 Pictured: ReSound LiNX 3D Hearing loss is a prevalent health problem that people across the globe currently experience. Seeking the proper treatment should be based on the severity of your hearing loss, its underlying cause, type of hearing loss, and your personal lifestyle.
You should start your hearing loss treatment with a simple hearing test that is conducted by a professional. The Importance of Treating Hearing Loss Hearing loss that goes untreated in children will adversely affect their development in language acquisition, learning, and socializing with others. Older adults who experience untreated hearing loss typically struggle with following along in conversations. As a result, they might withdraw from activities and other things that they usually enjoy. This leads to social isolation, depression, cognitive decline, and an increase in falls for those who are at least 66-years-old. Research has shown that Hearing Aids Help with the Following:
Treating Age-Related Hearing Loss Presbycusis (age-related hearing loss), is the most prevalent type of hearing loss. As we age, the cilia (hair cells located in the inner ear) start to lose their function. Half of the adults who are 75 or older have hearing loss. Presbycusis is a type of sensorineural hearing loss. This indicates that the loss of hearing begins in the inner ear and/or the auditory nerve. It’s usually caused by damaged hair cells in the inner ear. In addition to aging, noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is also a major cause of this type of hearing loss. Unfortunately, sensorineural hearing loss is permanent. The cilia are irreparable when they become damaged. Anyone who experiences this type of hearing loss can use hearing aids as their best option. Many people gradually lose their hearing as they age, and it needs to be treated. It’s important to get a regular hearing test because you probably won’t notice the subtle loss of hearing. The earlier you get treatment the more likely you will be able to preserve the hearing that you still have. The ability to hear is important for your safety and overall health. It helps you stay connected to the people in your life, and your surroundings. How can Hearing Aids Benefit You? If your hearing instrument specialist recommends hearing aids, based on the results of your hearing test, they will patiently work with you to calibrate the devices to your individual hearing needs. This method is known as a fitting. The fundamental goal of a hearing aid is to amplify sounds. Modern hearing aids can be customized and programmed to your particular needs, like increasing important sounds such as speech noise, while reducing background noise. Hearing aids cannot imitate the same normal hearing that you used to experience, but they are helpful for anyone with mild to moderate hearing loss. Hearing aids can be worn behind or inside the ear. It depends on your severity of hearing loss and personal preferences. If you are experiencing hearing loss, contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test and consultation. We offer a variety of hearing aid options and brands for a wide range of hearing loss. Assistive Listening Devices Hearing aids are very useful but don’t always address every single person’s needs. Those who cannot benefit from hearing aids can use assistive listening devices (ALDs) in situations where hearing is difficult. These devices can improve your experience while you watch TV, listen to music, or talk to someone over the phone. You may use amplified phones, captioned phones, FM systems, TV hearing devices, smartphone apps that use captions, and hearing loops that are connected to hearing aid telecoils (T-coils). Scroll through this page to see the options that we have available at Pure Sound. Do You also have Tinnitus? As you age, it’s common to encounter tinnitus if you begin to experience hearing loss. Tinnitus is one of the first signs of hearing loss. Just about all modern hearing aids have a “tinnitus masking feature”, which helps drown out the buzzing or ringing noises. Talk to your hearing instrument specialist for available tinnitus treatments. Where to Get Help Hearing loss is common, but modern hearing technology can help with nearly any hearing problem that you have. If you, or a loved one, are experiencing hearing loss and/or tinnitus, contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test and consultation.
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 It’s our final day of tinnitus-based articles for Tinnitus Awareness Week.
As we’ve previously discussed and reiterated, tinnitus is the sensation of hearing sound without an external source. Tinnitus is derived from the Latin verb "tinnire", which means "to ring". Even though most people describe tinnitus as a ringing sound in the ears, it can also be described as a buzzing, clicking, hissing, swooshing, or whistling noise. In nearly every case, tinnitus is caused due to the brain’s reaction to hearing loss. This diminishes the auditory sound or input to the brain. The brain does not react well to that, so it will create a new sensation that replaces the sound of what it had been hearing and expecting. Temporary vs. Chronic Tinnitus Tinnitus can be a temporary condition or a continuous health problem. Tinnitus that is short, spontaneous, and lasts seconds to minutes, is an almost universal experience. In other instances, acute or temporary tinnitus that lasts minutes to hours typically happens after extreme and extensive noise exposure leads to a short-term ear injury. Chronic tinnitus - which is defined as lasting for over three months - is more common. Pervasiveness According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 15% percent of the general population - that’s more than 50 million Americans - experience a variety of tinnitus. About 20 million people endure chronic tinnitus, and two million people experience severe and debilitating cases. For the majority of patients, tinnitus is a symptom of hearing loss that is caused by age (presbycusis), long-term hearing damage, or severe trauma to the auditory system. Hearing loss leads to reduced stimulation of external sounds to the brain. As a result, the brain sustains neuroplastic shifts in the way it processes different frequencies of sound. Tinnitus is the result of maladaptive neuroplastic changes. Individuals with hearing loss and tinnitus may experience relief from using hearing aids and other devices that can be used for amplifying sound. If you, or a loved one, are experiencing hearing loss and/or tinnitus, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing for a hearing test and consultation. We offer a variety of hearing aids that are helpful with tinnitus relief and hearing loss.  Tinnitus is the sensation of hearing sounds when there is no external sound present. People who experience tinnitus may hear the following sounds:
Facts about Tinnitus
Causes of Tinnitus
If you or a loved one are experiencing any of these symptoms, immediately seek help. A lack of medical attention can lead to further hearing loss. Hearing aids can help mask the sounds. Contact us at Pure Sound Hearing for a consultation.  It is tinnitus awareness week, and we’re kicking it off with information on hearing loss and tinnitus as possible side effects of certain antibiotics and medications.
What is ototoxicity? Ototoxicity refers to having a toxic substance in your body that is harmful to the ear and can negatively impact the health of your hearing abilities. It can induce symptoms of tinnitus, or worsen them, and it can affect your body’s balance because these are all functions of the ear. Ototoxicity can occur after taking common drugs, including certain pain medications and antibiotics (particularly salicylates). Anti-inflammatory drugs, such as loop diuretics, are a major type of drug that can harm your ear health. Some of the other harmful drugs include chemotherapy agents (particularly if they are platinum-based). If any of these ototoxic drugs are prescribed to you, and you have a history of hearing problems, talk to your healthcare provider about possible side effects. If you do notice a shift in your ability to hear, such as a different tone in your tinnitus, the onset of tinnitus, and your ability to maintain overall balance in your body (symptoms of dizziness or vertigo), contact your healthcare provider and notify them about these symptoms. There may be instances where you cannot change the medication because it may be life-threatening, but it’s still important to talk about it with your healthcare provider. It’s important to note that NOT ALL ototoxic medications induce tinnitus. Some make a stronger impact on a person’s balance, whereas others have a strong effect on a person’s hearing loss. The platinum-based drugs (for chemotherapy) would be more likely to cause a person to lose their hearing loss than cause tinnitus. The advantage of the drug would significantly outweigh the side effects. Some medications take a longer time to flush out of your system, so the effects of the drug could happen later. Other medications may cause the effects to happen immediately. Does tinnitus occur or change when taking an ototoxic medication? Some medications almost have an immediate onset of tinnitus. After a pill is taken, in 10 to 15 minutes symptoms can begin to occur. If the medication is injected into the body, the onset will occur quicker. If you take one of these medications and within 20 minutes you notice a buzzing, clicking, hissing, humming, or ringing sound, - that is not coming from your environment - it’s probably a side effect of the medication. Some people may not immediately put two and two together. You may not form a timeline for when you started taking the medication, or when the dosage was added or increased. A new medication may have been taken with an older medication, and you could be dealing with a combination of effects, which could be the sounds that you hear inside your ear. If you lose track of the timeline for when you took the medication, you can contact your pharmacist and find out when you picked up that prescription. That can help you piece together your timeline. If you started taking the medication the day you picked up the prescription, or shortly after, and notice the symptoms of tinnitus, you could conclude that the medication is affecting your hearing. Cardiac medications commonly cause tinnitus. You can talk to your healthcare provider and go over your medications and medication intake routine. To help you with this process, document everything. Document your medication, when you take the doses, and when you begin to notice the tinnitus or hearing loss symptoms. If you, or a loved one, are experiencing tinnitus and/or hearing loss, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing for a free hearing test and consultation. We offer many hearing aids that help mask the sound of tinnitus.  Martha is always ready to help our patients with their questions and hearing aid needs in our Lititz office.
