How hearing aids can protect against age-related health issues
/Let’s explore the study behind today’s hearing fact, and how better hearing through hearing aids can be an effective precaution against age-related health issues.
Read MoreBetter hearing is the best investment for spare FSA or HSA funds
/Hearing aids are an investment in your overall health and quality of life. They help to enhance your everyday by ensuring you don’t miss out on important moments, enabling you to remain social and active, helping you stay safe and alert, and bringing you the joy of hearing your favorite sounds, music, and people.
Read MoreNoise exposure at work is more common than you think
/Excessive noise can happen wherever we work. And it isn’t good for our hearing.
Read MoreTop 8 tips for protecting your hearing
/Hearing protection devices are ideal for safeguarding your hearing in situations with sudden/impulse or continuous noise. Examples: using power tools, attending live stadium events, participating in motor sports, hunting, and so on.
Read MoreTop 5 traits of healthy aging—achievable through better hearing
/It’s a time when we celebrate the positive aspects of growing older. And believe it or not, there are lots—everything from gaining a greater acceptance of ourselves to acquiring wisdom from our life experiences.
Read MoreWhy hearing aid stigma is unmerited according to Huey Lewis, Daymond John
/"They’re not just about hearing—they’re about staying connected to your family, your friends, and your entire world. With my Starkey's, I’m fully immersed in every conversation and opportunity.”
Read MoreTop 5 do’s and don’ts of hearing aid care
/Hearing aids are one of the best investments you can make in maintaining a healthy, active, and joyful life through better hearing. But like with any technology—particularly the digital kind—you want to take care of them so they continue to give you optimal performance and all the benefits that go with your best listening experiences.
Read MoreHearing loss likelihood increases after age 70—as do health risks
/A hearing evaluation is easy and pain-free: Your provider will test your hearing, and if it turns out you do have hearing loss, they’ll walk you through your options and help you find the best solution for your needs.
Read MoreLet the games—and hearing protection—begin
/Some will watch from the comfort of their living rooms. Others may join like-minded folks at a sports bar or pub. And a very lucky bunch will be applauding from the stands of Paris, itself.
Read MorePeople are waiting to treat hearing loss—learn why you shouldn’t
/On average, hearing aid users wait 10 years before getting help for hearing loss.
Read MoreNoise-induced hearing loss increasingly affecting U.S. workers
/Excessive noise exposure can cause permanent and irreversible hearing loss. Fortunately, protecting your hearing can help prevent hearing damage from occurring in the first place, which we’ll discuss momentarily.
Read MoreTinnitus expert shares hope and solutions for affected veterans
/Are you or someone you know suffering from tinnitus? You're not alone. Tinnitus affects millions of people worldwide, including countless veterans for whom it is the number one service-related disability.
Read MoreWhat to do if you think you have hearing loss
/Most people who have hearing loss aren’t born with it. Instead, hearing loss creeps up on us over time, usually caused by exposure to loud noises, aging, or some combination of the two.
Read MoreUsing hormone therapy in late menopause heightens hearing loss risk
/Women in menopause commonly experience physical and emotional symptoms that can impact sleep, energy levels, and emotional health.
Read MoreLove can conquer hearing loss in relationships
/The research identified issues reported by the individual with hearing loss as well as their partner.
Read MoreBalancing volume and duration makes earbud listening safer
/When you use these personal listening accessories for listening at a volume that’s too loud and for too long, you run the risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).
Read MoreVeterans face more hearing issues than any other health condition
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More than 1.3 million veterans received disability compensation for hearing loss and more than 2.3 million received compensation for tinnitus in 2020 alone, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Read MoreCan ear infections cause hearing loss?
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Hearing loss can be caused by several different factors including aging, injury, noise exposure, and even heredity. Those factors affect the auditory nerve, causing sensorineural hearing loss, which is the most common type of hearing loss.
Read MoreNoise-induced hearing loss in teens is on the rise. Here’s how to prevent it
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As the mother of two teenagers and an audiologist, I’ve always been hyperaware of noise-induced hearing loss and the lasting effects it can have on young people. It may seem like just a minor annoyance to hear your child’s music or phone conversation through their earbuds. After all, they could be up to worse things, right?
