Noise-induced hearing loss in teens is on the rise. Here’s how to prevent it

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

Too few people are proactive about their hearing health

Today’s hearing fact — from a Consumer Reports survey of more than 120,000 members — is pretty interesting, we think. Hearing tests are painless and you don’t typically have to go out of your way much to take one.

Plus, hearing is one of only five senses we have, and can play a vital role in our quality of life. So, for so few of us to actively stay on top of our hearing health is pretty surprising.

For instance, we can all name intangible good things that go with hearing, like listening to music, watching TV and movies, engaging with friends and family, or how hearing enhances nature, everyday activities and events.

We know — especially now, during this pandemic — how important hearing is to staying socially connected, informed, and feeling safe.

And we also know that untreated hearing loss is linked to social isolation, an increased risk of falls, depression, hospitalizations and even dementia.

All these reasons are why today’s hearing fact is so startling, and why experts recommend adults be screened for hearing every decade through age 50, and at three-year intervals after that.

If you want to stay on top of your hearing and would like to get it tested, Land of Lincoln Hearing can help. Just click here and we’ll set up a hearing test near you.

Can COVID-19 cause tinnitus or hearing loss?

COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, brings with it a host of health concerns. Most of these symptoms are respiratory in nature as reported by the CDC; shortness of breath, coughing, sore throat [1]. However, there is some concern that the coronavirus may cause some neurological symptoms as well.

In a study of 214 patients with varying degrees of respiratory involvement from novel coronavirus, 36.4% of patients had symptoms of neurologic manifestations that involved central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, and skeletal muscles [2]. Further, there is some initial evidence that the virus may cause damage to the hearing organs of the inner ear.

Currently, there is little evidence published connecting novel coronavirus and tinnitus directly. But according to the American Tinnitus Association, pre-existing behavioral conditions may make it more likely patients will experience tinnitus due to the stress and depression associated with social isolation and infection avoidance.

For example, one large population study posits that people with generalized anxiety disorder are nearly seven times more likely to experience chronic, burdensome tinnitus [3]. In an age of vigilance with risk of infection and the social isolation to avoid spread, stress and depression are common emotions we all may experience.

Ototoxicity is a potential risk

While it is too early to know whether a potential vaccine will have any risk of ototoxicity (a well-known cause of hearing loss), some currently discussed treatments do pose a potential risk to the auditory system.

The quinine family of drugs, historically used for prophylactic prevention and treatment of malaria, have some history of ototoxicity. However, the most recent trial of this family in treatment of COVID-19 has focused around hydroxychloroquine, which has a lower risk of ototoxicity [4].

A promising therapeutic antiviral being developed and in clinical trials for COVID-19, Remdesivir, does not currently list ototoxicity as a potential side effect, per its maker, Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Hearing professionals are enacting new safety protocols

Today, the greatest concern regarding COVID-19 is in transmission. Hearing loss treatment — like most essential health services — include procedures that make social distancing a challenge but are not impossible to execute safely. Telehealth, curbside service, and appropriate in-office protocols are being put in place at Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers that will significantly limit exposure potential.

During a time when hearing feels more critical than ever, hearing healthcare becomes an essential health service in which clinicians can and are able to mitigate risk while delivering best hearing practices.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact Land of Lincoln Hearing today! Click here for a list of locations.

Photo by Ani Kolleshi on Unsplash

Stress relief tips and tactics

During these uncertain times of COVID-19, many of us are feeling increased levels of stress — whether it’s stress about our health or the health of a loved one, stress about our finances or job, the future of the economy, or…(fill in your own stress here). Just know that these feelings are all completely valid.

You’ve likely seen more media coverage on these topics in recent weeks. Maybe you’ve even confided in a mental health practitioner, a friend, or a family member about these feelings. These are all great steps, but you still may be wondering things like, “why do I feel so alone?” or “how do I cope with feelings of loneliness and isolation?”

While it may feel like you can’t control the environment we’re living in right now because of COVID-19, what you can control is your reaction to it. A positive reaction to stressful environments can help improve physical health and well-being, reduce depression, and improve the immune system.

You can help manage your stress by taking care of both your physical and mental health on a daily basis. Here are two tactics I use:

Engage in physical activity

You don’t have to be a marathon runner to maintain or improve your physical health and enjoy the proven benefits of physical activity. 10,000 steps a day, every day, will result in improved cardiovascular function. Additionally, physical activity can help reduce anxiety, frustration, anger, and overall mood distress when compared to individuals who are more sedentary and don’t exercise daily.