If you, or a loved one, would like to schedule a hearing test, contact us at Pure Sound Hearing. Ask about our latest ad. for professionally fit, premium hearing aids.  When your hearing deteriorates as you age there is a higher risk of contracting dementia, which can lead to cognitive decline. A group of neurologists from the Department of Neurophysiology of the Medical Faculty studied how the brain functions as hearing abilities slowly become worse. They discovered that vital areas of the brain become restructured, which impacts a person’s memory.
A Deterioration of Sensory Perception The neurologists studied the brains of mice with hereditary hearing loss, which is analogous to hearing loss among humans. The density of neurotransmitter receptors located in the brain, which is essential for the construction of memory, was analyzed by scientists. They also examined the effects of information stored in the hippocampus - the brain’s most important memory organ. How the Brain Adapts to Hearing A person’s memory can function through a system known as synaptic plasticity. By way of the hippocampus, synaptic plasticity was continuously weakened by advanced hearing loss. The distribution (and density of the neurotransmitter receptors) in sensory and memory segments of the brain, had also steadily shifted. It indicated that the stronger the hearing damage was, the worse memory abilities and synaptic plasticity became. These are the latest proven insights into the commonly believed cause of the cognitive decline and presbycusis (age-related hearing loss) in humans. The team of neurologists concluded that frequency shifts in the neurotransmitter receptor expression - that is the result of advanced hearing loss - create shifts in the sensory information processing that inhibits the hippocampus from properly functioning. If you or a loved one are experiencing hearing loss, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test and consultation. We offer Starkey’s Livio AI hearing aids, which help improve your hearing and brain function. Pure Sound services will only be available by appointment and for essential visits at this time. Essential visits include all appointments that require repairs, re-fittings, and new hearing aid fittings. If you are having any problems with your hearing aids, or need supplies for your hearing aids, please call us before visiting one of our offices.  It’s no secret that everyone’s hearing gets worse as they age. Usually, individuals have one ear that can hear better than the other. In some instances, hearing loss can abruptly occur in one ear for no reason. Under these circumstances, you may have experienced sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL), or sensorineural hearing loss (SHL), which is a type of nerve deafness.
According to Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery, there are approximately 66,000 instances of SHL each year in the U.S. There are probably more cases because this condition frequently goes undiagnosed. Most people do not perceive it as being serious enough to get the help that they need. The lack of early intervention and care increases the chances of permanent hearing loss. Unexplained Causes The exact cause of SHL is unknown, but specialists who study this phenomenon have identified some potential reasons:
People of any age can experience this problem, but it usually affects people who are in their 50s or 60s. As previously mentioned, it normally occurs in one ear. You might hear a “pop”, or feel as though there is an obstruction in your ear. Oftentimes, your hearing won’t disappear all at once. There is a steady decline that happens within several minutes or hours, like when air seeps out from a tire. Other than hearing issues, SHL can influence your balance, which can increase your risk of falling. SHL may also be an indication of a small stroke or tumor. It tends to be overlooked because the symptoms resemble a common cold, feelings of impacted earwax, or water that’s trapped in the ear. Most people will try to treat it on their own by using a common cold or sinus medication, ear drops that swimmers use, or by simply cleaning their ears out. Mistaking it for an irritating ear that feels stuffy will cause some to leave it untreated until it’s too late. Distinguishing the Difference between a Stuffy Ear and SHL Here is something you can do to determine the difference between a common stuffy ear and sudden hearing loss: hum out loud to yourself. With normal hearing, sound can be heard equally by each ear. If you hum when you notice a new loss of hearing in one ear, the humming will transfer from one side to the other. For instance, let’s say that your left ear is affected and the hum is heard louder in that ear. The loss of hearing is more likely a conductive hearing loss, and probably caused by obstruction due to a cold or earwax buildup. You may simulate this effect by humming as you cover your left ear. If the humming sounds louder in the right ear, it indicates that the left ear with hearing loss is caused by recent nerve damage. This will need immediate medical attention. Getting Treatment The time period to get your SHL treated is 10 to 14 days. If it goes untreated, your hearing loss may become permanent. Get your hearing tested. You may not regain your full hearing abilities, but you may preserve the hearing abilities that you still have with proper treatment. If you have moderate to severe hearing loss, there’s only a 20% chance that you will completely recover from SHL, even when you get it treated immediately. If you, or a loved one, are experiencing SHL lasting more than 24-hours, immediately contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test and consultation. If necessary, our hearing instrument specialists can offer a referral and they can go over hearing aid options.  Are you, or a loved one, experiencing hearing loss, but are too afraid to accept it? Maybe you've experienced some or all of these feelings.
No matter what phase of hearing loss you’re in, know that Pure Sound is here to help. Contact us for a free hearing test and consultation. Please be aware that Pure Sound services will only be available by appointment and for essential visits at this time. Essential visits include all appointments that require new hearing aid fittings, repairs and re-fittings. We ask that you please wait in your car, while wearing your mask, and place your hearing aids in a clean zip lock bag. We will come to your car to get them. If you are having any problems with your hearing aids, or need supplies for your hearing aids, please call us before visiting one of our offices.  Earwax, or cerumen, naturally produces to protect your outer ears. It is made up of dirt, oil, sweat, and dead skin cells.
Is your earwax dry or wet? Producing dry earwax is common among Asians, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders. Producing wet earwax is common among Africans and Caucasians. What is the pigment of your earwax? Old earwax is generally dark brown or black. Its color is caused by trapped bacteria and dirt. This earwax color is more common in adults. Light brown, orange, or yellow earwax are considered healthy and normal. Children generally have softer, light-colored earwax. Dark brown earwax, with any red, might indicate a bleeding wound. White earwax that is flaky, is a sign that your body does not produce a chemical linked to body odor. What produces excess earwax? Normally, your body will know how much earwax it needs to make. Keep a healthy diet, practice proper hygiene, and move your jaw around (the same way you do when talking and chewing food). Doing this will let your ears naturally remove excess cerumen, debris, or dirt. If you routinely remove earwax, this alerts your body to generate more. Excess earwax can prevent the ability to hear, which will put you at a higher risk of ear infections and other ear or hearing health problems. Too much stress and over-exercising can increase the amount of earwax that is produced. The same apocrine glands which create sweat, also produce earwax. Excess earwax is typically found in individuals who:
Additional facts:
Tips to safely clean out your ears: Although there are benefits to having earwax, too much wax obstruction can induce conductive hearing loss (when sound waves cannot travel through the inner ear, because of the earwax obstruction). If your ears feel stuffy and believe that earwax may be the cause:
If you are unable to hear out of your hearing aids and notice that there is too much earwax that is clogging up your devices, contact us at Pure Sound for deep cleaning. We will be happy to help. Please be aware that Pure Sound services will only be available by appointment and for essential visits at this time. Essential visits include all appointments that require repairs, re-fittings, and new hearing aid fittings. Get in touch with us if you need to schedule a hearing test, or if you are having any problems with your hearing aids. If you need any supplies for your hearing aids, please contact us before your office visit.  Hearing aids can only be recommended for someone hard of hearing when they seek help. As frequently mentioned in this blog, the average person with a hearing loss usually waits after 10 years of hearing decline to actually get help. The decline is usually not noticeable at first, and then most people think it’s not a big deal. If you find it difficult to follow along during conversations, frequently raise the volume on some of your devices or TV, or ask others to repeat themselves, you might need hearing aids.
