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How Hearing Loss Affects Everyday Life

Hearing loss is more common than many realize, affecting millions of people across all age groups. While it might seem like a simple matter of volume, the effects of hearing difficulties go far beyond just missing words. They can influence work, relationships, social life, and even mental well-being. Understanding these impacts is key to addressing hearing challenges and improving quality of life. Impact on Work and Professional Life Hearing loss can make the workplace challenging. Conversations during meetings or phone calls may become difficult to follow, leading to misunderstandings or missed information. Employees with hearing difficulties often expend extra energy to

Close up of two fingers holding a single hearing aid with an older woman in the background.

How to Adjust to Life with New Hearing Aids

Getting new hearing aids marks an exciting step toward better hearing. Yet this journey comes with an adjustment period that requires patience and practice. The brain needs time to relearn how to process sounds it hasn’t heard for a while, making the hearing aid adjustment process both rewarding and challenging. This guide provides practical tips for a smooth transition to life with hearing devices. We’ll explore managing expectations, practicing listening techniques, and caring for your devices to help you maximize your investment in better hearing. Set Realistic Expectations Your brain requires time to adapt to the sounds flooding back into your

A doctor standing beside a patient conducting a hearing test.

5 Signs You May Need a Hearing Test and When to Book One

Changes in your ability to hear often develop slowly over time. This gradual progression makes them surprisingly easy to overlook or brush off as temporary issues. Many people put off getting a hearing test until their problems become severe, affecting their daily lives and relationships. The good news? Early detection of hearing loss can dramatically improve your quality of life and treatment options. Catching problems early gives you more choices and better outcomes. This post covers five key warning signs that suggest it’s time to see an audiologist, plus guidance on when to schedule your appointment. 1. You’re Constantly Asking “What?”

Can Earwax Cause Hearing Loss?

Earwax, often misunderstood as an annoying or even harmful build-up, is actually one of your body’s natural defenses. This waxy substance, medically known as cerumen, plays an essential role in keeping your ears clean and protected. But could earwax also be the reason behind your muffled hearing or discomfort? If you’ve been struggling with hearing issues, it’s possible earwax could be the cause. This post explores what earwax is, how it can impact your hearing, and offers practical tips for safe earwax removal. What is Earwax and Why Do We Have It? Earwax might seem like an inconvenience, but it’s both

How to Protect Your Hearing and Prevent Hearing Loss

Hearing is woven into the fabric of our daily lives. It lets us enjoy the melodies of music, share in conversations, and stay connected to the world around us. Yet, hearing loss often creeps in gradually, making it easy to overlook until it becomes a serious issue. The reality is clear—once hearing is lost, it’s permanent. That’s why taking proactive steps to protect your hearing is essential. This guide will explore practical and effective ways to maintain healthy hearing and prevent hearing loss. Why Protecting Your Hearing is Essential Hearing health plays a crucial role in your overall well-being. It impacts

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WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

According to a recent report from the CDC, nearly 10 percent of millennials (those born between approximately 1976 and 2004) have some degree of hearing loss. The primary cause of this hearing damage is loud noise. While previous generations were mostly exposed to loud noise in work situations, millennials and younger children receive most of their exposure to loud noise at home. So what exactly is the problem? While household chores might cause hearing loss when tools and appliances reach 85 decibels for extended periods, it only takes two minutes of loud music played at 110 decibels to cause damage. Common

HEARING YOUR OWN PULSE

To understand “pulsatile tinnitus,” it is helpful to know the difference between the two main types of hearing loss: “conductive” and “sensorineural.” Conductive loss is due to problems involving the ear canal, eardrum, or middle ear; sensorineural loss involves problems of the inner ear. With this in mind, people suffering from a condition causing conductive hearing loss (such as a perforated eardrum) might become more aware of sounds from inside their bodies. Pulsatile tinnitus occurs when the ear becomes aware of a change in blood flow in nearby blood vessels, including the arteries and veins in the neck, base of the

THE BENEFITS OF TWO HEARING AIDS

Those with hearing loss in both ears benefit most from wearing a hearing aid in each ear. Being fitted with “binaural” hearing instruments provides the listener with a better ability to locate sounds. This increased “localizing” capability occurs by being able to differentiate between the spatial location of the desired speaker and undesired noise. When spatial separation is present, the central auditory system normally functions to allow the suppression of undesired background noise and the capacity to concentrate on desired speech. To better understand the advantage of binaural listening over monaural listening, those with normal hearing should try plugging one ear

PAINKILLERS LINKED TO HEARING LOSS

As you probably already know, over-the-counter pain-killing medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen come with their share of potential side effects, some of which may be quite serious. One recent example of this type of side effect comes from a study that uncovered an association between hearing loss and the long-term use of acetaminophen and “non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs” (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen. When researchers analyzed data on 55,850 women between the ages of 44 and 69, they found that, over a 22-year period, one-third of the women reported some level of hearing loss. While this finding does not prove cause and

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