Lots of people who have hearing loss don’t admit they do

An interesting thing about hearing loss is that the person who has it is frequently the last to know — or at least late to admit it.

It’s others, usually, who notice it first: by a TV that’s played too loud, or because they’re constantly asked to repeat themselves or — in the case of a spouse — answer the question, “what did he just say?”

So today’s hearing fact is less surprising than it should be. In a study of people 60 or older, nearly half who were tested with mild hearing loss didn’t think they had any at all.

Hearing loss is, typically, gradual. It can take years for it to get to a point where the consequences are overt. But even mild hearing loss can negatively impact our quality of life and, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, double our risk for dementia.

Our advice is to be aware of hearing loss and proactively seek help before it causes irreversible challenges. You can start by contacting Land of Lincoln by clicking here. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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!

Photo by Alina Grubnyak on Unsplash

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

---

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.

---

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.