Hearing Instrument Specialists and Hearing Aids A hearing instrument specialist recommends and helps you choose hearing aids. If you are new to hearing aids, you will probably have a lot of questions, especially before your first appointment. Hearing instrument specialists can give you a lot of information and advice on hearing aids and hearing loss. Before determining which hearing aids are best for you, get a hearing test. At Pure Sound Hearing, our hearing instrument specialists will conduct a pure-tone audiometry test. The test incorporates playing a series of tones with an audiometer. The hearing tone test measures which frequencies of tones you can hear. The outcome of your hearing test will provide an accurate depiction of the severity of your hearing loss. You may discover that you can hear better in one ear than the other, or there are certain frequencies that you can or cannot hear. The results of the test will help you and your hearing instrument specialist determine which hearing aids would work best for you. Hearing Aid Fitting and Adaptation After choosing the hearing aids that feel most comfortable to you, a hearing instrument can properly fit the devices in your ears. After the fitting, there is an adjustment period which is when your brain, which has not clearly heard sounds in years, can get used to hearing those sounds again. Good maintenance and care are necessary for your hearing aids to perform at their best. You need to clean the devices regularly, and the batteries will eventually need to be replaced. It is recommended that you get a professional cleaning done at least every 6-months. Everyone adapts to hearing aids at a different pace. Some people get used to wearing them within a few days, while others can take months. Your hearing instrument specialist will give you a better idea of what to expect. Protect Your Hearing Health In addition to guiding selecting hearing aids, fitting and programming the devices, and proper maintenance, a hearing instrument specialist can also give you tips on protecting your hearing health. Don’t hesitate to contact them for help. If you, or a loved one, are experiencing hearing loss, contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test and consultation. Please be aware that Pure Sound services will only be available by appointment and for essential visits at this time. Essential visits include all appointments that require repairs, re-fittings, and new hearing aid fittings. If you are having any issues with your hearing aids, or need supplies for your hearing aids, please call us before stopping in at one of our office locations.  A recent report from the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) showed that based on the 15% of Americans who have reported some range of hearing loss, approximately 60 percent spend most of their time in the workplace or an academic setting.
Some extra effort is necessary when it comes to hearing loss, but this factor should not interfere with how productive you are or add stress to your experience. The majority of your problems are rooted in misunderstandings, so it is important to have effective communication. Be firm when asking others to accommodate your needs, whether you need to ask someone to speak more clearly, or you need someone to look at you while they talk. These small changes can help make your workplace or classroom run with ease. If you experience hearing loss, let your coworkers and boss know the most efficient ways to communicate with you. There will most likely be a learning curve, so be patient. Hearing Loss: Employment American employers are legally required to implement a workplace with equal opportunities under the Americans with Disabilities Act. This includes workers who have hearing loss. Some adjustments can include providing assistive listening devices or using other accommodations to help ease communication. HLAA Resources The HLAA compiled resources for workers who have hearing loss. There is also a comprehensive employment toolkit that includes nearly every dilemma an employee with a hearing impairment may experience. Federal Resources on Workers with Hearing Loss The U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission has a guide on deafness and hearing loss in the workplace, in addition to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Using Hearing Aids on the Job Hearing aids are very beneficial for individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss. New users should be aware that it takes time to adapt to hearing aids, particularly when you are moving from one environment to another. Talk to your hearing instrument specialist for advice. Your hearing aids can be programmed for different environments, including your daily working conditions and for listening to others through a facemask. Which Assistive Listening Devices Should I Use at Work? If you work in an office, you might need more help than what your hearing aids are capable of providing. In this case, use an assistive listening device.
How to Communicate in the Workplace Effective methods of communication are different for everyone. Generally, people with hearing loss communicate best in person rather than over the phone. The current social distancing rules complicate things, so someone with hearing loss will need to use a series of context clues such as lip reading, facial expressions, and body language to piece the conversation together. An email, chat window, or text, might be more helpful than a phone call or Zoom call unless there are captions available. If it is necessary to visit in-person, ask others to walk in front of you if you are not responding to their attempts to draw your attention. It’s much less startling to see someone walk towards you than it is to have someone tap you on the shoulder. During meetings, ask others not to speak while facing away from you - for instance, if they speak while writing something on a dry-erase board. Their voice becomes projected at the wall, making it difficult to understand no matter how good your hearing may be. Office Layout An office that has an open-layout of cubicles is not the best for those with hearing loss. The bustling workers can be distracting. Having overlapping phone conversations at the same time as your coworker is challenging, even with normal hearing. Ask to work in a private room with a door, if one is available. Noise can be closed off and you can concentrate on your work. Helping a Coworker who Experiences Hearing Loss Coworkers of the deaf or hard-of-hearing can help make a positive workplace environment by doing the following:
Noise-induced Hearing Loss in the Workplace Work environments are the most common places where a person is exposed to harmful levels of noise. This raises the risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Your employer should provide hearing protection if the noise reaches dangerous levels.
If you, or a loved one, are experiencing hearing loss, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing for a free hearing test and consultation. We offer a variety of hearing aid styles and name brands for a wide range of hearing loss.  A survey that was conducted by Consumer Reports found that about 42% of people who reported not to have difficulty with hearing actually experience mild hearing loss after getting tested.
In most cases, a person with hearing loss is the last person to acknowledge it. Their family, friends or colleagues will notice things like a very loud TV or computer, or the person with hearing loss will frequently ask others to repeat themselves. In the study, people who were 60 or older, about half who had mild hearing loss did not realize that they experienced any hearing loss. Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) occurs gradually and over time. Most people with this type of hearing loss won’t realize that they have been experiencing it until years later, when the loss becomes more obvious to you and others. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the onset of mild hearing loss is serious. The chances of dementia are doubled. It’s important to be more conscious about what you can and cannot hear on a regular basis. Get your hearing tested and take recommendations seriously. Hearing loss is permanent, but you can save the hearing abilities that you still have by using hearing aids. If you, or a loved one, notice changes in your hearing, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing for a free hearing test and consultation. Please be aware that Pure Sound services will only be available by appointment and for essential visits at this time. Essential visits include all appointments that require new hearing aid fittings, repairs, and re-fittings. We will be offering curbside services. If you are visiting us for a repair, we ask that you please wait in your car, while wearing your mask, and place your hearing aids in a clean zip lock bag. A staff member will come to your car to get them. If you are having any issues with your hearing aids, or an assistive listening device, please contact us before visiting one of our office locations in Elizabethtown, Lititz, Mt. Joy, and Strasburg.  Hopefully you have been diligently reading our blog posts, because here’s a pop quiz on hearing loss!