While that’s true, it’s also important to consider the permanent damage they could be doing to their hearing. The damage can last much longer than the duration of their favorite song or a conversation with their best friend.
The average pair of earbuds can emit a maximum sound anywhere from 85-110 decibels. After just 15 minutes of exposure, hearing damage can occur. Approximately 40 million Americans have some level of noise-induced hearing loss, and it isn’t just the elderly. In fact, one in seven teens experience this and once damage occurs to the hair cells of the inner ear, it cannot be undone.
The good news is this type of hearing loss is completely preventable, but it may require breaking habits and gentle reminders.
There’s no time like the present to start. As you know, many school districts have been issuing their plans for the 2020-2021 school year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many will be relying on hybrid and distanced learning. As many families prepare to once again have their schools, workplaces and gyms all under one roof during these unusual times, earbud and headphone use is on the rise.
At Land of Lincoln Hearing, we recommend the following to prevent hearing loss:
Keep the volume at 75 decibels or lower. For reference, a typical conversation is around 60 decibels, and a lawnmower is around 90.
The 60/60 rule is another great guideline. It suggests limiting listening to 60 minutes while keeping the volume below 60%.
Consider noise-cancelling headphones, as opposed to earbuds. When the source of the sound is in your ear canal, like earbuds, the sound’s volume can increase by six to nine decibels (source: UPMC Pinnacle Health). Noise-cancelling headphones reduce ambient noise, allowing you to hear clearly at a lower volume.
While hearing health may not always be top of mind, it’s important to consider how it may be impacted by new behaviors, like working and learning from home. Your ears will thank you now and later!
By Sara Burdak, Au.D. on Starkey.com
Photo by Steinar Engeland on Unsplash
Social distancing doesn’t have to equal isolation for people with hearing loss
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Having worked with patients with hearing loss for many years, I am always incredibly excited when they make the decision to move forward with hearing healthcare through one of our member clinics. The years of social isolation that they’ve felt in experiencing hearing loss is magically lifted with appropriate amplification. This may sound like an overdramatization and, honestly, it might be. But I could spend days telling you story after story that our patients have told us about how hearing aids have restored their connection to the loved ones around them.
We are in a unique time
The social engagement that hearing aid wearers are able to pursue and enjoy is now being limited by instructions to stay socially distant. Further, these social distancing efforts create a compounding issue for people with untreated hearing loss. Studies have shown a correlation and association between hearing loss, social isolation, and lower quality-of-life measures in normal social arrangements [1] [2]. In times such as these, when we are encouraged to be further apart from each other to avoid community-based virus spread, our friends and community members with hearing loss are likely feeling more isolation than ever before.
Modern hearing aids help you stay connected and engaged
With this unique time comes an opportunity for people with hearing loss and the communities around them. First, technology offered today in hearing instruments from companies like Starkey, make remote programming and fitting possible. As many hearing devices today are smartphone capable and compatible, Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers' professionals can reach out to remotely fit, fine tune, and adjust hearing devices better than ever before.
If you have a hearing loss and you find this time particularly difficult to cope with because of your hearing impairment, reach out to your local hearing healthcare provider for help! Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers have developed protocols and procedures to keep their patients safe and keep people with hearing impairments from having to go without care.
Secondly, if you know people in your community struggling with hearing loss, know that they are likely having a difficult time — especially right now as we try to “flatten the curve” and comply with social distancing measures. Reach out to them proactively to check in on them to see how they are doing, if they need any assistance, or quite simply just to chat.
Right now, more than ever, they’re likely feeling isolated from the world around them. A kind gesture of just a simple phone call or a conversation at six feet apart can mean a world of difference to someone with hearing loss during this already challenging time.
Contact Land of Lincoln Hearing today to set up your first telehealth appointment! Click here.
The Association between Hearing Loss and Social Isolation in Older Adults Paul Mick, MD, MPH, FRCSC, Ichiro Kawachi, MD, PhD, Frank R. Lin, MD, PhDFirst Published January 2, 2014 Research Article Find in PubMed https://doi.org/10.1177/0194599813518021
The impact of hearing loss on the quality of life of elderly adults Andrea Ciorba, Chiara Bianchini, Stefano Pelucchi, and Antonio Pastore Clin Interv Aging. 2012; 7: 159–163.
By Kyle Acker, Au.D.