Ready for the good news? If you wear smart hearing aids, your steps are being tracked, whether you have a smartphone with you or not. This tracking can help motivate you to reach your goal!

Find and utilize tools that help you relax

During COVID-19, it is crucial to find a variety of tools that help you push the pause button and reduce stress in the middle of a hectic day. Perhaps your relaxation tool is to practice mediation. First, find your happy place. Maybe it’s on a beach while you listen to waves crash in, sitting by a lake on calm night, or enjoying the snowy, quiet mountains.

To fully envelope yourself in this happy place, try streaming a YouTube video with audio from these nature scenes through your smart hearing aids. Focus solely on your breathing during this time.

It’s important to keep in mind that we’re all approaching this global pandemic from different perspectives and different circumstances. The challenges can be even greater for adults and children with hearing loss. So, please remember, we’re all in this together.

Photo by Keren Perez on Unsplash

Hearing loss increases the risk of accidental injuries

An analysis of data from the National Health Interview Survey found that, over an eight year period (2007 – 2015), people who reported that they had “a lot of trouble” hearing ended up being twice as likely to have an accidental injury — both at work and leisure — as people who reported no trouble hearing.

While the study didn’t dig into what it was about hearing loss that led to these higher numbers, experts suspect the effects of sensory impairment played a role. Falls, too, which happen more frequently to people with hearing loss, certainly contribute to the increase.

Why does this matter? Because according to the National Health Report by the CDC, accidental injuries are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the U.S.

But maybe a bigger “why it matters” is that if you have hearing loss and are wondering if you should treat it or not, this is one more fact to add to the “treat it!” side of your list.

Don’t wait any longer, call Land of Lincoln Hearing today to prevent any accidental injuries.

Photo by Fabio Neo Amato on Unsplash

Even subtle hearing loss can alter the brain function of young adults

In 2018, assistant professor Yune Lee and his research team at Ohio State University monitored the brain activity of study participants 18 through 41 years of age as they listened to increasingly complex sentences. The team was hoping to measure if human brains work harder to comprehend more complex messages.

What they unexpectedly discovered, instead, was that the young adults with subtle hearing loss (everyone’s hearing was tested before the monitoring took place) were altering their brain function in ways typically only seen in older adults. As a result, they could be paving the way for dementia.

With increasing evidence linking hearing loss to dementia, Lee voiced the quote in today’s Hearing Fact Friday — recommending young people test their hearing regularly, to stay out front of any hearing loss and treat it early, if hearing loss is discovered.

As the calendar flips to a new year, Mr. Lee’s advice is a good reminder to adults of every age to add hearing screenings to their annual health and wellness “to-do list” and be proactive about their hearing health.

Call Land of Lincoln Hearing today!

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Video conferencing tips for people with hearing loss

An unintended consequence of work-from-home or shelter-in-place orders has been the impact these requirements have on people with hearing loss. In many communities, we all — including those with hearing impairments — are now working, going to school, and spending the majority of free time confined at home, with limited access to people and tools that are essential for communication.

For those who have adapted to reading lips, who use contextual cues usually reserved for in-person contact, or are reliant on the support network of their peers, this new “normal” can be a challenge.

When using video conferencing tools especially, frozen screens and crashes can be navigated in audio-only mode for the hearing capable, but not for those who are hearing challenged. Add in people talking over each other, and it can become a garbled mess for the listener.

So what can be done to help build an inclusive environment for business, school and home communication?

• Hearing impaired individuals should be proactive in letting others know of the challenges they are experiencing with video conferencing. Inform others that you are hearing impaired and offer helpful hints when possible to help them communicate more effectively with you.

• Experiment with a variety of communication tools. With more conversations moving to phone and video calls, and in-person chats taking place with medical masks being worn, you may need additional tools for communication. Even old- fashioned pen and paper or whiteboards may be an option to aid in communication!

• Closed-captioning apps are also an option. There are a number on the market available for either Apple or Android platforms. Here are just a few of the options: Live Transcribe, Otter Voice Meeting Notes, Speech Notes, Voice Notebook and e-Dictate.

• Use a video conferencing platform that offers instant or live closed captioning. This feature can be enabled for several of the most commonly used systems.

• Call on anyone who hasn’t participated in a while to ensure they have a chance to participate and are engaged. This is helpful in work, classroom or home environments!