True or False? I can purchase hearing aids the same way that I purchase reading glasses from a drug store. This is false. A hearing healthcare professional must run a hearing test on you and prescribe individual treatment that addresses your specific hearing needs. For example, if you have sensorineural hearing loss, hearing aids could be a great option for you. In addition to the range or type of hearing loss that you have, your hearing health care provider will discuss your lifestyle and other preferences in order to program the devices to fit with your needs. If you experience conductive hearing loss, amplification may not be necessary. Your hearing could be restored by removing ear wax that is obstructing you ear canals, or there could be a benign tumor that needs to be surgically removed. Hearing loss could also indicate an underlying health problem, such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes. In order to find out why you cannot hear, you need a hearing healthcare professional to test your hearing. True or False? Hearing aids will make me hear like I did before experiencing hearing loss. The answer is false. Even though there have been many advancements in hearing aids, especially in the last few years, the devices will not be able to restore your hearing back to normal. It will only preserve the natural hearing abilities that you still have left. Also, if you wait too long - as many people tend to do - your brain needs to relearn how to decipher sounds that you haven’t heard in many years. It’s similar to rehabilitation for a joint replacement or another type of physical injury. True or False? Your brain helps with the function of hearing. This is true. Scientific researchers have spent decades studying the correlation between our ears and our brains. Modern hearing aids help our brain determine which sounds we should concentrate on - like a conversation that you are having with someone at a busy restaurant - and which sounds can be ignored. Your outer ears harness sounds and transfer them into the inner ear, where your tiny sensory hair cells turn them into electrical signals. It’s then transferred through the auditory nerve for the brain to interpret and recognize as sound. When sensory hair cells become damaged or die off, they can no longer accurately process noise that they receive. The result is sensorineural hearing loss, which can normally be treated with hearing aids. According to Johns Hopkins and the National Institute of Aging, elderly adults who have untreated hearing loss lost an average of a cubic centimeter of brain tissue each year compared to individuals who had healthy hearing abilities. True or False? Your hearing health can be negatively impacted by the foods that you consume. The answer is true. In order for your entire body to perform at its best, it requires eating a healthy and balanced diet. Obesity and excessive drinking can contribute to poor hearing. Your auditory system, along with the rest of your body, needs proper blood circulation with the help of a good diet and exercise. True or False? Hearing aids were not useful for other people that I know, so they probably won’t work for me. This answer is false. The experience of hearing loss is different for everyone. Your hearing healthcare provider will need to determine whether hearing aids will benefit you. Your range of hearing loss, personal lifestyle and hearing aid style preferences will be factored in to help decide which hearing aid model you will purchase. After an initial hearing aid fitting and programming, your hearing instrument specialist may need to do additional adjustments and other maintenance to your hearing aids during future appointments. This will ensure that your hearing will improve based on your lifestyle and the environments that you frequently visit. True or false? The main disability among those in the military service and veterans is tinnitus. This answer is true. A study from the American Tinnitus Association revealed that over 50 million Americans have some form of tinnitus. Over 12 million Americans, mostly veterans, suffer from tinnitus that is so severe, it can disturb their personal and professional lives. The military reported that tinnitus has been listed as the largest category for disability claims. Hearing loss is the second. According to hearing healthcare professionals, the majority of tinnitus cases are caused by noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). They account for 90 percent of all tinnitus cases. Any jobs that require workers to be in a noisy environment are at risk of extensive exposure to loud noises - like operating heavy machinery or loud explosions in a veteran’s case. This can cause NIHL. True or false? Musicians have a higher risk of developing hearing loss. This is true. Studies have shown that musicians are nearly four times more likely to endure noise-induced deafness, and 57 percent more likely to experience tinnitus. Some well-known musicians who now have hearing loss due to dangerous levels of noise exposure are, Phil Collins, Ozzy Osbourne and Pete Townshend. True or False? Hearing loss that goes untreated can impact your salary. The answer is true. It is illegal for employers to discriminate against someone who has a hearing disability, but research has shown that if you have untreated hearing loss you could lose $30,000 each year. This is due to the inability to accurately or efficiently accomplish tasks because of your hearing loss. Fortunately, the study showed that individuals who get proper treatment for their mild hearing loss by using hearing aids, reduce that risk by 90 to 100 percent. True or False? My hearing loss only affects me. The answer is false. Anyone who you communicate with will also be affected, and maybe even frustrated. As mentioned before in this blog, untreated hearing loss can result in anxiety, depression and social isolation. This is due to the person’s struggle to communicate with the people in their life. The best solution is to get your hearing loss treated as soon as possible. Close to 70 percent of people who got treatment for their hearing loss with hearing aids, indicated that their social life had significantly improved. True or False? The most effective way to prevent hearing loss is by using ear protection. This answer is true. NIHL and aging are the top reasons for developing sensorineural hearing loss. If you frequently work in a noisy environment, request hearing protection from your employer. If you have a noisy hobby (woodworking or playing a musical instrument),or attend something like a concert or fireworks display, wear proper hearing protection. It may be wise to invest on a good pair of headphones that block out noise or ear plugs. You won’t be able to stop aging, but you can reduce the risks of NIHL by taking preventative measures. True or False? The average child will experience their first ear infection by the time they reach the age of three. This is true. A child’s ears are more likely to get ear infections (otitis media). This is due to how their Eustachian tube is positioned throughout their childhood. Over 75 percent of children have at least one episode of otitis media before they turn three years old. If you, or a loved one, are experiencing hearing loss, don’t wait any longer to get help. Contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test and consultation. We offer a variety of hearing aid solutions for people of all ages. Please be aware that Pure Sound services will only be available by appointment and for essential visits at this time. Essential visits include all appointments that require repairs, re-fittings and new hearing aid fittings. If you are in need of a hearing aid repair, call us prior to an office visit. We ask that you please place your hearing aids in a clean ziplock bag and wait in your car for our curbside services. If you are having any problems with your hearing aids, or need supplies for your hearing aids, please call us before visiting one of our offices.  Based on data collected from academic studies, laboratory settings, parents, teachers, and children who experience unilateral hearing loss (UHL), it has become clear that this type of hearing loss raises the risk of children having psychoeducational difficulties and other obstacles that are associated with it.
Studies conducted within the past several decades has led to learning more about the impact that UHL has on children. One of the earliest studies that help foster this research showed that children who experience permanent UHL are much more likely to have academic and behavioral problems than their peers who had healthy hearing abilities. Children with UHL are at a higher risk of having problems with speech and language, cognitive function, and balance than their peers with normal hearing. About 50% of children with UHL have been shown to have academic difficulties that would require tutoring or therapy. General Information on UHL There are different degrees of UHL in children. UHL is any amount of hearing loss in the impaired ear with average air-conduction thresholds in the normal hearing ear (≤15 dB of hearing loss). Profound unilateral hearing loss is also known as single-sided deafness (SSD). This term implies that there is profound hearing loss in one ear and/or significantly poor ability in speech perception, which restricts the use of that ear. In this article, the term UHL will be used to represent all degrees of UHL, unless noted otherwise. Early studies showed that the majority of children who had UHL were identified when they were 4 to 6 years of age, or when they started attending school. In recent years, approximately 97% of infants that were born in the U.S. have been screened for hearing loss shortly after being born. About 1 in 1,000 are diagnosed with UHL. This makes up 43% of children who have UHL and are identified with hearing loss before they reach 6 months of age. When children reach school age, the pervasiveness rises to about 3 to 6 per 100 and 14 per 100 when they are adolescents. The increase in how common hearing loss is among those between the newborn period and school-age period could be due to progressive or late onset of hearing loss, and the undetected minimal or mild degrees of UHL because newborn screenings are not designed to detect those types of hearing loss. The cause of UHL is still unknown. Among 31-54% of children with UHL, there are no risk or correlated factors identified. Studies have indicated that UHL may become progressive and bilateral hearing loss (hearing loss in both ears) could develop in 7-11% of cases. Therefore, it’s important to monitor the hearing health of individuals with UHL. What are the possible impacts of UHL? The immediate repercussions of UHL are losing binaural function. This can make it harder to identify speech sounds while there’s background noise and it may also be difficult to determine where sounds are emanating from. The loss of interaural time and level differences can lead to safety concerns for children with UHL who rely on cues to navigate the streets. Also, failing to identify the source of a speaker will most likely delay contact with relevant visual cues that improve perception in speech. The lack of binaural cues, like binaural suppression, can adversely affect the ability to comprehend speech when there is too much background noise. This may interfere with how you socially interact with others and impact language acquisition and learning. As previously mentioned, in the early 1980s and 1990s, research studies that had been published indicated that approximately 50% of children who had UHL, failed a grade in school or needed resource assistance. This revealed that they were about 10 times more likely than their normal-hearing peers to be unsuccessful in their academics. The more severe a child’s UHL is, the more likely they are to struggle with listening and learning. Several analysts determined that having hearing loss in the right ear is more harmful to a person’s academic achievement than experiencing hearing loss in the left ear. Other studies found that there were no ear-specific differences in language measures. There has been evidence that indicates that children who experience bilateral hearing loss use up more energy to listen. This leads to concentration and listening fatigue. There is currently limited data based on listening effort and fatigue in children with UHL, but there have been self-reports of fatigue in children who have hearing loss versus children who do not have a hearing impairment. There was not, however, a link between the degree of hearing loss and a rating on fatigue. It is plausible that children with UHL would be prone to listening-fatigue. Children who use and sustain their energy to listen during class may have less energy to think of questions, respond with an answer, take less accurate notes, etc. Managing Your Child’s Hearing Needs In addition to many hearing aid device options, there are other ways to manage the hearing needs of a child with UHL. A hearing healthcare professional can provide a practical survey or questionnaire to recognize and determine specific risks that are of concern such as localization, difficulties with listening, and educational achievements. The Vanderbilt Fatigue Scale is a tool that will soon be available for measuring and listening-related fatigue in children. If you, or a loved one, are experiencing hearing loss, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing for a free hearing test and consultation. We offer a variety of hearing aid styles and brands for people of all ages. Please be aware that Pure Sound services will only be available by appointment and for essential visits at this time. Essential visits include all appointments that require new hearing aid fittings, repairs, and re-fittings. We will be offering curbside services. If you are visiting us for a repair, we ask that you please wait in your car, while wearing your mask, and place your hearing aids in a clean zip lock bag. A staff member will come to your car to get them. If you are having any issues with your hearing aids, or an assistive listening device, please contact us before visiting one of our office locations.  Have you noticed that you’ve been more forgetful lately? Have you missed important meetings or appointments, and needed to reschedule them? Or did you forget about your laundry that was drying out in the sun?
