BREAKING THE FEEDBACK CYCLE
One of the primary complaints of older hearing instruments revolved around the problem of “acoustic feedback,” which occurs when some of the amplified sound leaks from the ear canal back into the microphone and becomes re-amplified. This cycle of leakage and re-amplification (known as the “feedback cycle”) results in a loud squealing sound that wearers […]
THE COCKTAIL PARTY EFFECT
The term “cocktail party effect” refers to the human ability to focus on a single speaker while turning out noisy background noise. Research indicates that the left side of our brain picks out the desired sounds from the background noise. This makes sense when you take into account that speech signals are processed in the […]
IMPROVED HEARING BOOSTS BRAIN POWER
Hearing loss can compromise cognitive ability because the brain must put added effort into understanding speech. Thus, it makes sense that new research indicates that providing individuals with hearing instruments not only helps them hear better, but it also boosts their brain function. When researchers examined people in their 50s and 60s with bilateral sensorineural […]
DEMONSTRATING IMPULSE CONTROL
Today’s digital hearing instruments use “algorithms” (which are sets of step-by-step instructions that are used to accomplish a task) to analyze and categorize incoming sounds. In effect, these sophisticated algorithms can intercept sounds, code them, and cleanse them before they reach the listener’s ear. With this in mind, a hearing instrument with the “impulse noise […]
PAINKILLERS LINKED TO HEARING LOSS IN WOMEN
Regular readers of this column know that one of the best ways to avoid hearing loss is to reduce exposure to loud noise. Now, new research suggests that prolonged use of certain painkillers is also linked to hearing loss in women. While the magnitude of the hearing loss uncovered by researchers may be modest, the […]
AUDITORY FATIGUE
The inner ear contains delicate “hair cells” that are responsible for converting sound-induced vibrations into electrical impulses that are recognizable to the brain. These hair cells resemble blades of grass on a lawn. When subjected to loud noise, however, these hair cells look as though they had been beaten down by hard rain. This is […]
COMMUNICATING WITH THE HEARING IMPAIRED
Regardless of how old you are or what you do, you are likely to meet someone who suffers from hearing loss. To facilitate conversation, it is important not to begin speaking until you have the attention of the person with whom you wish to converse. Once you have engaged the other person’s eyes, make sure […]
THE SMALLEST OF THE SMALL
For those who are intent on wearing a hearing instrument that is so tiny that they will be the only ones to know that they are wearing one, there is the “Invisible-in-the-Canal” (IIC) hearing instrument. These instruments, which are custom-fitted from impressions of the wearer’s ear canal, are positioned so deeply inside the ear that […]
SELECTIVE SOUND SENSITIVITY SYNDROME
The alliterative term “selective sound sensitivity syndrome” (or “misophonia”) is used to describe a condition whereby a person experiences an intense emotional reaction to a specific sound. It may be a constant tapping of a foot on the floor or hearing someone eat that causes a misophonic individual to fly into a rage. The word […]
ANEMIA TIED TO HEARING LOSS
Because hearing loss is so prevalent among older individuals, researchers have sought to find factors that will help identify those at increased risk. This research has recently yielded the finding that “sudden sensorineural hearing loss” (SSHL), during which hearing is severely reduced over a three-day period, is linked with “iron deficiency anemia” (IDA). This common […]