• Consider amplified telephones and analog captioned phones. Depending on the state you live in, you may be eligible for a free or reduced-cost telecommunications equipment.

• Provide written follow up when appropriate.

• For hearing impaired students, there are a number of resources available at: successforkidswithhearingloss.com

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Coronavirus is a reminder that time and life are precious and can change in a split second. Communication for social, business and educational purposes is paramount now, more than ever.

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Prioritize your hearing health by staying in touch with us at Land of Lincoln Hearing. With flexibility and creativity, we can embrace technology to remain connected, while protecting ourselves and others. Make a promise to yourself and others to keep your wellbeing and that of others flourishing in these challenging times.

Contact us here for any questions, comments or concerns.

Social distancing doesn’t have to equal isolation for people with hearing loss

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.

1. 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

2. 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.

Telehealth Visits are Now Available

During these unprecedented times, when experts are recommending or governing that we keep our distance from each other — we’d like to shine a spotlight on our new Telehealth feature.

Telehealth Appointments lets you request certain hearing aid adjustments from Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers, even when you’re quarantined at home or can’t go to their office.

With Telehealth Hearing Appointments, you can schedule your visit through our dedicated phone appointment line at 847.563.4988 or by requesting an appointment online. You can do this from the comfort of your own home or wherever you happen to be. Appointments can be conducted over the phone, or by video conference. For a video conference, you will need to have access to an internet browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox) and should have a good internet connection, with functioning audio and video capabilities (computer preferred, but smart-phone will work as well).

One less thing to worry about

The need to hear your best is vitally important every day, but even more so during challenging times like now. With Telehealth Hearing Appointments, you can enjoy some added peace of mind knowing you can still get the hearing help you need, even when our Chicagoland Hearing Professionals can’t be by your side.

For other technical questions about your hearing aids, please call Land of Lincoln Hearing by clicking here.

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The inability to distinguish sounds is a form of hearing loss

The National Safety Council’s Safety + Health magazine recently published an article about ototoxicants, chemicals that can cause hearing loss and balance issues.

In the article, warnings were shared from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) about which industries have higher exposure risks to these chemicals — and how the adverse effects of ototoxicants increases when “workers are exposed to elevated noise levels.”

One type of hearing loss OSHA notes as “especially hazardous” is speech discrimination dysfunction. What’s that?

Speech discrimination dysfunction is when a person cannot distinguish a voice or warning signal from ambient noise. In other words, they can hear, but everything sounds the same to them. This can put the worker at an elevated risk for accidents or mistakes if, for instance, an alarm or alert goes off and they don’t register it for what it is.

It’s not dissimilar to a complaint that many people who have hearing loss — but don’t initially recognize it — say, that “I can hear, but I can’t understand.”

If this describes you, a consultation with a hearing healthcare professional is advised. Please call Land of Lincoln Hearing today!

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Five reasons why you should not ignore hearing loss

Does this sound familiar? Either you or someone you know is just starting to deal with hearing loss. But instead of taking it seriously, you brush it aside. 

You can cope, you’ve decided. You’ll just turn the TV up a little louder. Ask people to speak up or repeat what they said. And really, the quiet can be kind of nice, right?

“Why should I treat it,” you wonder?

Should you treat or ignore your hearing loss?

The decision to treat or ignore hearing loss should not be taken lightly. Why? Because hearing loss plays a significant role in many issues that impact our quality of life, including five important ones:

1. Mental health

2. Physical health

3. Income and career

4. Personal safety

5. Relationships and social interactions

Before you decide whether to ignore or treat your hearing loss, read what studies, health care experts, and hearing aid wearers themselves have to say about each choice.

1. Mental Health

Ignoring hearing loss

Numerous studies link hearing loss to issues of mental decline, including increased anxiety and depression, accelerated brain shrinkage, and even dementia. One such study, by Johns Hopkins Medicine, tested volunteers with hearing loss over six years and found their cognitive abilities declined 30-40% faster than peers with normal hearing.

Treating hearing loss

Johns Hopkins’ researcher, Dr. Frank Lin, thinks that “if you want to address hearing loss well, do it sooner rather than later.” He recommends treating hearing loss before “brain structural changes take place.”

A separate study released in 2015 backs him up. In the study, scientists concluded that treating hearing loss by wearing hearing aids reduces the risk of cognitive decline associated with hearing loss.

Untreated hearing loss may result in serious long-term consequences to healthy brain functioning.

