‘deaf as a bat’ is a bit of an oxymoron. Bats actually have very sensitive hearing. Because they are almost blind, they rely very heavily on their hearing. Using echolocation, they squeak at very high frequencies. The sound bounces off any nearby objects back to the bat, allowing them to ‘see’ where it is. Dogs If you’ve ever failed to hear a dog whistle, you’re not alone. Dogs hear frequencies far beyond the human range and can respond to them quite well. Not only is their hearing very sensitive, but also very good a differentiating between sounds… even the difference between their owners' footsteps and a stranger's. Cats However surprising this may be, cats have hearing similar to dogs, with a range reaching up to 64,000kHz. They are able to swivel their ears even further than dogs, making them more...

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Love your ears

8 Tips for Better Hearing Health in 2020

As we head into a new year, I'm sure you're thinking about some new year's resolutions. Is your hearing health part of that? Good hearing health is more than just having your hearing tested... eventually. Here are 8 tips for better hearing health to keep your ears happy and healthy in 2020. #1 Wear hearing protection in noisy environments (concerts, working with machinery or power tools, etc.) Any noise over 80dB can damage your ears depending on how long you're exposed to it. The best rule of thumb is if it's loud, use protection. The foam earplugs you can get from the drug store work great. For more information about what sounds are loud and why noise affects our hearing check out our blog 'How Loud is too Loud.' #2 Have your ear wax removed professionally; no Q-tips! Q-tips can cause more harm than good; they dry out your ear canals and can push the wax further into your ear. It's best to have a professional take a look at them or try using natural oil drops at home to help push the wax out naturally. #3 When using headphones, keep the volume below 60% Similar to noisy environments, when we wear headphones we should use caution as well. As the sound is being directly streamed into our ear it can easily become too loud and tire out our ears. 60% or less of your volume will keep you hearing clear without causing any damage to your ears. #4 Get moving...

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The History of Hearing Aids: From Past to Present

Hearing aids are incredible pieces of technology. This technology has revolutionized hearing for many individuals around the world. Like any piece of modern technology, there is a rich history behind their development; the ideas, the people, and creativity. For that reason, hearing aids are no exception when it comes to their past.   Believe it or not, the predecessors of hearing aids have been around for a very long time. Did you know the first ‘hearing aid’ goes back to the 1300s! Historically, hollow animal horns, like those from cows and rams, called ear trumpets were used as the original hearing device.   Ancient History: 1800s Traditional ear trumpets were ‘modernized’ in the 1800’s by Frederick C. Rein using different materials. They didn’t necessarily amplify the sound, but collected it and funneled it into the ear; for instance like when you cup your hand around your ear.   In 1870, Thomas Edison, who experienced hearing loss himself, added an adaptation to his telephone which increased the volume by 15dB! [That's the roughly the equivalent of turning your TV from 10 to 20]. It wasn’t a lot, but it began the journey of modern hearing technology.   Hearing aids history follows along with the development of technology, beginning with the discovery of electricity!     Early Hearing Aids: 1900-1920s With electricity came the first electronic hearing aids, known today as the Vacuum Tube hearing aids. Hearing aids became commercially available in 1913. These models were big, clunky, and in most cases not...

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