You may not feel as though you are forgetful, but you may be feeling more fatigued. You might blame these experiences of forgetfulness on your memory, but it may actually be your hearing that’s causing the problem. How can You Enhance Your overall Cognitive Abilities and Memory? The first step is to get your hearing tested. Avoid those embarrassing moments when you can’t remember someone’s name or miss an important meeting. A standard hearing test will determine whether you have hearing loss and how severe it may be. You may not immediately recognize any signs of hearing loss, but there still might be some loss in your hearing without symptoms. One of the earliest signs of hearing damage is memory loss. The main cause of memory loss is when your brain is constantly feeling stressed. Here’s what happens:
A human brain holds a finite amount of processing energy. This is the reason why your brain becomes stressed due to the strain. As a result, you may have less mental energy for a healthy memory or cognitive processing. Dementia Linked to Hearing Loss Severe memory loss could result in dementia. Those who do not receive treatment for their hearing loss have a greater risk of cognitive decline, starting with moderate hearing loss and worsening to serious cognitive problems. How can Hearing Aids Stop Fatigue? It’s very important to get treatment for your hearing loss. In one study, there was an undeniable gain in cognitive function for 97.3% of individuals who had hearing loss and wore hearing aids for at least 18 months. Remember, when your brain doesn’t need to strain and overwork itself, your long-term cognitive function improves. Memory loss and cognitive function is a complex issue that won’t always improve by simply using hearing aids. It’s good to engage in brain and physical exercises, socialize with people and maintain a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. The First Sign of Hearing Loss is Typically Memory Loss This type of hearing loss usually isn’t permanent, but rather an evidence of exhaustion. It can become permanent if the underlying issues continue to go unaddressed. Memory loss could be an early warning sign. To address these problems, hearing aids may help. If you, or a loved one, are experiencing memory loss that may be linked to hearing loss, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test and consultation. We offer a vast selection of hearing aids for a wide range of hearing loss. This is a friendly reminder that Pure Sound services will only be available by appointment and for essential visits at this time. Essential visits include all appointments that require repairs, re-fittings, and new hearing aid fittings. If you are having any problems with your hearing aids, or need supplies for your hearing aids, please call us before visiting one of our offices.  COVID-19 has recently been associated with long-term health problems including heart disease, lung disease, and neurological disorders. New research is coming out on whether hearing loss and tinnitus can be a side effect of COVID-19 - it may be a symptom or a complication that emerges days or weeks after becoming infected.
We have been aware of different bacteria and virus infections that may abruptly lead to hearing loss. Previous versions of coronaviruses that caused epidemics, like SARS and MERS, did not appear to be the root of hearing issues. Hearing Loss: COVID-19 Symptoms of sudden hearing loss had been a rare symptom of coronavirus. A report from June 2020 indicated several Iranian patients informed healthcare workers about experiencing hearing loss in one ear, along with vertigo. Another report showed an Egyptian man who did not show any other coronavirus symptoms had developed sudden hearing loss, and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19. Other than these reports, there has not been any additional research that was published. Please be aware that sudden hearing loss, whether it’s in one ear or both, is a medical emergency that should be treated immediately. The faster you receive treatment, the more likely you will restore your hearing. Hearing Loss caused by COVID-19 What has been shown as slightly more common, but still rare, is experiencing hearing loss or tinnitus due to COVID-19. This suggests that hearing loss or tinnitus are not immediate symptoms of the virus, but can develop at a later time. There was a case in October 2020 based on a 45-year-old man from the U.K. who developed tinnitus and sudden hearing loss in one ear after becoming critically ill with COVID-19. His hearing was partially restored after accepting steroids for the hearing loss. It cannot be proven that COVID-19 was the direct cause of the man’s hearing loss, but it appears to be very likely that is what happened. It was also reported that he did not receive any ototoxic medications. Additional research is needed to determine the long-term effects of COVID-19 on hearing health. Can COVID-19 Weaken Your Hearing? A study from Israel examined 16 patients, where half had tested positive for COVID-19 and half tested negative. There were no differences seen in the group members’ auditory nerves. The study is still in progress. There were 16 test subjects enrolled, and all of the patients were asymptomatic. Researchers plan to conduct a larger study, which would include those with more severe complications due to COVID-19. Side Effects of COVID-19 Medication Some medications that are used to treat COVID-19 lead to a high risk of side effects including hearing loss, tinnitus, or vertigo. These medications include chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, and quinine. In Conclusion: Hearing Loss and COVID-19 Additional research is necessary to get a better understanding of how COVID-19 impacts hearing and balance. If you, or a loved one, are experiencing hearing loss, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing for a free hearing test and consultation. Please contact our office before stopping in at one of our locations in Elizabethtown, Lititz, Mt. Joy, or Strasburg.  Hearing loss can be caused by a number of factors. It’s important to note that adults are not the only people who are at risk. About 15 percent of adolescents from the ages of six to 19 experience hearing loss in at least one ear. If a child’s hearing loss goes untreated, it can negatively impact their reading abilities, social skills and performance in school. Even mild hearing loss can lead to missing up to 50 percent of class lessons and discussions. Parents need to be aware of hearing loss in their children and how to properly treat it.
Hearing Loss due to Environmental Factors According to the CDC, 25 percent of hearing loss in children is caused by their environment. The toys that they play with can surpass the 85 dB threshold that is deemed as safe a noise level. Also, children are curious and have a tendency to hold things like speakers up to their ears. The holidays have passed, and your children or grandchildren now have a surplus of toys to play with. You can find out whether a toy surpasses the 85 dB threshold by using a decibel reading app. Some popular toys and their noise levels have been tested. Here’s a list of the Top 15 Noisiest Toys:
If any of these toys were given to your children or grandchildren, consider returning and replacing them with a quieter toy. If you, or a loved one, are experiencing hearing loss and need hearing aids, contact us at Pure Sound Hearing for a free hearing test and free hearing aid trial.  Communicating with others in your workplace can be tough when you experience hearing loss. There are some things that you can do to make your day go smoother.