2. Physical Health

Ignoring hearing loss

The National Council on Aging notes that “falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans.” While no one knows how many falls are linked to hearing loss each year, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have found that people with hearing loss are three times more likely to fall than those without hearing loss.

It’s thought that hearing loss may detract from environmental awareness, which increases the likelihood of tripping and falling.

Treating hearing loss

Recently, a study by the Washington University School of Medicine found that improving hearing through hearing aids appears to “improve balance in older adults with hearing loss” and helps reduce the risk of falls. Researchers credited the results to both increased alertness and improved balance.

3. Income and Career 

Ignoring hearing loss

A study by the Better Hearing Institute quantified the impact of untreated hearing loss on the job. The study found that people with untreated hearing loss can see an income hit of up to $30,000 annually and were nearly twice as likely to be unemployed as peers who wore hearing aids.

“Hearing loss was affecting my presentations and ability to service clients.” Chris T., Pennsylvania  

Treating hearing loss

That same study found that people who use hearing aids reduced the risk of income loss by 90 to 100 percent. It also reported that most hearing aid users in the workforce said wearing hearing aids has helped their performance on the job. 

“Listening is SO important in my work, and I can now work better, more efficiently and more effectively because of my hearing aids.” Marty C., New York  

4. Personal Safety

Ignoring hearing loss

Studies aren’t needed to know that missed or misheard signals like car horns, alarms and other warning alerts can jeopardize a person’s safety. And it doesn’t always have to be one’s own. Adults caring for infants and young children need to know when their charge is crying or in distress.

Treating hearing loss

Treating hearing loss with hearing aids enhances your awareness of your surroundings and can help ensure you hear every smoke detector, bike bell, emergency alert or distress call.

5. Relationships and Social Interactions

Ignoring hearing loss

More than anything, untreated hearing loss can lead to social isolation, as the challenges of listening and feelings of “missing out” often cause people to withdraw from the friends, family and activities that bring them joy.

This, alone, is significant, as social isolation is closely linked to numerous quality-of-life issues, including depression, illness, exhaustion and even shorter life spans.9  

Treating hearing loss

Treating hearing loss with hearing aids enables you to hear, participate, and ensure you don’t miss out on the people and activities that make you happy. It’s as simple as that. 

“I’m so glad I got hearing aids. It has truly been life changing!” Lesley P., California

Contact Land of Lincoln Hearing today!

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“I can hear but I can’t understand”

One of the first things people with hearing loss observe is “I hear people fine, but I don’t understand what they are saying.”

This is a consistent complaint of individuals who are experiencing the effects of a “sloping high frequency hearing loss.“

What’s happening and why do so many have this complaint?

Hearing loss involves not only our ears, but also our brain: where sound waves are coded by the ears and then translated into meaningful words. While hearing loss can present itself in varying degrees of severity in different frequencies, a very common progression of inner ear hearing loss is sloping high frequency hearing loss.

We commonly measure hearing from 250 to 8000 Hz. Individuals with “high frequency” hearing loss have no loss at frequencies below 1000 Hz (lower pitched frequencies), but have abnormal results in the range of 1000 to 8000 Hz (higher pitched frequencies). High frequency hearing loss is one of the most common variances of hearing loss there is.

Different speech signals produce different frequencies

When examining human speech signals, we see that there are lower pitched sounds or vowels (A, E, I, O and U) and higher pitched sounds or consonants (S,F , Th, Sh, Ch, K, P and H). Being able to hear vowels in the lower pitched frequencies gives us a sensation of hearing speech, but not being able to hear higher pitched sound or “consonants” is what compromises our ability to understand full words. (So we hear, but we don’t understand.)

The high-pitched frequencies where consonants occur is where the discrimination of different words happen. When we have high-frequency hearing loss, we lose the ability to hear the “consonant” sounds efficiently and, thus, our ability to tell the difference between words such as ‘Cat” or “Hat”.

Key sounds and letters aren’t heard clearly

Imagine having a book with every S, F, Th, Sh, Ch, K, P and H erased. You could read part of the book and understand some of it, but you would not be able to understand many key words and phrases and, as a result, be challenged to understand it. This is what is happening with a high frequency hearing loss. You can hear part of the message, however your high frequency loss has “erased” the key sounds or letters needed for discrimination and understanding.

Luckily, high frequency hearing loss can usually be helped with proper diagnosis and appropriate amplification. Plus, now with the transcribe feature on Audibel’s Via AI hearing aids, you can transcribe a conversation into text, to help ensure you never miss a word or phrase again.

