Keep up to date with that latest in Hearing Health News including the latest in Hearing Aid Technology and Best Hearing Health Practices!
Face masks have unequivocally been a good thing when it comes to helping prevent the spread of COVID-19. But they present challenges when trying to communicate with others. Especially if you or the person you’re communicating with has hearing loss.
Read MoreToday’s hearing aids are more sophisticated than ever before. They utilize the most advanced microelectronics, wireless radios, and computer processors, and they are built to exacting specifications to offer the best hearing possible.
Read MoreWe all want to stay healthy and happy as we age. Exercising and eating right are two obvious things we can do to help.
Read MoreHave you seen our Livio Edge AI custom rechargeable hearing aids?
If we say so ourselves, our new Livio Edge AI custom rechargeable hearing aids are pretty great. But we’re biased. So we won’t blame you if you want a second opinion.
Read MoreWe all want to maintain our mental sharpness as we get older. Dementia, Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline are conditions everyone hopes to avoid.
A growing body of research has shown that hearing loss plays a role in our ability to stay mentally sharp as we age. In fact, in a 2018 review of the research, it was concluded that untreated hearing loss increased the risk of dementia by 50 percent.
Read MoreWe all want to stay healthy and happy as we age. Exercising and eating right are two obvious things we can do to help. But did you know hearing our best has a big impact, too? September is Healthy Aging Month. Here are four ways hearing your best can help you age your best.
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As the mother of two teenagers and an audiologist, I’ve always been hyperaware of noise-induced hearing loss and the lasting effects it can have on young people. It may seem like just a minor annoyance to hear your child’s music or phone conversation through their earbuds. After all, they could be up to worse things, right?
While that’s true, it’s also important to consider the permanent damage they could be doing to their hearing. The damage can last much longer than the duration of their favorite song or a conversation with their best friend.
The average pair of earbuds can emit a maximum sound anywhere from 85-110 decibels. After just 15 minutes of exposure, hearing damage can occur. Approximately 40 million Americans have some level of noise-induced hearing loss, and it isn’t just the elderly. In fact, one in seven teens experience this and once damage occurs to the hair cells of the inner ear, it cannot be undone.
The good news is this type of hearing loss is completely preventable, but it may require breaking habits and gentle reminders.
There’s no time like the present to start. As you know, many school districts have been issuing their plans for the 2020-2021 school year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many will be relying on hybrid and distanced learning. As many families prepare to once again have their schools, workplaces and gyms all under one roof during these unusual times, earbud and headphone use is on the rise.
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
Recent research has found loneliness to be a growing — and troubling — health crisis, affecting more than one-third of people 45 and older. And that was before COVID-19 compelled many of us to work from home and all of us to stay socially distant.
Why is loneliness a health crisis and not simply a social issue? Because, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), loneliness and social isolation are associated with:
One study equates their health effects with smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Hearing loss is a known contributor to feelings of loneliness and social isolation. And it makes sense. Humans are social creatures! If communication becomes challenging, those with hearing loss may choose to minimize interactions, opt out of invitations, and hunker down at home. Alone.
So it’s not surprising that experts think treating hearing loss can help with loneliness, and obviously hearing aids are key to that. Especially today’s hearing aids, which not only make hearing easier, but can connect us to friends and family through our smartphones, and help motivate us to be more physically and socially active.
We can help! Call Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers by clicking here, today!
Photo by Todd Diemer on Unsplash
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, we can help. Just click here and we’ll set up a hearing test near you.
Today’s hearing aids are more sophisticated than ever before. They utilize the most advanced microelectronics, wireless radios, and computer processors, and they are built to exacting specifications to offer the best hearing possible. This includes being as resistant to moisture, dust and dirt as a high-tech instrument that sits in your ear all day can be.
However, this does not mean hearing aids never break down or never need to be replaced.
If hearing aids are worn in the manner they are designed to be worn — meaning every day all day long — then they are guaranteed to be exposed to some pretty rough environments. This can include perspiration, body oils, ear wax, hair spray, lotion, makeup, rain, humidity, dust, pollen, etc.
Add to that, hearing aids get dropped, rattled around in purses and back packs, twisted and turned while putting them in and taking them out, and much more. Overall, they take quite a beating but keeping performing.
That said, the average life of a hearing aid is around five years. This is assuming the wearer cleans and maintains the hearing aids regularly and has their hearing healthcare professional check and clean the aids at least every six months.