1. Understand Your Own Hearing Loss - Each person experiences hearing loss differently. It’s good to examine different situations that require you to listen. It’s also a good idea to discover which environments you find challenging and what changes you can make to ease your listening fatigue. Ask for help and request certain accommodations if necessary. 2. Get an Adequate Amount of Rest - Some people can hear better after getting some much needed R&R. If you have important discussions or meetings, it’s best to schedule them early. You’ll be well-rested and your brain and hearing should be functioning at their best. If this is impossible, schedule some time to rest before your important meeting to recharge your mind and body. You can simply walk around outside or even listen to a short meditation to clear your mind. 3. Advocate for Your Needs - Letting coworkers know about your hearing loss is a personal decision, but in many cases, it’s best to be open and honest about it. This makes things less awkward if you need help from others and explaining why you need help. 4. Tell Your Coworkers about the Best Ways to Communicate with You - Communication requires you and other people to interact with one another. You will need help from coworkers to help you efficiently perform your job. You can begin with a simple rule like, only allowing one person to speak at a time. This will make conversations easier to follow if you also rely on lip-reading and/or facial cues to understand what is being discussed. Make sure other people have your attention before talking to you and ask that they face you while clearly speaking. These tips will be helpful if you have a Zoom meeting or another form of video-conferencing call. 5. Use the Latest Technology - There are so many speech-to-text apps available. Currently, the most popular, and accurate, app for Android smartphones is LiveTranscribe. Nothing that is spoken into this app is recorded or saved. Otter, another speech-to-text app, can be used on multiple platforms. Users can save the conversation and create a transcript. Ask your boss if these apps can be used at your company before using them.
6. Be Precise About Your Suggestions - hearing loss is not an easily discernible disability, so most people won’t know that you need help if you don’t ask for help. Be up-front about it and be specific with your needs. Some people might yell because they think it helps you hear them or lean close to your ears, but this will cancel out the ability to lip-read and read facial cues. Describe or show them what you need if they do not understand. 7. Visual Cues - Rather than immediately asking someone to repeat themselves if you miss what was said, listen for a little longer to try and piece together what was stated by using the context you are in. You may also cup your hand behind your ear to indicate that you are having trouble hearing whoever is speaking. The speaker can talk louder without interfering with the flow of the discussion. 8. Diet, Exercise, and Keep Learning - Make sure that you get enough rest, have a healthy diet, and exercise. When you feel better and well-rested, you have more energy to listen. Listening fatigue is real! Knowing the context of a conversation is important, so keep up with current events so that it’s easier to follow along. 9. Accept Your Hearing Loss - This is difficult for many people. If you appear to be at ease about your hearing loss, the people who you interact with will also feel comfortable. Don’t be so hard on yourself if you miss what was said. If you begin to experience listening fatigue, pace yourself so that you have the energy to continue with other conversations. Sometimes what you mishear can be funny. Just go with the flow and laugh at yourself. This will make you, and others feel more relaxed, and maybe open up a dialogue about your personal experiences with hearing loss. If you are struggling to hear at work, due to your hearing loss, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test and consultation. We offer a variety of hearing solutions for your individual hearing needs. Please be aware that Pure Sound services will only be available by appointment and for essential visits at this time. Essential visits include all appointments that require new hearing aid fittings, repairs, and re-fittings. We ask that you please wait in your car, while wearing your mask, and place your hearing aids in a clean zip lock bag. We will come to your car to get them. If you are having any issues with your hearing aids, or need supplies for your hearing aids, please call us before visiting one of our offices.  Health and happiness are important as you age. The best three things that can help you achieve that is maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and making sure you have healthy hearing abilities.
Better Hearing Reduces Social Isolation The ability to hear clearly can help you be more aware of your surroundings, interact with others effortlessly, connect with others, participate in conversations, and remain socially active - even if it’s virtually or at a safe distance. Our connection and engagement with others is important to our overall health and well-being, especially during these times. Studies have indicated that people who enjoy and participate with others in a social setting are more likely to have a longer lifespan than those who remain isolated. Better Hearing can Help Decrease Cognitive Decline Many studies have shown that hearing loss is closely related to dementia. The World Health Organization foresees that the number of people with dementia will triple by the year 2050. As previously mentioned, hearing loss leads to social isolation which raises the risk of dementia. Dementia causes your brain to become weaker, to the point where it uses up the energy that you need in order to remember and think. Between social distancing and social isolation, the risks are much higher. The Lancet Commission on Dementia prevention, intervention, and care recently reported that getting treatment for hearing loss during midlife is the best way to reduce or even prevent the onset of dementia. Better Hearing Helps You Stay Alert and Be Independent Being able to hear gives people confidence. It allows us to feel safer when navigating through the world. Hearing clearly, provides an openness in our spatial awareness. As a result, distinguishing the differences between certain sounds can help us react appropriately whether it’s in a video chat or when out in a grocery store. Anyone who has lost their ability to hear, are likely to miss those signals. This can lead to feelings of uncertainty when interacting with others. People with good hearing are two times less likely to have an accidental injury and three times less likely to have a history of falls than individuals with hearing loss. Better Hearing Reduces Depression Your optimum level of hearing can keep you feeling positive and full of vigor. Hearing the laughter of friends and family, the sounds of your favorite music, a funny joke, birds chirping, or anything else that you love helps to keep you connected. The AARP found that being optimistic and keeping a positive attitude in life can add 7.5 years to your life. There is also an 80 percent reduction in risks of heart disease. Start hearing better today! Contact us at Pure Sound Hearing for a free hearing test and consultation. We offer a variety of hearing aid solutions from brands such as HANSATON, Oticon, Phonak, ReSound, Rexton, Signia, Starkey, Unitron and Widex. Please be aware that Pure Sound services will only be available by appointment and for essential visits at this time. Essential visits include all appointments that require new hearing aid fittings, repairs, and re-fittings. We ask that you please wait in your car, while wearing your mask, and place your hearing aids in a clean zip lock bag. We will come to your car to get them. If you are having any problems with your hearing aids, or need supplies for your hearing aids, please call us before visiting one of our offices.  Have you made your New Year’s resolution yet? Before you ring in the new year, consider these solutions for your hearing health.