Contact Land of Lincoln Hearing today!

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Five things you should know about tinnitus

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 50 million Americans experience tinnitus. That’s over 15 percent of the U.S. population, or nearly one in every six of us.

So what is this condition that affects so many people — and what can tinnitus sufferers do about it? We cover the basics here.

1. What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the medical term for the sensation of hearing sound in your ears when no external sound is present. In most cases, tinnitus is a subjective sound, meaning only the person who has it can hear it. Typically, sufferers describe the sound as “ringing in ears,” though others describe it as hissing, buzzing, whistling, roaring and even chirping.

Just as the sound may be different for each person, the effects of tinnitus are different for every individual, too. For some, it is sporadic and “not that bad.” For others, tinnitus never stops and can make daily life awful.

But one thing everyone with tinnitus has in common is a desire for relief. For most, this desire is so great they will try anything to make their tinnitus less annoying, including resorting to acupuncture, eardrops, herbal remedies, hypnosis and more.

2. What causes tinnitus?

Scientists and health experts have yet to pinpoint the exact cause of tinnitus. But several sources are known to trigger or worsen ringing in the ears, including:

• Loud noises and hearing loss — Exposure to loud noises can destroy the non-regenerative cilia (tiny hairs) in the cochlea, causing permanent tinnitus and/or hearing loss. Noise-induced tinnitus is often the result of exposure to loud environmental noises, such as working in a factory setting, with or around heavy machinery, or even a single event like a gunshot or loud concert.

• Aging — Natural aging, too, gradually destroys the cilia, and is a leading cause of hearing loss. Tinnitus is a common symptom of age-related hearing loss.

• Ototoxic medications – Some prescription medications such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, antidepressants, diuretics and others can be ototoxic, meaning they are harmful to the inner ear as well as the nerve fibers connecting the cochlea to the brain.

• Hearing conditions – Conditions such as Ménière’s disease are known to cause tinnitus.

• Health conditions – Tinnitus has been associated with a number of health conditions, including:

• Cardiovascular disease

• Hypertension (high blood pressure)

• Thyroid problems

• Fibromyalgia and chronic pain

• Head or neck trauma

• Jaw misalignment

• Auditory, vestibular or facial nerve tumors

• Stress and fatigue

3. Is there a cure for tinnitus?

Currently, there is no known cure for tinnitus. However, according to the American Tinnitus Association (ATA), there are a few established therapies and tinnitus treatment options. Because there is no cure, the ATA notes, “the primary objective for all currently available tinnitus treatment options is to lower the perceived burden of tinnitus.”

Hearing aids are one tinnitus treatment option the ATA lists, with hearing professionals reporting that 60 percent of their tinnitus patients experience relief when wearing them.

Sound therapy is another treatment option listed by the ATA, which notes that hearing aids are an effective component to most sound therapy protocols.

Sound therapy — and hearing aids — work by masking the tinnitus sound and reducing the perception and intensity of any “ringing in the ears.” This helps take your mind off of your tinnitus, which helps lower its burden.

4. What should you do if you or someone you know has tinnitus?

Since the exact cause of tinnitus is not known, the ATA recommends you visit your primary care provider and a hearing healthcare professional for evaluation. This evaluation helps them determine if tinnitus is present and what may be causing it. Specialized tests are performed to evaluate the auditory system. Some of these tests measure the specific features of the tinnitus itself, and could include:

• Audiogram

• Evoked response audiometry

• Tinnitus pitch match

• Tinnitus loudness match

5. How can you get tinnitus relief?

While there is no cure for tinnitus, Audibel’s’s hearing aids with proprietary Multiflex Tinnitus Technology have been clinically proven to provide relief for ringing in the ears.

Call Land of Lincoln today to make an appointment!

Multiflex Tinnitus Technology enhances the masking capabilities of Audibel hearing aids even more by creating a customizable and comforting sound stimulus that you and your hearing professional can fine-tune. This sound stimulus soothes the unique, irritating sounds you hear — so you can get your mind off your tinnitus and get your life back.

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Is hearing loss avoidable?

That’s a great question, and a complicated one to answer! Hearing loss can be caused by a multitude of things: some are preventable and some are not. For me to write about everything that can cause hearing loss — and then all the ways to avoid each cause — would make for a very long blog post. We will save that for another day.

Instead, I am going to write about what you can do to avoid the second-leading cause of hearing loss — noise-induced hearing loss.