Still, in that five-year period, it is not unusual for hearing aids to require few repairs. Once hearing aids reach the five-year mark, investing in new hearing aids vs. repairing old ones is something to seriously think about. As durable as today’s hearing aids are, over time the components will break down from daily exposure to the elements. At this point, new hearing aids are a much better investment than continuing to repair the old ones.
Purchasing new devices won’t just provide you with a more reliable set of hearing aids. In the time you wore those older devices, hearing aid technology will have advanced. Significantly. This means better sound quality, better hearing in noise, advancements in wireless technology, more accessory options, and more life-enhancing features.
As with all technology, hearing aids are constantly getting better and better. Investing in new hearing aids regularly provides wearers with reliable hearing aids that provide the best hearing possible, which is always the most important thing. And with hearing aids, the return on investment is often priceless.
P.S. Don’t forget to have your hearing checked every year to monitor for any changes in hearing. This could also play a role in the decision to replace your current hearing aids.
Contact Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers to schedule your first appointment today!
Today’s hearing aids are more sophisticated than ever! One of the greatest advances in hearing aid technology is the ability to pair them to a variety of smartphones, including Apple iPhones and several Android handsets. The connection between smartphones and hearing aids brings a long list of incredible benefits. Here is my top 10 list of things you can do with your smartphone-connected hearing aids.
If you want to experience these features for yourself, Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers can help. Click here to make an appointment, so we can demonstrate the latest smartphone-connected hearing aids for you!
Photo by NordWood Themes on Unsplash
We all want to maintain our mental sharpness as we get older. Dementia, Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline are conditions everyone hopes to avoid.
A growing body of research has shown that hearing loss plays a role in our ability to stay mentally sharp as we age. In fact, in a 2018 review of the research, it was concluded that untreated hearing loss increased the risk of dementia by 50 percent.
While researchers admit the science is still inconclusive on exactly why untreated hearing loss increases dementia risk, they do offer three probable reasons.
Untreated hearing loss has long been linked to increased social isolation and loneliness, which studies have shown increases the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Think about it — if you struggle to hear, you’ll be more likely to withdraw from social activities or situations where hearing plays a big role.
As hearing becomes more difficult, your brain has to work harder to register and comprehend what you’re listening to. This steals energy needed for memory and thinking. Scientists refer to this as the “cognitive load theory.”
Imagine your brain as having a finite amount of fuel. As hearing loss increases, you use more “fuel” to make sense of what you’re listening to, meaning you have less fuel for tasks like memory and decision-making.
Finally, hearing loss is shown to accelerate brain atrophy or shrinkage.
Yes, believe it or not, our brains shrink as we age. But researchers at John’s Hopkins found that people with impaired hearing lost more brain tissue per year than peers with normal hearing — likely due to atrophy from lack of stimulation.
No evidence has yet proven that hearing loss treatment can prevent cognitive decline, but two studies strongly suggest it may help (and another is in the works).
One, in 2015, studied subjects over a 25 year period and found that those with self-reported hearing loss who did not wear hearing aids showed evidence of accelerated cognitive decline, while those with hearing loss who did wear hearing aids had no more cognitive decline than their normal-hearing peers.
A 2017 study was even more interesting. The study, conducted by The Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention and Care, concluded that managing or treating hearing loss in mid-life is one of nine things you can do to help prevent dementia. And — more importantly — it was the number one risk factor they recommended you could modify to “reduce the incidence of dementia or substantially delay its onset.”
In fact, researchers suggest that hearing loss treatment "could prevent up to 9
This link between hearing loss and cognitive decline — and the studies above — should give everyone added incentive to treat hearing loss and not ignore common hear loss signs. And hearing aids are a common way to treat hearing loss.
Our Livio AI hearing aids were specifically designed to help people both manage their hearing loss and achieve good cognitive health. In addition to being our best sounding and best performing hearing aids, they’re the first wearable device that helps you monitor your brain and body activity.
Time Magazine liked Livio so much, they named them one of 2019’s Best Inventions.
If you’re ready to treat your hearing loss, we can help. Click here and we’ll help you schedule a safe and health department-compliant consultation with a hearing healthcare professional near you.
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.
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.
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 Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers today! Click here for a list of locations.
If you didn’t (now) know the answer and someone asked you who was more susceptible to having hearing issues — rock and rollers or classical musicians — you’d say rock and rollers, wouldn’t you? Bet most people would.