1. Protect Your Hearing Health One out of three people living in the U.S. experience noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Damaged sensory cells (hair cells) located in the inner ear (cochlea), lead to NIHL. Exposure to loud noise causes permanent damage to the hair cells and they are eventually destroyed. Hair cells cannot regrow after they die. Noise can harm your hearing if it is too loud and if you are exposed to it for an extensive period of time. Here are three ways to protect your hearing health:
2. Stop Smoking Smokers are nearly two times more likely to experience hearing loss than non-smokers. If you are a non-smoker who lives with a smoker, you are also more likely to develop hearing loss. Smoking affects a person’s hearing when the nicotine and carbon monoxide found in cigarettes restrict the amount of blood flow, which prevents the circulation of oxygen to your inner ear. Insufficient blood flow could lead to lasting damage to your ear's sensory cells 3. Regular Exercise Your overall health is vital to healthy hearing. Engaging in regular exercises can reduce the risks of chronic illnesses and additional risks to your hearing. Anyone who is overweight is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Those with diabetes are two times more likely to experience hearing loss. Being overweight makes the heart work harder to sufficiently circulate blood to the rest of the body. This includes the ears. High blood glucose levels can lead to damaged blood vessels in the inner ear. 4. Get a Hearing Test Getting a hearing test is the first step to identifying whether you have hearing loss. Just like any health concern, getting your hearing loss treated early can improve your overall quality of life. This includes:
 Fruit Fly Hearing as a Model for Human Hearing
Hearing loss is very common among the aging population. It affects about one out of three people over 65-years-old. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2050 there will be over 900 million people who will experience hearing loss. Fruit flies have also been shown to experience age-related hearing loss (presbycusis). These flies are a very versatile model of insects that are commonly used by researchers. A fruit fly’s hearing system is similar to a human’s hearing system, hence the reason why they are closely studied by analysts. Fruit flies preserve their sensitive hearing abilities until late in their life. On average, a fruit fly lives for about 58 days. They can maintain their sensitive hearing abilities for about 50 days, which is about 85% of their life. Not only are fruit flies the best model for examining human age-related hearing loss, but analysts can also learn how humans can maintain their ability to hear. An array of methods were used to test the networks of transcription factors (Proteins involved in the process of converting, or transcribing, DNA into RNA, or “master genes”). These master genes can manage other genes and coordinate crucial signaling pathways that protect the healthy hearing abilities of a fly for their life. 4 Key Genes to Maintaining Good Hearing There are four genes in flies and humans that are vital to creating new nerve cells in the body, but they are also revealed to help preserve hearing and possibly other senses. In the same way that there are chemical, internal, and physical processes that are involved in the development of the ears, there are separate processes within the body that takes care of ear maintenance. It was discovered that there are two resulting duplicates (paralogs) of existing developmental genes - not the developmental genes themselves - that help maintain the ability to hear. Evolution can cause genes to duplicate. The result of the two copies are known as paralogs. Paralogs tend to functionally deviate, where one (or both) genes take on new positions. For example in the fully formed fruit fly ear, researchers discovered that one of the vital development genes had been replaced by its paralog when the fly’s ear became fully formed. This may be a significant evolutionary process. The 19th-century recapitulation theory suggests that developmental history re-enacts the evolutionary history of an organism. An organ’s maintenance procedure is most likely part of a repetition of what it was intended to do during development. To keep ears youthful and in good health, this development may be partially repeated - but the paralogs of the developmental genes perform the operation. The original master gene, known as the atonal, isn’t active in an adult fly’s ears, but the paralog, or the amos, is active. Rather than reiterate the developmental history or completely rebuild the ear from square one, it may be easier to improve the maintenance processes that are currently being used. The study found that changing these paralogs in fruit flies could save their ears from different outcomes of age-related hearing loss. Fruit flies who had altered paralogs had similar hearing abilities as young fruit flies. This indicates that related gene therapies for humans may add some more years of healthy hearing. If you, or a loved one, are experiencing hearing loss, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing for a free hearing test and consultation. Please be aware that Pure Sound services will only be available by appointment and for essential visits at this time. Essential visits include all appointments that require new hearing aid fittings, repairs, and re-fittings. We ask that you please wait in your car, while wearing your mask, and place your hearing aids in a clean zip lock bag. We will come to your car to get them. If you are having any problems with your hearing aids, or need supplies for your hearing aids, please call us before visiting one of our offices.  Learning the basic facts about hearing loss will not only help you feel more comfortable and confident about wearing hearing aids, but you can become a strong advocate of hearing health for yourself and your loved ones. Do some research before making a step towards getting hearing aids. You can also talk to a hearing healthcare professional to get more thorough information about your specific needs and concerns.
Here are 5 Common Misconceptions About Hearing Loss
If you, or a loved one, need hearing aids, contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test and consultation. We offer a variety of name brands and styles for a wide range of hearing loss. Please be aware that Pure Sound services will only be available by appointment and for essential visits at this time. Essential visits include all appointments that require new hearing aid fittings, repairs, and re-fittings. We ask that you please wait in your car, while wearing your mask, and place your hearing aids in a clean zip lock bag. We will come to your car to get them. If you are having any problems with your hearing aids, or need supplies for your hearing aids, please call us before visiting one of our offices.  As frequently mentioned in the blog, hearing loss generally goes unnoticed because it occurs gradually over time. There are usually subtle signs before you, or a loved one, realize that you need a hearing test. Have you noticed that you turn the volume up to hear your T.V. or listen to music? Even after a person is informed that they have hearing loss, on average, most of them wait about 10 years before they will get hearing aids.
What is Auditory Deprivation? Please avoid the mistake of putting off your hearing health. Untreated hearing loss can lead to auditory deprivation in the long run. The sections of your brain that are vital for hearing can shrink or become atrophied due to lack of use. Auditory deprivation is when the brain struggles to comprehend and process information because it is not receiving enough stimulation. The brain will become active when it hears sounds and turns it into information that can be understood. Untreated Hearing Loss and Brain Atrophy Hearing is an activity for the brain. Ears funnel sounds to the brain as electrical impulses through the auditory nerve. Your brain will then translate the electrical impulses into sound. Hearing loss leads to sensory deprivation. The auditory segment of your brain requires sounds to stimulate it and keep the mind agile. Mild hearing loss can lead to an under-stimulated brain, so it’s important to get help for your hearing loss as soon as you, or a loved one, notices these symptoms. Untreated hearing loss can lead to atrophied auditory pathways, due to lack of usage. When fewer sounds travel to the brain, the brain will respond by adjusting the way it works. Subtle hearing loss causes the brain to deal with auditory processing by focusing more on visual processing. Exercise Your Hearing Abilities If you don’t seek help for your hearing loss, it will become much more difficult to comprehend and process information. In other words, you might be able to hear speech sounds but not understand what is being said. You may feel as though you have cognitive decline, but it is actually hearing loss. But remember, untreated hearing loss can lead to cognitive decline. Can Auditory Deprivation become Permanent? There is still uncertainty as to whether the atrophied sections of the brain that convert sound is permanent or not. It can be different for each individual. On a hopeful note, the brain is extremely flexible. It can adapt and shift when stimulated. New connections can be made for more information to be understood. A study found that negative shifts in the brain can be improved when hearing aids are worn regularly. What causes Auditory Deprivation? Auditory deprivation is usually caused by a lack of treatment for a person’s hearing loss. For instance, if a person has hearing loss and receives hearing aids, but does not wear the hearing aids regularly (or at all), this can lead to auditory deprivation. If a person with hearing loss does not receive auditory stimulation, the connection between the ears and the brain becomes ineffective. The auditory nerve will start to atrophy and become weaker. A different reason as to why auditory deprivation can occur is if a person experiences hearing loss in both ears, but only wears a hearing aid in one of their ears. Auditory deprivation may also occur if the hearing aids do not fit correctly or properly programmed. This is why it’s important to have follow-up appointments and work with your hearing instrument specialist to tailor the hearing aids for your specific needs. Unlike eyeglasses, hearing aids may require a custom fit and will definitely require a customized program for your particular type of hearing loss. Your hearing will shift over time, so it’s important to regularly schedule appointments with your hearing instrument specialist. Two Hearing Aids are Better than One Only wearing one hearing aid - when you have hearing loss in each ear - will lead to poor results. The ear that wears the hearing device will remain strong, but the other ear that does not have a hearing aid will become weaker and atrophy at a faster rate than the ear that is aided. Remember, Adapting to Hearing Aids Takes Time It will take time to adjust to listening, putting your hearing aids on, and wearing them from the moment you wake up to the time you go to sleep. This is particularly true if it has been a long time since you’ve been able to hear clearly. You’ll be able to hear things like the hum of your refrigerator, the clicking sound of your blinker lights, birds chirping outside. It may be overwhelming at first, but your brain will eventually become accustomed to the sounds that you haven’t heard in years. Wearing hearing aids all day helps the brain acclimate to the sounds, but it requires a lot of time and patience. How to Prevent Auditory Deprivation It is possible to prevent auditory deprivation by taking safety precautions when you know that you’ll be in a loud environment. Wear earplugs or earmuffs when attending a concert or any other noisy setting. You should get your hearing tested annually, whether you are having trouble hearing or not. Mild hearing loss has been linked to cognitive decline. If you, or a loved one, need a hearing test, contact us at Pure Sound Hearing for a free hearing test and consultation. We offer several hearing aid styles and brands for a wide range of hearing loss. Please be aware that Pure Sound services will only be available by appointment and for essential visits at this time. Essential visits include all appointments that require new hearing aid fittings, repairs, and re-fittings. We will be offering curbside services. If you are visiting us for a repair, we ask that you please wait in your car, while wearing your mask, and place your hearing aids in a clean zip lock bag. A staff member will come to your car to get them. If you are having any issues with your hearing aids, or an assistive listening device, please contact us before visiting one of our office locations.  Is there someone in your life who has hearing loss? There are about 466 million people around the world who experience crippling hearing loss. According to this statistic, there’s a high probability that you do know someone with hearing loss. You may notice that they are asking you to repeat yourself more often, you can tell that they are having difficulty in keeping up with conversations, or you notice that they are isolating themselves from social interactions. Here are some tips to handle this situation.