Did you know that one in four U.S. adults have noise-induced hearing loss? That’s a lot of people (at least 40 million)! The good news is that you can protect your hearing in most situations. And if you practice good hearing protection, not only do you increase your chances of avoiding noise-induced hearing loss, it will  go a long way towards helping you avoid age-related hearing loss, which is the number one cause of hearing loss.

Here are a few ways to protect your hearing (and help avoid hearing loss):

Minimize your exposure to loud noises

This is the best way to avoid hearing loss. How do you know what’s too loud? Environments where you have to raise your voice to talk to other people, where you can't hear what people nearby are saying, where the noise hurts your ears or, really, where any noise exceeds 85 decibels are too loud.

Wear hearing protection

There are times when you are put into loud situations or environments and you simply can’t avoid them. These include certain work environments, sporting events, concerts, bars/clubs, mowing your lawn, etc. In those situations, you should use hearing protection.

Hearing protection comes in a variety of different styles including ear plugs, custom plugs, “earmuffs” and more. 

Watch the volume

With the way technology is advancing these days, almost everyone has something in their ears. Consider investing in higher quality earphones that block out background noise, to help you moderate your listening levels in noisier places.

Also, the general rule of thumb to use when setting your volume is: You should be able to hear and converse with a person arm’s length away from you easily. If you cannot, then it is too loud.

Buy quieter products

You probably never think about how loud some of your household products are. Some products such as children’s toys, blenders and hair dryers. can get louder than 100 decibels! That means that it would take less than 15 minutes of use for you to damage your hearing. I justified buying a fancy new hair dryer because of how loud my old hair dryer was. 

There are other decisions or changes you can make in your life to help avoid hearing loss, including:

Don’t put anything in your ear

Your ears naturally clean themselves. By putting products in your ears, you can cause infections and or actually puncture your ear drum, which can lead to permanent hearing loss.

Don’t smoke

Research studies have shown a positive correlation between smoking and hearing loss. It’s better just to say no.

Keep a healthy diet

Other research studies show that women who maintain a healthy diet have reduced risk/rates of moderate to severe hearing loss compared to women who do not eat healthy.

Get your hearing tested

Having your hearing tested regularly is a great way to know how your auditory system is working. By getting your hearing tested regularly, you will be able to monitor your hearing easily, know if any changes are occurring, and treat any hearing loss early, before it gets to be a problem.

Nothing is guaranteed to prevent hearing loss. But the advice above should help you avoid it, or at least put it off for as long as possible.

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Wearing hearing aids can reduce the risk of cognitive decline

Research by Johns Hopkins and other institutions have linked cognitive decline and even dementia to hearing loss for reasons you can read about here. One study found that older adults with hearing loss experience a 30-40 percent faster decline in cognitive abilities than peers with normal hearing.

But a 25-year-long study published in 2015 found that hearing aid use reduced the risk of cognitive decline associated with hearing loss. Researchers also reported that treating hearing loss in midlife is the single greatest change a person can make to lower their risk of dementia.

Contact Land of Lincoln Hearing today, here.

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Hearing loss impacts memory and comprehension

Readers of the publication Trends in Neurosciences will already know today’s fact. For the other 99.9 percent of us, though, it is definitely interesting.

According to a story in the June 2016 edition, research has confirmed that “even relatively mild levels of hearing loss” can lead to cascading negative effects on the brain. Those effects can impact perception, comprehension and memory.

The thinking goes: the more effort it takes to listen and piece together what someone is saying (due to hearing loss), the more it impacts other cognitive operations, “such as remembering what has been heard.” It’s one huge reason why experts at Johns Hopkins recommend treating hearing loss sooner rather than later.

It’s best to not wait until it’s too late! Scheduling an appointment is just a phone call away. Contact Land of Lincoln Hearing today, here! We are looking forward to hearing from you.

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Happy hearing makes for happy holidays!

Holidays are a time for being with family and friends and having fun! A few tips will help keep your hearing aids working well to make sure you get the most out of this holiday season!

• Watch out for the cold! Hearing aids are basically little computers, so don’t leave them in the car overnight. If you do, give them time to warm up before using them.

• Children and pets love hearing aids! Being around family can put you around children and pets you don’t see on a regular basis. Keeping your hearing aids on your ears will make sure little hands and pets don’t get a hold of them.

• Hearing aids don’t like snow! If you drop your hearing aids in the snow, take them in the house, throw away the battery and let them dry out. Please do not put them in the oven or microwave to dry them. If you have a dry aid kit, use it.

