News on Hearing Loss

Loud city noise has been proven to be hazardous to our hearing and health. Prolonged exposure to that level of sound damages not only hearing, but is also linked to onset of health ailments such as stress, ischemic heart disease, increase in blood pressure, and a change in heart rhythm, among many others.

New research suggests that elderly people diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s don’t undergo tests to rule out hearing loss, but they should because more than one-third of patients diagnosed with memory and hearing loss actually have a less severe category of dementia once the hearing problem was treated.

The incidence of hearing problems such as ringing ears or tinnitus and hypersensitivity to sound has been found to be higher among musicians than among the general population. The use of hearing protection is rare among musicians and only musicians who have problems with hearing wear protectors on a more regular basis.

The annual noisy toy report identifies the most dangerous toys to children's hearing. The list includes Iron Man Mobile Headquarters Vehicle, Fisher Price Learning Letters Mailbox, Sesame Street Help Along Sing a Song book and Black & Decker Junior Chainsaw.

Hearing loss is often associated with age, however there actually many ways we can lose our hearing well before we enter our Golden years.

Young people who listen to personal music players for several hours a day at high volume could be putting their hearing at risk. iPods and MP3 players can generate levels of sound at the ear in excess of 120 decibels, similar in intensity to a jet engine, especially when used with earphones that insert into the ear canal.

As roller coasters continue to push the envelope of speed, a common ear injury - ear barotrauma, can lead to temporary hearing loss, and most commonly causes dizziness, ear discomfort or pain, or a sensation of having the ears pop.

A new study shows that there is a stress-response system within the cochlea that mirrors the body’s fight or flight response and helps protect against noise induced hearing loss.

As part of an effort to emphasize hearing safety and the shooting sports, HIA loaned Magnum Ear hearing protection devices to participants in the annual Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus Shoot-out in May.

“Buds In The Schools Week” is coming to the Washington, DC area May 23-29. Six in-school safe listening concerts by leading children’s music artists will be held for area school children and the artists will entertain students while weaving in ASHA’s safe-listening message.

Texas employers across the state are invited to attend free seminars in June designed to improve their Hearing Conservation Programs and help prevent noise-induced hearing loss among workers.

Noise induced hearing loss can be so gradual over time that it goes unnoticed until there is a significant loss. Noise induced hearing loss is usually painless, progressive and always permanent but can also be 100 percent preventable.

As iPod or MP3 use among children grows at an unprecedented rate - fueling concerns that many are using the technology unsafely - the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is launching a new website aimed at empowering parents and protecting children from noise-induced hearing loss and other communication difficulties.

Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act originally passed in 1999, supporting infant hearing screening and family support.

A routine screening test for several metabolic and genetic disorders in newborns, the heel-stick procedure, is not effective in screening for cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, a leading cause of hearing loss in children.

To call attention to the dangers of untreated hearing loss, the 180 HearUSA company-owned hearing care centers will offer free hearing screenings and informative DVDs on hearing loss and its treatment during this year's Better Hearing Month.

Sudden senorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) has wide age distribution, but occurs most commonly in people aged 50-60 years, usually affects one ear only. If the situation is not life threatening, a treatment of short-course corticosteroids is recommended, although no treatment is proven.

Degraded sensory experience during critical periods of childhood development can have detrimental effects on the brain and behavior. In children that commonly experience a buildup of viscous fluid in the middle ear cavity, a condition nicknamed 'lazy ear' can occur.

To help combat the third most common health related problem in America today, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) launched its annual song and drawing contests to educate children 10 and younger about hearing loss prevention.

The Ida Institute recently concluded a series, Enabling Communication Partnerships, which explored the role that multiple communication partners can play in the human dynamics associated with hearing loss and offers practical counseling tools.

In a new study, researchers determined that regular use of aspirin, acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increases the risk of hearing loss in men, particularly in younger men, below age 60.

Howard Leight® is offering employers and workers free samples of its new Pilot™ push-in ear plugs for occupational hearing protection.

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) has received the "Media Award" from the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) for its “It’s a Noisy Planet, Protect Their Hearing” campaign and web site. This award recognizes the efforts of writers and/or producers of news features that serve to heighten public awareness of the hazards of noise.

Many parents watching the celebratory ending of the big game saw the now iconic moment of a child wearing protective earmuffs to reduce the noise of the stadium cheers. This national moment is a good reminder to parents that there are simple solutions that will protect their children's hearing.

The ASHA has urged the FCC to consider the potential negative impact of misusing entertainment media on children's hearing and communication development. A study found that children ages 8-18 using media (TV, music, internet, etc.) 7 hours and 38 minutes of per day and even longer if media multitasking was counted.