1. Practice effective communication. When talking to someone with hearing loss, get their attention. Your face and lips need to be visible in order to better understand you. Do not talk from a different room that has walls around it. Do not talk while eating. Enunciate and speak at a steady pace. Do not yell, this makes it more difficult to lipread. When in a group setting, please only allow one person to speak at a time. If the topic changes, notify the person who is hard of hearing. 2. Create an environment that will help people hear best. A good environment is important to let people hear at an optimal level. Have very little to no background noise and a brightly-lit space to provide ease with lipreading. Have the person with hearing loss choose the location to meet. They can pick a place that will help with their communication with everyone. Let them choose where to sit in order to maximize their ability to hear others as best as they can. 3. Give support, rather than pity. If someone discloses their hearing loss, don’t apologize or pity them. You can be direct by asking them what you can do to help them hear at their best and then follow their instructions. Hearing aids are not like eyeglasses. A person with hearing loss will not have normal hearing by using hearing aids, the way that eyeglasses restore vision. Repeating yourself may be annoying, but try to stay positive and patient. Listening to someone, when you have hearing loss requires a lot of effort. You might only catch parts of some words or phrases, so your brain is working overtime in order to piece together what was stated based on the context of the discussion. After enduring a long day of carefully listening, it can cause exhaustion. If necessary, a break and rest. 4. Exercise useful means of communication without reminders. It may be exhausting to continually explain to those who you regularly interact with how they can help you hear at your best. You may feel as though you are nagging when frequently reminding those closest to you about what they need to do in order to make you feel included. Simply facing someone with hearing loss, with their mouth uncovered and using the previously advised means of communications, shows that they are making an effort and that they care. 5. Have someone with you during your own self-advocacy. Someone who is hard of hearing may get tired of constantly asking a waiter to repeat the day’s specials at every restaurant, or when they need to request the closed captioning device at any theater that you attend. When there is someone to help them with these needs, it helps in understanding the struggle of hearing loss and helps that person save their energy for listening and requests for other needs. 6. Refrain from saying, “Never mind.” It may be tiring to repeat yourself, but do not simply reply with “Never mind”, “it’s not important”, or “forget about it”. Those with hearing loss take those words as being brushed-off, scolded and insulted all at the same time. Frequently being treated in that manner can lead a person with hearing loss to isolate themselves, which can lead to depression. When a person with hearing loss needs something repeated, rephrase what you said. You can ask them to repeat what they thought they heard in order to fill in the missing words. Sometimes the miscommunications can be humorous, so you can share a laugh with each other. 7. Test out different technology. While hearing aids are useful, there can still be the occasional miscommunication. This is especially true in busy areas. There are always new technological advancements that are being made with hearing aids, including talk-to-text apps. It’s a good idea to test some of them out to know what works best for you and the person with hearing loss. If you have a loved one who is experiencing hearing loss, please contact us at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for a free hearing test and consultation. We offer a variety of hearing aid brands and styles that suit a wide range of hearing loss.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has confirmed that the leading cause of death is heart disease. It is responsible for the deaths of approximately 610,000 people every year in the U.S. Heart disease is also associated with hearing loss. Maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system is healthy for hearing health.
The majority of heart diseases are related to damaged blood vessels, caused by high blood pressure (hypertension) and/or tight, narrow arteries (arteriosclerosis) due to high cholesterol. These can lead to obstructions, spasms, or even ruptures in major or minor vessels, which can cause chest pains, heart attack, or stroke. Heart muscle, valve, or rhythm disorders can induce other forms of heart disease, like heart failure. Cardiovascular disease is the cause of death for one American each minute. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. Most people are unaware of the gravity that heart disease is to them, or that it is closely related to other health problems such as hearing loss. Everyone should be aware of the risks and take preventative care to preserve their hearing and heart health. Hearing Loss and Heart Health How does hearing loss relate to heart health? Proper blood flow is important for hearing health. Research has indicated that healthy circulation helps support great hearing health. On the other hand, poor blood flow and damage to the blood vessels in the inner ear can lead to hearing loss. The hair cells (stereocilia) located inside the cochlea, translate the sounds harnessed by your ears into electrical impulses. Your brain will then interpret them as recognizable sounds. This requires healthy blood circulation. Weak circulation will not adequately provide the hair cells with enough oxygen, which would cause them to become damaged or destroyed. These hair cells cannot be reproduced, which leads to permanent hearing loss. According to an American Journal of Audiology study from 2010, research that had been done over the past 60 years on cardiovascular health and how it influenced hearing health, was reviewed. The researchers discovered that damaged cardiovascular health adversely impacts central and peripheral auditory systems, particularly in elderly adults. A study from 2017 showed that 5,107 Australians had a strong connection between heart disease (along with risk factors for heart disease such a high blood pressure) with a higher risk of hearing loss. Hearing Loss and Strokes A stroke happens when the blood supply for the brain is obstructed and deprives the brain of oxygen. If a stroke occurs in parts of the brain that are needed for hearing and balance, the stroke may lead to hearing loss, dizziness, and other vestibular/balance changes. Lasting Complications that arise due to Strokes When the brain’s temporal lobe is impacted by a stroke, a person could experience lasting negative shifts in their ability to hear. These may involve struggling to distinguish speech sounds. In rare cases, a person might experience “auditory hallucinations”, where they hear sounds that do not exist. Risks of Stroke: Hearing Loss in one Ear There have been proven cases where individuals who experienced sudden hearing loss in one ear (sudden sensorineural hearing loss or SSNHL) were at a higher risk of having a stroke within the following few years after losing their ability to hear. It is uncertain as to why sudden hearing loss occurs, but researchers believe it may be caused by an obstructed blood flow in part of the brain that is important for hearing. Engage in Exercises Sensorineural hearing loss is permanent, but you might be able to preserve your residual hearing abilities by doing cardiovascular exercises. A study conducted by researchers at Miami University found a beneficial link between sharpness in hearing and cardiovascular exercises. The study included 102 non-smokers between the ages of 22 and 78. After pedaling on a stationary bicycle, each of the test subjects had their hearing evaluated. The researchers determined that individuals who had higher cardiovascular fitness levels experienced better hearing, particularly for those who were at least 50 years of age. A broader study that was published in the American Journal of Audiology in June of 2017 by researchers at the Department of Health, Exercises Science and Recreation Management at the University of Mississippi, Oxford, studied data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and included 1,070 participants who were at least 30 years old. Individuals in this study who exercised more showed reduced levels of triglyceride. High triglyceride levels are linked to hearing loss. It is important to note that loud gyms and places that hold spin cycling classes can damage your hearing health. Hearing Loss and Cardiovascular Disease Cardiovascular disease should be taken seriously by everyone. It’s important to highlight that hearing health is just as important as heart health. There is so much data that links the two to one another, which can lead to additional health issues. It’s important to learn more to take action to care for our overall wellness. Get Help Low-frequency hearing loss could indicate that cardiovascular disease is either present or may develop in a person. If you, or a loved one, are noticing hearing loss, contact us at Pure Sound Hearing for a free hearing test and consultation. We offer a variety of hearing aids for a wide range of hearing loss. |
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