• If you have rechargeable hearing aids, don’t let the charger sit in the car/outside overnight. It doesn’t like the cold any more than we (or your hearing aids) do! If you forget it in the car, give it a chance to warm up before using it, to get the best performance.

• Family and friends can be lots of fun. The fun may often come with lots of volume and many big groups, too! Sit close to the people you want to talk to and make sure you are in a well-lit area.

• Children’s voices can be soft and they can talk fast. Make sure the children you are talking to are looking at you. Don’t be afraid to ask the child to repeat or another adult to help “translate.”

• Accessories make life easier! If you have accessories, like remote microphones, use them! They can help you enjoy the festivities even more.

As the holidays approach, tell stories, sing songs, laugh and — most of all — enjoy time with the people who bring you joy. Happy Holidays!

Why it’s important to check your hearing regularly

We are all concerned about our health and well-being! Benjamin Franklin once said “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Whether it is diabetes, cancer, heart disease or hearing loss, we have become increasingly more focused on stopping illness through preventative healthcare. It’s one reason why we’re living longer and why, if Mr. Franklin were alive today, he’d agree that “60 is the new 40.”

We get yearly physicals to monitor blood pressure, cholesterol and evaluate risks for cancer, diabetes and heart disease. We should approach our hearing the same way.

Early treatment can help prevent future issues

In recent years, research has shown that hearing is not just about our ears! Our hearing impacts many aspects of our health and life. Untreated hearing loss has been linked to increased likelihood of dementia, decreases in cognitive function, increased isolation and higher incidences of depression. Discovering and treating hearing loss sooner rather than later can ultimately improve our overall health and well-being.

Many people will wait until they are having difficulty before getting their hearing tested. The reality is that they have most likely been living with hearing loss anywhere from 5 to 15 years before they take action. Could you imagine living with high cholesterol or high blood pressure or diabetes for a dozen years before taking action?

Start with a baseline hearing test

For many of us, the last time we had our hearing checked was when we were in grade school. According to healthcare professionals, we should get a “baseline” hearing test early in our adulthood. The recommendation is around 18 or 21. If you are past 21 and have not had a baseline test, the sooner the better.

A “baseline” hearing test will provide a frame of reference for tests later in life. It is important to remember that hearing is more than just detecting beeps! A baseline hearing test will measure your sensitivity to sounds (the beeps), but it will also measure your ability to understand speech, both at soft levels and when the volume is comfortable. In addition, the overall health of the ear will be evaluated via a visual exam.

Follow-up hearing tests may be recommended 

How often you have your hearing checked after the baseline depends on a few different variables: the results of your baseline test, your risk for hearing loss, and your age are just a few. If hearing loss exists at the baseline, yearly testing is recommended.

If your risk for hearing loss is high, yearly hearing tests are also recommended. Things that increase your risk of hearing loss include noise exposure, both at work and recreational (motorcycles, guns, loud music), as well as your age. As hearing loss is found more often with increasing age, individuals 60 years of age and older are recommended to have their hearing tested every two years, if no hearing loss was apparent in their most recent test.

Is there a way I can help a loved one who has hearing loss?

We know that, left untreated, hearing loss can negatively affect our quality of life. Studies link untreated hearing loss to stress, depression, social isolation, and even dementia. Untreated hearing loss also increases the risk of falling, putting personal safety at risk. 

But the person with hearing loss isn’t the only person affected by it. Hearing loss impacts spouses, family members, and friends. Repeating things over and over during conversation can be exhausting and frustrating. It can also be heartbreaking for family and friends to watch a loved one retreat, avoiding social situations they once enjoyed.

Don’t enable their denial

Encouraging a loved one to seek help for hearing loss is the right thing to do, even when it’s hard to know how to help. It’s important to speak with your loved one directly about their hearing loss. Gently remind them every time you need to repeat or rephrase parts of conversations they miss.

Without realizing it, well-intended ways we try to help can delay treatment. Repeating or rephrasing conversations may prevent our loved ones from realizing how much they are missing. Make sure your well-intended efforts aren’t preventing your loved one from realizing how hearing loss is impacting their life.

Schedule a hearing check-up for them

Offer to schedule and attend your loved one’s first appointment with Land of Lincoln Hearing. (You can contact us by clicking here.)

Bring any questions you have with you to your appointment. We will discuss the results of your loved ones hearing test, discuss the best treatment, and answer any other questions you may have.