And no one would blame you. Classical music is not typically played at the volume or intensity of rock music, nor amplified to shake arenas. Plus, unlike Pete Townshend, Huey Lewis, Brian Johnson and many other rockers who have come out publicly with their noise-induced hearing issues, we don’t hear of classical musicians suffering. (Though to be fair, publicity-wise, the genres are hardly apple to apples.)
But in a 2018 National Public Radio story titled, “For Musicians, Hearing Loss is More Common Than One Would Think,” audiologist Marshall Chasin — who works with musicians with hearing loss issues — explains why our perception is not reality.
As Dr. Chasin notes, “It turns out that classical music is actually more damaging than rock ‘n’ roll. A rock ‘n’ roller might pick up their guitar on a Friday night gig, and may not even practice or touch their music for another week or two until the next gig. In contrast, a classical musician plays four, five hours a day practicing, they may teach one or two hours a day, and then they have four or five, or maybe seven or eight, different performances every week. So even though the spot intensity might be greater for a rock ‘n’ roll set, if you take the dose that they get — the number of hours per week you’re playing — for a classical musician, it’s much, much greater.”
Now you've got another fact you can use to win a bet, amaze your friends, or as small talk with coworkers while you’re waiting for everyone to show up to that 2:00 p.m. virtual meeting.
By now we should all know that infectious pathogens — like COVID-19 — can be transmitted from person to person through coughing and sneezing. But did you know it may be transmitted simply by talking, too?
In a study published just this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers found that normal human speech produces thousands of respiratory droplets that can linger in the air for up to 14 minutes.
Basically, every time we talk, we spray thousands of droplets from our mouths that are so small they hang and drift in the air for 8 to 14 minutes.
These droplets can carry infectious pathogens — like coronavirus — and pass viral particles from person to person when that other person inhales the infected droplets or touches something the droplets landed on.
Maybe more interesting is that the same research found that speaking loudly generated more droplets than normal speech, and those droplets also traveled farther.
Not only does this research confirm the reason why wearing masks is advised and increasingly required around the world — it gives yet another reason why treating hearing loss is recommended. “Hearing is essential,” says Dr. Archelle Georgiou, Starkey’s Chief Health Officer, “but if you need one more reason to finally get hearing aids, they could decrease the risk of transmitting COVID-19.”
People with COVID-19 are most infectious one day before they develop symptoms. So, if your friends and family are infected (but don’t know it) and talking more loudly to you so that you hear them, they will be launching more respiratory droplets into the air. This means you are increasing your risk of getting exposed to the virus — and increasing the risk of everyone else in the room.
Treating hearing loss with hearing aids enables you to fully participate in conversations with companions who are speaking at a normal speech volume without them needing to shout or speak loudly. As an added bonus, hearing aids also make it easier to hear what people who wear masks are saying. And since masks eliminate the lip-reading cues that we all rely on, that extra amplification and speech clarity can be especially useful now.
As Dr. Georgiou makes clear, “COVID-19 and the need for social distancing are not going away anytime soon. Getting hearing aids also decreases the risk that social distancing will turn into social isolation.”
We are ready to help! Contact us today to schedule your first hearing evaluation, here.
It’s well known that hearing loss is pervasive and that our odds of having hearing loss increase exponentially as we get older.
What’s less well known is how few of us actually do anything about it. Though one glaring clue is that you don’t see nearly as many people wearing hearing aids as you do glasses.
Why more of us don’t do anything about it is the real puzzle, especially when the negative effects of hearing loss on quality of life are widely known — and the benefits of treating hearing loss are so many.
If you’ve got hearing loss, the last few months have — maybe more than any other time before — emphasized how challenging it is to stay connected, stay informed and feel in control of your safety and health.
And if you’ve got hearing loss, you should know that today’s hearing aid can absolutely help — by making it much easier to feel connected, informed and in control of your safety and health.
Want to find out for yourself? Just contact us today!
Source: American Academy of Audiology
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:
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 Livio AI or Livio Edge AI 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!
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
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 as people who reported no trouble hearing. Both occurring while at work and during leisure activities.
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 Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers today to prevent any accidental injuries.
Photo by Fabio Neo Amato on Unsplash
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 Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers today to get started!
Photo by Alina Grubnyak on Unsplash
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.
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 Chicagoland Hearing Aid Centers. 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.
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