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Well Hearing is Well Being

Good hearing and communication are important through all stages of life Statistics Canada reports that 21% of adults have mild hearing loss2 whereas 7% of adults2 experience “moderate or worse” hearing loss. And hearing loss is generally prevalent over age 50. Hearing loss can be avoided through preventative actions like protecting your ears from loud sounds, practicing healthy ear care and keeping up with immunizations. Those at risk of hearing loss should have their hearing checked regularly because hearing loss can be addressed easily when it is identified in a timely manner. How can you take control of your hearing health?

Separate photos of a man playing guitar and a man using binoculars while hunting

Custom Hearing Protection

Did you know that 1.1 billion people around the world are estimated to be at risk of noise-induced hearing loss? While working in a loud environment or being surrounded by noise may not be something you can always avoid, protecting your hearing IS! 50% of young people admit to listening to their music too loudly and 70% of people exposed to loud noise seldom wear hearing protection. And excessive exposure to noises higher than 85dB can damage your hearing. Here’s some common noise decibels for reference… Gun shot: 140 Jackhammer: 130 Motorsport: 100 Hairdryer: 90 Airplane cabin: 80 We’ve all been

Group of people standing together shoulder to shoulder

Gift of Hearing Contest

According to the CDC, the prevalence of hearing loss is twice as common as diabetes or cancer. And although more common in adults ages 50 and up, hearing loss a ects all ages, demographics and people across the globe. About 40 million adults ages 20-69 in the U.S. alone have noise-induced hearing loss, and approximately 3 in every 1,000 babies are born with detectable hearing loss in one or both ears. At Ear and Hearing Clinic, we believe that hearing well is essen al to being able to live life to the fullest! We are dedicated and passionate about crea ng

AN OPEN DISCUSSION

In terms of gaining widespread acceptance by those in need of hearing instruments, the largest strides have been made by recently developed “open-fit” hearing instruments. Not only have these compact instruments proven their ability to help wearers hear better in social settings (which often pose the greatest challenge to hearing instrument users), they are exceedingly comfortable. Open-fit users are particularly enthusiastic about the instruments’ design, which eliminates the need for custom-fitted molds that fit tightly in the ear canal. Instead, open-fit instruments feed processed sound from the small unity, which sits inconspicuously behind the ear, to the ear opening via a

WEIGHING HEAVILY ON THE EARS

Obesity has been linked to an array of health problems, and it seems that impaired hearing is the latest. Analysis of health data of 68,000 women participating in the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study suggests that carrying extra pounds, especially around the waist, may be linked to hearing loss. Researchers found that women who were obese (defined as having BMIs between 30 and 39) were 17 percent to 22 percent more likely to report hearing loss than women whose BMIs were less than 25. (Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a measurement of body fat based on a ratio of height and

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SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT HEARING LOSS

While it may not come as a surprise that smoking is linked with increased risk of hearing loss, it may come as a revelation to many that teens exposed to secondhand smoke may be at higher risk for hearing loss. While these findings do not necessarily prove that secondhand smoke directly causes hearing loss, it certainly provides one more good reason to not smoke and to stay away from smokers. It must also be pointed out that most of the teens with secondhand smoke exposure and hearing loss did not know that their hearing was impaired. This is important because lack

RIGHT ON THE BUTTON

The great strides in hearing instrument design can be partially attributed to the tiny batteries that power sophisticated digital systems. However, this capability comes with a potential price. To young children, button batteries look like shiny coins. And as young children are prone to do, they often put things in their mouths that pose a danger. A swallowed button battery may become lodged in the esophagus, where it introduces an electrical current that flows through the tissue without children betraying any signs of obvious injury. The number of small children treated in emergency rooms for swallowed batteries has nearly doubled in

PRESBYCUSIS

The term “presbycusis” refers to the slow and progressive loss of hearing that affects both ears to the same degree, usually starting around the age of 50. This age-related loss of hearing most often starts in the high-frequency range, where conversation is conducted The term “presbycusis” refers to the slow and progressive loss of hearing that affects both ears to the same degree, usually starting around the age of 50. This age-related loss of hearing most often starts in the high-frequency range, where conversation is conducted

GAMING TINNITUS

While there is no current cure for “tinnitus,” researchers have developed a computer game that they hope will bring relief. The persistent noise that tinnitus sufferers endure in their heads is the result of wayward sound-processing nerve cells producing the illusion of non-existent sound. The concept of the computer game under development calls for tinnitus sufferers to complete a jigsaw puzzle on a tablet computer by using audio cues to find puzzle pieces. As they move their fingers on the screen, the sound tells them if they are on the right path. The sounds are tailored to the characteristics of each