The sooner they seek help, the happier everyone will be

Don’t be surprised if your loved one is hesitant to seek help for their hearing loss. Be gentle and consistent. On average, hearing aid wearers wait 5-7 years to seek treatment. Which means, your loved one is probably aware of their hearing problem, but might need a little push of encouragement and support to treat it.

Remind your loved one that they have nothing to lose and so much to gain. Being patient and supportive will help your loved one get the hearing help you will both benefit from.

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5 reasons to treat hearing loss

So you’ve got a little hearing loss. What’s the big deal, right? It happens to almost all of us as we age.

FACT: 37.5 million Americans 18 and older have hearing loss, including one out of every three, 60 and older. 

You can cope, you’ve decided. You’ll just turn the TV up a little louder. Ask people to speak up or repeat what they said. And hey, the quiet can be kind of nice, to be honest. “Why should I treat it,” you wonder? 

Should you treat or ignore your hearing loss?

The decision to treat or ignore hearing loss should not be taken lightly. Why? Because hearing loss plays a significant role in many important issues that impact our quality of life, including five important ones:

• Mental health

• Physical health

• Income and career

• Personal safety

• Relationships and social interactions

Before you decide whether to ignore or treat your hearing loss, read what studies, health care experts, and hearing aid wearers themselves have to say about each choice.

Ignore or treat hearing loss — a side-by-side comparison

(1) Mental Health

Ignore hearing loss

Numerous studies link hearing loss to issues of mental decline, including increased anxiety and depression, accelerated brain shrinkage, and even dementia. One such study, by Johns Hopkins Medicine, tested volunteers with hearing loss over six years and found their cognitive abilities declined 30-40% faster than peers with normal hearing.

Treat hearing loss
Johns Hopkins’ researcher, Dr. Frank Lin, thinks that “if you want to address hearing loss well, do it sooner rather than later.” He recommends treating hearing loss before “brain structural changes take place.”

A separate study released in 2015 backs him up. In the study, scientists concluded that treating hearing loss by wearing hearing aids reduces the risk of cognitive decline associated with hearing loss.

FACT: Untreated hearing loss may result in serious long-term consequences to healthy brain functioning.

(2) Physical Health

Ignore hearing loss
The National Council on Aging notes that “falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans.” While no one knows how many falls are linked to hearing loss each year, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have found that people with hearing loss are three times more likely to fall than those without hearing loss.

It’s thought that hearing loss may detract from environmental awareness, which increases the likelihood of tripping and falling.

Treat hearing loss
Recently, a study by the Washington University School of Medicine found that improving hearing through hearing aids appears to “improve balance in older adults with hearing loss” and helps reduce the risk of falls. Researchers credited the results to both increased alertness and improved balance.

(3) Income and Career 

Ignore hearing loss

A study by the Better Hearing Institute quantified the impact of untreated hearing loss on the job. The study found that people with untreated hearing loss can see an income hit of up to $30,000 annually, and were nearly twice as likely to be unemployed as peers who wore hearing aids.

QUOTE: “Hearing loss was affecting my presentations and ability to service clients.” Chris T., Pennsylvania  

Treat hearing loss

That same study found that people who use hearing aids reduced the risk of income loss by 90 to 100 percent. It also reported that most hearing aid users in the workforce said wearing hearing aids has helped their performance on the job. 

“Listening is SO important in my work, and I can now work better, more efficiently and more effectively because of my hearing aids.” Marty C., New York  

(4) Personal Safety

Ignore hearing loss

Studies aren’t needed to know that missed or misheard signals like car horns, alarms and other warning alerts can jeopardize a person’s safety. And it doesn’t always have to be one’s own. Adults caring for infants and young children need to know when their charge is crying or in distress. 

Treat hearing loss

Treating hearing loss with hearing aids enhances your awareness of your surroundings and can help ensure you hear every smoke detector, bike bell, emergency alert or distress call.

(5) Relationships and social interactions

Ignore hearing loss

More than anything, untreated hearing loss can lead to social isolation, as the challenges of listening and feelings of “missing out” often cause people to withdraw from the friends, family and activities that bring them joy.

This, alone, is significant, as social isolation is closely linked to numerous quality-of-life issues, including depression, illness, exhaustion and even shorter life spans.9  

Treat hearing loss

Treating hearing loss with hearing aids enables you to hear, participate, and ensure you don’t miss out on the people and activities that make you happy. It’s as simple as that. 

“I’m so glad I got hearing aids. It has truly been life changing!” Lesley P., California